When it came time to design an original steampunk garment I was very much inspired by this combination of burgundy silk with this weird spandex pleather and gold brads. I wanted something that wasn't made of typical steampunk componants. I didn't want gears, goggles, and up until I did this rendering, I didn't want a corset. However, I still wanted a cinched waist. I ended up inspired by 14th century surcotes (I always loved the one worn by the queen in the old Roger's and Hammerstein Cinderella) and the design came organically from there.
The underdress is a red cotton stretch sateen with a button yoke that fastens with elastics looped over gold buttons. It has a gathered collar that is short in the front and tall in the back. The overdress is made of a odd polyester spandex material with lots of brads on it. The dress laces together on the sides with hex nuts and leather lacing. The skirt is another weird poly spandex that is gathered into the black overdress. Eventually I plan on shredding the bottom up a bit.
The hat is a craft straw hat that I starched, covered in fleece, then overlayed with silk on the outside, cotton sateen on the inside, and a black binding. The embellishments are a metal flower made of mailbox numbers bent to shape with hex nuts in the middle, and broken jewelry findings bent and glued back together. Then the feathers are stuck here and there!
The overdress comes off, and underneath the underdress is finished, so it doubles as a cute cocktail dress! :D

Man that was wordy!