steampunk in the NY Times

[rm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/fashion/08PUNK.html

On the one hand, I always groan when the New York Times covers any cultural phenomenon I have any connection with. On the other, this may be a good sign for more structured clothing in the fall season and they do get props for actually finding diverse folks to photograph for a change.

Comments

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

YAY BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!!

And first up, too - not buried in the back as usual!

N.

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly.

YAY!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the unbelievably hot part too. I thought they were the most representative of the eclecticism of the aesthetic, as opposed to the more straight line Victoriana.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

They are the EXTREMELY HOT.

*guh*

N.

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

And can we talk about how pumped I am that there will be a frickin' store in the LES by the time I get back? DUDE!!!

[kiji-kat.livejournal.com]

I love steampunk. It's something I'd love to dive into, but unfortunately I don't have the looks necessary to pull it off. (I'd look tremendously out of place.)

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

May I ask why you say that?

One of the things I love best about the aesthetic is that I've never seen anyone *not* pull it off.

[kiji-kat.livejournal.com]

There's a certain amount of inherent elegance in all of the people I've seen who participate in the steampunk lifestyle. They all look very poised and regal. I...am not elegant. Or poised. Or regal. That's not to say that I'm particularly uncouth or anything, it's just...well...I'm a god damn hippie. (There are a few other photos of me in that set, but as a rule, I avoid having my picture taken when possible.)

Also, it seems that steampunk fashion caters to...the vertically inclined, I guess you'd say? I've learned to bow out of the quest for fashionable and/or elegant clothing, as it's virtually impossible to find anything that properly fits me, outside of sweaters, peasant blouses and jeans. (I'm 5'4", broad backed, stocky and, er, "well endowed" for my height, apparently.) For years now, I've used "hobbit" to describe my appearance, and as we all know, there is no crying in baseball are no hobbits in steampunk.

That said, if you need someone to carry a doomsday device over ridiculously long distances on foot in order to dispose of it in a sparsely populated waste land, you know who to ask.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Aw, sweetie, I respectfully disagree!

I think you're gorgeous, and you'd make a dashing steampunk.

Also, to your hobbit point, I'm 5' tall, and crappy knees and feet make it mostly impossible to comfortably wear heels. Ditto the "endowments." (I've cosplayed as Power Girl!)

Don't sell yourself...ahem...short, but above all else, be comfortable in your costuming.

(Edited for properly demonstrative icon.)

[kiji-kat.livejournal.com]

I think you're gorgeous, and you'd make a dashing steampunk.

That made my day, seriously. Unsolicited compliments from strangers make me smile. :)

Also, good to know I'm not the only one who has problems with heels. I do ok as long as said heel is thick/chunky/wide, but otherwise, I wobble like a tipsy schoolmarm.

See, now you've got me wondering what kind of costumes I could get away with. Hmm...

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I recommend a corset or bodice over a white mens' shirt, black or brown trousers, and your top hat. Just to start. ;)

Stompy boots help, too!

And omg, heels wtf. I pronate, so all heels MUST be chunky or else I'm in pain a half hour later.

[blergeatkitty.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding me? Victorian-era clothing was MADE for short people with big racks. Don't let a couple of models make you think otherwise. What did you think people looked like in the nineteenth century? Kate Moss and her ilk would have all died of consumption or something back in the bad old days, leaving only hobbits and the proper clothing to accomodate them. Shirtwaists and flowing skirts are not so different from peasant blouses when you think of it!

I am jealous of your ability to find jeans, matter of fact. I have a 35 inch inseam and no waist. If you'd like to talk about someone who can't wear Victorian garb, you can start with me. (But it srsly wouldn't stop me if I really wanted to do it. I've looked more ridiculous before and I probably will again. :))

[kiji-kat.livejournal.com]

Oh, finding jeans is a difficulty (though admittedly, not as difficult as it once was). Though I've lost weight in recent years, it seems that I just naturally have wider hips than most jean designers deem possible for the compact crowd. Most of the jeans I owned are either hemmed or frayed beneath the heels. ;)

I will have to take a closer look at Victorian fashions, as most of the photos I've seen appear sleek in the torso. Unfortunately, that's where I tend to accumulate most of my weight - breezy, flowing clothes obscures that. I haven't tucked in a shirt for years for that very reason.

