Steampunk Roundup.

I absolutely love all things steampunk. I'm working on making a cincher and a pseudo-corset, I make detachable mini-bustles, and I scour thrift stores for anything I could use or modify. I'd buy more stuff other people have made, but a lot of it costs roughly the amount you could get for your first born child on the open market. There are some good places that cost less, and there're some of them in this post. There are also a lot of places to see what other people have done and be inspired, or just marvel over it. And away we go...

Let's start with the stores I like to drool over. On that score, scouring Etsy for steampunk items provides a range of really droolworthy results. You can order price from low to high, for budgeting your buys, or just leave as is and drool while you window shop. I like to check back every once in awhile to see what new stuff is up.

Unsure if these are available yet, but Redemption Klothing has a Steam line that looks pretty fantastic. Some really amazing jackets and leather pieces. The few prices listed are about mid-range on the scale of steampunk clothing. And those aviator hats? Do want.

Clockwork Couture has a range of prices, but it's definitely worth a bit of saving to snag some of the amazing pieces there. Love the variety, love the style, love the prices. Just found this one recently, and I'm glad I did. They even have customizable stuff at lower prices.

So far as having a wide variety of male AND female clothing, I highly recommend Historical Emporium. They even have western clothing, for those Americanized steampunk needs. Lots of good pieces of every variety (hats, coats, pants, skirts, dresses, shirts, shoes, accessories...), but you definitely need to save up for these if you want to buy them. The prices are mid-to-high, but considering the materials and sheer amount of cloth and workmanship in them, it's understandable and worth it.

As far as I can tell, these might not actually be for sale, but they're pretty epic nonetheless. Huge, bulky, but still pretty epic.

Livejournal has a few communities devoted to all things Steampunk. My favorite is Steampunk Fashion. It's a very welcoming community, and they're happy to offer up tips and help new steamers with making their Steampunk wear. They also post up beautiful pictures, resources, event info, store links...You name it. Very active.

Steampunk Style isn't quite as consistently active, but it's also a good place for Steampunk stuff. Lots of art and stuff here, especially.

Also, never underestimate how amazing some of the artists on DeviantArt are. Pop 'Steampunk' into the search engine there, and prepare to be amazed and inspired. One of my favorites is this Steampunk Dandy. The detail work is amazing.

All and all, I love the atmosphere and aesthetic of Steampunk. It inspires me greatly, and there are so many really creative and amazing people in the community of steamers. It's fairly easy to get in to, and very welcoming overall. Not to mention quite fun.

And hey, any excuse to wear goggles and a pocketwatch is okay with me!