Okay, so, um. Yeah. Steampunk. I was going to be writing something about that. As of late… well, huh. I follow a lot of steampunk boards. And there have been some things I wanted to make mention here. Maybe a list will work better than a rant. There have been a few elements in steampunk culture/writing/fashion, whathaveyou that have been rubbing me the wrong way recently. So. Here’s five comments.
1.) Just because you slap some gears on something doesn’t make it steampunk. Sure, it can reflect a bit of the aesthetic, but people. Listen to me. Gears serve a purpose. They’re part of a working machine, like a clock. Sure, exposed machinery is neat, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Gluing a gear to the top of some felt and slapping it on a hat does not steampunk make. I think the ultimate steampunk jewelery/fashion is the sort that actually makes use, real or imagined, of the object. Like, the gears function, y’know? Or at least there’s a story behind it. It’s about craft, not crap.
2.) The goggles, they do not do everything. As most makers will tell you, the purpose of goggles is to keep things out of your eyes. Not every outfit, not every character should wear goggles. They ought to serve a purpose, or at least make the effort to incorporate it into your persona. I love goggles, personally; they’re iconic. But iconic also borders on totally cliche if not done correctly. Make your goggles your own! (See Jake von Slatt’s comment below in regards to the etiquette involved if you also wear glasses.)
3.) Read a little. Just a little. As I mentioned in my Steampunk fashion vs. fiction piece a few weeks ago, the fashion of steampunk is by and large overpowering the literary contribution. More and more I see people that are “into” steampunk, but have never heard of Verne or Stevenson, or considered picking some of the wonderful publications out there. Do yourselves a favor, eh? Try the Gatehouse Gazette, the Willows, and Steampunk Magazine for starters. These publications will inspire those who follow the fashion, but they’re also great for folks who like the movement, but aren’t into the whole costume aspect.
4.) Stop pretending you know the definition of steampunk, and that you embody it. So, okay. Steampunk isn’t real in the sense that the actual Victorian Period is real. And the aesthetic is as plastic and pliable as any other genre. It mixes with a multitude of flavors, real and imagined. It doesn’t have to be historically accurate, doesn’t have to include corsets, etc. It’s, at heart, a philosophy (hence the whole PUNK aspect, eh?). And that’s extremely important to keep in mind.
5.) Please, please, please, PLEASE I beg you, beware of the corset. Darlings, darlings. Corsets may appear beautiful, but their steel-enforced sides can pose real hazards both in the physical and in the fashion sense. First, corsets are intended (if you’re going for the Victorian look anyway) to keep things in, not spill things out. If your, um, assets are flowing over to the point that you need scaffolding to keep it in place, consider getting a new measurement. Just because you can cinch it, doesn’t mean you should. And that’s not to mention, if you’re serious about corsetry please read up about it. I recently read about an enthusiastic steampunk young lady who broke two ribs in a car accident because she’d laced a borrowed corset too tight. This is no laughing matter. Honestly, the issue of corsetry is… well, another post altogether. But consider that when women finally got rid of them, it was considered a huge leap toward feminism, toward reclaiming our own bodies. So if you’re going to wear a corset, read. READ! Research. Get one for you, specifically. Don’t hurt yourself. It isn’t worth it, k?
Ahem, so that’s over. You can go back to your other reading now. Your unsolicited advice for the day has come to an end.
October 30, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Consider this; randomly gluing gears to things and calling them Steampunk for the explicit purpose of pissing people off would be a punk activity utilizing the proper iconisms and therefore valid Steampunk. Intent is important!
As for the goggles, I was quoting Eliza Gauger’s http://elizagauger.com/gibberings/ fashion rule that glasses and goggles shouldn’t be worn on the head at the same time. It’s been suggested to me that hanging your goggles from you belt is more proper if you’re wearing glasses on your face.
Me, I only wear goggles when I’m likely to put an eye out!
October 30, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I will be the first to admit, I know little of Steampunk. I ‘get’ it and I enjoy it, but to define what makes it what it is beyond my understanding.
Anyway… I saw this on one of my favourite author’s sites:
http://www.adamroberts.com/2008/10/24/petrolpunk-in-extraordinary-engines/
Thought I would pass it along.
October 30, 2008 at 6:05 pm
@Jake Yes, I could certainly see where that would work. Outpunking the punks and all that. Especially as steampunk becomes more and more mainstream, we’re likely to see the ironic steampunk design or two! However, a few of the things I’m referring to really looked more like they were interested in making a buck off of a “steampunk” design rather than someone, like yourself or the many other makers and crafters out there, who actually put the time and thought into their project (or at least one or the other!).
Maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy or something. I don’t know. There’s always that tension when something becomes popular, I suppose. Doesn’t change the aesthetic appeal for me, however. It’s still shiny and beautiful, and will continue to inspire me–the good stuff, anyway.
Bah, enough from me. Thanks for the clarification on the goggles rule, too. I shall edit.
Thanks for swingin’ by, Jake!
October 30, 2008 at 6:06 pm
@RG Sanders Thanks for the link! Looks cool ๐
November 1, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It’s interesting that you pick out as gripable the things that Steampunk fashion has inherited from its predecessor, Cybergoth. The gears essentially replace circuitboard patterns and biohazard symbols, the goggles are a different style but serve the same function (which is to be a fashion accessory) and the ever-necessary corset. Steampunk fashion is, for all intents and purposes, Victorian Cybergoth.
On the subject of reading, I can’t disagree there. My gripe is when I hear people go on about the technological optimism of Victorian literature… Orly? Have they actually read any?
To that end, I’d also submit the two volumes of Victorian Scientific Romances that I’ve thus far anthologized… http://voyagesextraordinaires.blogspot.com/search/label/Voyages%20Extraordinaires%20Anthology
November 1, 2008 at 5:30 pm
@Cory Thanks for that! An excellent link. I think that’s gotta be my biggest gripe of all. I mean, fashion is fashion, it comes and goes. For whatever reason, people are turning to the Neo-Victorian in droves, be it cybergoth, steampunk, or whatever. You’ll even find people who simply, well, prefer the gendered dress of the period!
It’s funny because so many steampunk folks I talk to cite literature as a main factor toward their decision to create personas, etc–but there are plenty, especially the newer folk, who don’t. It’s to the point that even a few magazines and whatnot have been pulling back on the literary aspect.
This, I think, is a big, big mistake. Steampunk literature is the most accessible, imaginative medium out there. Movies take a long time to make, and are often so wrong. But there’s so much to be read–classics and otherwise! We should start an online course together, Cory: Steampunk Lit for Beginners or something!
November 2, 2008 at 5:38 am
LoL@Steampunk Lit for Beginners… Well, between my history articles and anthologies (vol. 3 is waiting in the wings and I’ve been working on 4 as the mood strikes me), that’s a textbook right there…
January 9, 2009 at 11:33 am
I realy love the Steampunk Style.
I create unique spats with original materials from 1900-1930 and i think its a bid Steampunk
looks like :-))
Greetings from munich
Maide
July 8, 2011 at 10:21 pm
I only really learned about steampunk quite recently, and fell in love with it. I’d love to write a steampunk story, and am trying to do as much research as I can. I totally agree with the fact that you can use a cliche as long as it is not just to be cliche, and has a valid purpose (especially turning cliches on their head). Don’t mind the rant at all. ๐