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[lubibul]

Hello, everybody!

Me and my friend are planning on doing some steampunk cosplays. We're both girls and we're planning on being steampunk airship engineers, but... neither of us have ever designed steampunk outfits! I made some designs, but this is a first for me, so I need any suggestions you have!

What kind of stuff do steampunk engineers wear? I've looked online and can't really find any good references or examples. I kind of want a baggy sort of style for me (the shorter one in the picture) and a tighter/slim style for my friend (the taller one).

Here are my designs - please tell me what kind of stuff I should change! Or if these are totally not steampunk at all! (These are very rough, right-off-the-top-of-my-head designs, so just keep that in mind haha):

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...eofabinder.jpg


Thanks thanks thanks!

[Ironhill]

It's not a bad start. Check out the tv show Firefly. The engineer in it is steamy in my opinion. As airship engineers you would be working around a lot of dirty machinery so you wouldn't want fancy or loose fitting cloths. Maybe a leather bib or apron as protection. Add gloves, goggles, a facemask, some tools and your on your way. I like the big wrench idea. Not only is it a good tool but you can use it as a weapon.

[Shine-Chan]

I would reconsider the bikini, airship engineering is dirty and dangerous work and all that exposed skin would be a hazard.

Have you looked here
http://community.livejournal.com/steamfashion/

Or here?
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php

This is one of the bigger steampunk galleries out there.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/steampunkfashion/

[MPsy]

You could always go with flight suits tied at the waist and bikini top (great during the summer, maybe something that covers a bit more during cold weather), oil/coal smears on any exposed skin, bandanna, goggles, tool kit/belt, and urban tribal accessories.

[Kaoshima]

I think the bikini is fine :3

But no really, since steampunk is like half-fantasy anyway, it follows the Inverse Law of Female Armor. The more skin shown, the higher the Def score is.

[Mangochutney]

Steampunk, delightfully, does not follow that law!

I'd advise STRONGLY against the bikini. It reads "wrong" for a few different reasons--an actual engineer would want more protection, a lot of newcomers to steampunk go for 'sexy' steam and end up looking out of place, it's from a much different time period than steampunk's Victorian roots, etc etc.

MPsy's suggestion of a flight suit or coverall is great, I think. It's a very practical, authentic garment that hasn't changed much in design since that time, and scuzzes up SO nicely if you get one in cotton instead of a synthetic fiber. You can also wear nearly anything you like underneath, and undo the top to show it off. A corset and chemise? Work shirt? High-collared blouse? Whatever you want, it works.

An engineer has every excuse to go absolutely nuts with big gloves and goggles and boots and any little tool you can hang off a belt by a leather cord. Don't pass up the chance! Details really fill in an outfit and make it look complete.

And don't forget weathering. It looks from your illustrations like you're comfy getting some soot and schmutz on this outfit and that's brilliant! Here's a good place to start on good techniques for distressing clothes.

[Kaoshima]

Originally Posted by Mangochutney

Steampunk, delightfully, does not follow that law!

Who says it can't? ;P

Originally Posted by Mangochutney

I'd advise STRONGLY against the bikini. It reads "wrong" for a few different reasons--an actual engineer would want more protection, a lot of newcomers to steampunk go for 'sexy' steam and end up looking out of place, it's from a much different time period than steampunk's Victorian roots, etc etc.

Steampunk isn't supposed to be 100% accurate though. That's what makes it awesome. If it was 100% accurate it'd a hell of a lot less exciting. There'd be no airship pirates, no riveting adventures with aetheric laser guns, no Automaton uprisings, and no where near as many goggles.

I say let her go nuts. Steampunk, and by extension any *punk has been all about giving the middle finger to overbearing rules and guidelines.

Also, you say "roots" as though that's all there is to it. The root is only part of a tree. There's also the trunk, the branches and the leaves. Let steampunk grow. Let it spread it's branches. Don't let it stagnate.