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[patriciarakel]

So I've always liked the steampunk aesthetic, but my heart is in the 1920's fashion. I have this vintage, 20's-style dress from the 1950's (my grandmother said the 20's made a comeback for a little while back then) that I'm in LOVE with. It fits really nice and it's super pretty.

http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5ea035e6.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/...psc51ec19f.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7fc7b00d.jpg

I know that steampunk is usually Victorian-inspired, but is there any hope for a 1920's inspired steampunk look using this dress as a base? Preferably without altering the dress itself, as my poor grandmother might have a heart attack if I did anything to "hurt" this dress.

[Mehdia]

For a 1920s style, look up deiselpunk. It's pretty much the WWI to WWII version of steampunk.

[Volnixshin]

www.dieselpunks.org

I am a dieselpunker as well

[the.footpad]

look up Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite... both of those games are steampunk. Bioshock takes place in a 1940's steampunk society while Bioshock infinite takes place in a turn of the century steampunk society, so you should be able to get some great ideas from there.

[Volnixshin]

Bioshock 1 and 2 qualify as Biopunk/dieselpunk (which the creators even said)

Bioshock infinite absolutely however, is steampunk

I'm a big fan of clarification.. Not being rude, just labeling things as what they are

For more ideas:

The Rocketeer, The Shadow, The Spider, Green Hornet, Marolyn Monroe, The Rat Pack, any Charlie Chaplin film

For another list, chockfull of the fashion you may desire:
http://www.dieselpunks.org/video

[Anna_G]

patriciarakel: I think you should go for the dress! I think it's fun to blend any two time periods together...!

and everybody else, thanks for explaining Bio/Dieselpunk. I've been a fan of steam punk, but also have an obsession with the look of the 1940s. I knew the genre had to have a name of some sort, but never knew it actually had one. I'm working on a steam punk costume collection for 2013, and now I know I have to add a Dieselpunk one!

[Ororo Monroe]

First, don't touch, alter, or other crumple that dress. It's beautiful. If you do, I'll team up with your Gran and hunt you down.
Steampunk is mostly Victorian and Edwardian era, particularly 1880's and 1890's. However, it doesn't have to be. Some good guidelines (and they are only that) are steam and early electric power, devices, mechanism, brass, iron, wood...corset, goggles and gears are just the beginning. Steampunk fashion also seems to have layers. It's roots are from a time when people wore hats, jackets, coats, watches on chains, jewlery, and purses. Things we ignore nowadays. And that's just what's on top. I think because the dress reminds me of an Edwardian young ladies dress (it just need a large white collar), I keep seeing a mechanic doll.
Okay, enough chaotic muttering, look into Steampunk! by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant (It has several cross era steampunk stories.), Robot Carnival (anime, again cross eras with strong steampunk feel), and Expiration Date by Tim Powers (It's a 1990's LA where people catch and absorb ghost to gain power. A boy brings all sorts of trouble on himself when he steals the ghost essence of Thomas Edison.) Tim Powers is also one of the first Steampunk writers.

P.s If you go Steampunk with the dress prepare for people to call it DieselPunk.