Still, steampunk appeals to me on many levels. People in the article mentioned romanticism, a sense of dignity, the intersection of technology and ethical decisions...that and so much more about the movement fascinates me. Especially the music - I don't know if these bands would qualify, but I'm intrigued by groups like the Two Man Gentlemen Band and 16 Horsepower who put their own spin on Americana.

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

Lane Bryant makes jeans that are different sizes in the hips and the waist. I swear by them.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

I think you'd be able to carry it off quite well. You look as if you have good posture, and that's an excellent beginning point. Head up, shoulders wide and taking up your rightful space in the universe carries a lot well. As said above, a crisp white shirt and a corset/waist cincher/wide belt would be an excellent start.

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

There are hobbits in steampunk! I must say - some of the people I love best in it are hobbits! Don't let it stop you if you want to go for it. (On the other hand, if you want to just observe, there's nothing wrong with that, either.)

ICYMI

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

http://www.abneypark.com/shirts/fashion.html

I WANT ALL OF IT.

(I'm really loving how cheap the hats are. YAY!)

Re: ICYMI

[erratic0101.livejournal.com]

I just ordered their space pin!

Also, their music rocks and yes, Want...all.

[askeladden.livejournal.com]

Heh, blame me. I was the one who told Ruth La Ferla, the journalist who wrote it, about steampunk, when she interviewed me for the Dances of Vice slideshow. She was like, "What-punk?" and had me spell it, and then got all excited and said, "I have to look into this!" I'm glad she did, though. Sometimes publicity cheapens a thing, but I think this article struck the right tone. It was enthusiastic without being cultish or patronizing. And I hadn't heard of the James Gang before. They look kickass.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The article did not suck and brushed a bit on the Why This Moment thing in a way that was not unintelligent. Pleasant surprise.

[katharwen.livejournal.com]

This article is all kinds of amazing. Since your earlier Dances of Vice post, I've been really interested in the Steam Punk culture. These clothes are to die for. Add to the fact that they featured ethnic people for this piece, just makes it even more awesome.

[melebeth]

I love steampunk. And I want to kidnap the short redhead.

Thanks for the linkings.

[tdanaher.livejournal.com]

The economy must be doing pretty well, since steampunk is pricey in general and probably not the kind of thing you'll see knocked off at $12.95 for a set of googles in Walmart.

(I'd probably pay $44.95 for a steampunk Bratz in the toy aisle, though.)

[tdanaher.livejournal.com]

Googles? No, goggles!

[rm.livejournal.com]

My goggles were $10.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

I can't log in to actually see the pictures, which is annoying; but I wonder about whether we'll ever see more structured clothes again, across the income brackets. The thing about structure is that it means clothes have to fit, and I am now all too horribly aware of the degree to which most contemporary clothes either don't fit (if structure has been attempted) or are designed so that they don't need to fit (limited structure, or else heavy reliance upon stretch fabric).

My mother was raised in the days when even if you were buying pret a porter, it was simply assumed that of course you'd have whatever it was fitted, and any store specializing in women's clothing would have at least one dressmaker on hand to do the fitting on something as soon as you'd decided to buy it. But I can't imagine we're going to see those days come back -- it's too damned expensive, and the customer base who understand and appreciate it shrinks with every passing year. And without that, finding structured clothes that work on your individual body is always going to be a matter of random good fortune. Even, Lord help us, for those of us who're thin enough to fit the current set of cultural expectations.

I hope I'm wrong, though.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I was very happy and relieved to see a sign at Uniqlo yesterday saying that they offered free, same-day alterations to all clothing.

Of course, it was in a doorway in a corner downstairs, but hey! It was there!

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

I am a short, fat woman. I love structured, well-made clothes. I have a very good tailor. :)

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

You would like the outfit I'm wearing today. It looks like a lady's walking suit. I love the detail work on it.

I'll have to ask Jim to photograph it tonight.

I'm excited about the more structured clothes I've seen in shops lately.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

That was a surprisingly impressive article.

Steampunk isn't precisely my style, but the quote (amidst a number of surprisingly intelligent quotes in the picture gallery) very much struck me as one I completely agree with:

"the style is also an expression of a desire to return to ritual and formality"