Steampunk adventurer costume build
Steampunk is certainly a fun genre to build a costume for, and doesn't really need a lot of custom clothing pieces to make it work. Or at least the way I do it, since I'm not really going into the complications of corsets and bustles and whatnot. My concept was to build a Victorian age explorer, a naturalist/archaeologist/scientist out to uncover artifacts, document new species, and otherwise venture into the corners of the world that have long been shrouded in rumor and mystery.
I drew a lot of inspiration from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, H.G. Well's The Time Machine, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, along with the influences of Edgar Rice Burroughs. There have been a lot of adaptations of these works, and that's how I started getting ideas for the basic elements of the costume.
1. Collared shirt
A couple of pieces of clothing I reused from the Ravenclaw Roaring Twenties build, and this is one of them. Very simple white collared shirt is a good base for a variety of costumes, this included.
2. Pants
Another recycled bit from the Ravenclaw build. The more textured, less polyester look of the pants makes it at a glance a good fit for steampunk.
3. Waistcoat
I got this at a thrift store for about $4, a very simple black vest that might have originally been part of someone's three-piece suit. It doesn't fit very well, but could be modified with a tie closure in the back, some embroidery, or perhaps a few brocade panels sewn on to make it pop. With the harness going over the top though I decided not to
4. Light up harness
This piece I made myself, wanting to make a big gadget centerpiece that can really tie the rest of the costume together as steampunk. It was pretty easy to put together and my tutorial can be found here.When making it I didn't really have a purpose for it, something that would tie in easily with the steampunk adventurer. But I thought about it and surmised it could be light source harness for an expedition to the center of the earth, or at least on some sort of spelunking. Or it could be a convenient power source for equipment or energy weapons. Anything is possible!
5. Pocketwatch
A nice accessory to any steampunk costume is the pocketwatch. This one is a borrowed piece, and you don't see it in the pictures. But it's another nice little detail for any Victorian-type costume.
6. Boots
A good pair of boots turns this costume into more of an adventurer rather than a well-born scholar or person at leisure. A decent pair like these can be found in any thrift store. I think I got these for about $8 and they're in great condition, with little quirky additions like the lacing at the top and the strap configuration around the bottom.
7. Hat
A leather, broad-rimmed hat with decorative braid and feather. I'm not sure when I got this or how much it cost, but it's a versatile accessory of pretty good quality. Keep a sharp eye open, you might find similar in a thrift store, western wear store, or a lower-quality buy in a Halloween or party store. This is another touch I added to try to emphasize an adventurer costume. It's more of a cowboy hat I'll grant you, but I don't think that would've been an unreasonable addition to the field gear of a Victorian-age explorer. I didn't have the classic pith helmet on hand, and it takes a certain kind of person to pull it off, so I stuck with this.
8. Bracelet
A thick leather bracelet with a shield boss detail and loop closure. This bracelet was a last minute accessory choice, but I thought it added a nice touch. It's make does not evoke Victorian, but the leather band gives another rugged detail to the adventurer build. I like to think the shield boss design was an artifact found on a previous expedition, and worn as a kind of good luck charm for future endeavors.
I drew a lot of inspiration from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, H.G. Well's The Time Machine, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, along with the influences of Edgar Rice Burroughs. There have been a lot of adaptations of these works, and that's how I started getting ideas for the basic elements of the costume.
 |
| Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) aka not the Brendan Fraser one. |
 |
| Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999) |
 |
| The Lost World (1992) |
 |
| The Time Machine (2002) |
1. Collared shirt
A couple of pieces of clothing I reused from the Ravenclaw Roaring Twenties build, and this is one of them. Very simple white collared shirt is a good base for a variety of costumes, this included.
2. Pants
Another recycled bit from the Ravenclaw build. The more textured, less polyester look of the pants makes it at a glance a good fit for steampunk.
3. Waistcoat
I got this at a thrift store for about $4, a very simple black vest that might have originally been part of someone's three-piece suit. It doesn't fit very well, but could be modified with a tie closure in the back, some embroidery, or perhaps a few brocade panels sewn on to make it pop. With the harness going over the top though I decided not to
4. Light up harness
This piece I made myself, wanting to make a big gadget centerpiece that can really tie the rest of the costume together as steampunk. It was pretty easy to put together and my tutorial can be found here.When making it I didn't really have a purpose for it, something that would tie in easily with the steampunk adventurer. But I thought about it and surmised it could be light source harness for an expedition to the center of the earth, or at least on some sort of spelunking. Or it could be a convenient power source for equipment or energy weapons. Anything is possible!
5. Pocketwatch
A nice accessory to any steampunk costume is the pocketwatch. This one is a borrowed piece, and you don't see it in the pictures. But it's another nice little detail for any Victorian-type costume.
A good pair of boots turns this costume into more of an adventurer rather than a well-born scholar or person at leisure. A decent pair like these can be found in any thrift store. I think I got these for about $8 and they're in great condition, with little quirky additions like the lacing at the top and the strap configuration around the bottom.
7. Hat
A leather, broad-rimmed hat with decorative braid and feather. I'm not sure when I got this or how much it cost, but it's a versatile accessory of pretty good quality. Keep a sharp eye open, you might find similar in a thrift store, western wear store, or a lower-quality buy in a Halloween or party store. This is another touch I added to try to emphasize an adventurer costume. It's more of a cowboy hat I'll grant you, but I don't think that would've been an unreasonable addition to the field gear of a Victorian-age explorer. I didn't have the classic pith helmet on hand, and it takes a certain kind of person to pull it off, so I stuck with this.
8. Bracelet
A thick leather bracelet with a shield boss detail and loop closure. This bracelet was a last minute accessory choice, but I thought it added a nice touch. It's make does not evoke Victorian, but the leather band gives another rugged detail to the adventurer build. I like to think the shield boss design was an artifact found on a previous expedition, and worn as a kind of good luck charm for future endeavors.
Comments
Post a Comment