Steampunk Fashion Emerging From Subculture

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. Because of the popularity of steampunk with people in the goth, punk, cyber, and Industrial subcultures, there is a growing movement towards establishing steampunk as a culture and lifestyle. It’s working its way into the entertainment industry, films, music, on fashion runways for Fall 2008 and onto city streets. You can even buy steampunk type fashions at Levis stores.

"Steampunk fashion" has no set guidelines, but tends to synthesize modern styles mimicking the Victorian era. This may include gowns, corsets, petticoats and bustles; gentlemen's suits with vests, coats and spats; or even military-inspired garments. Often, steampunk outfits will be accented with a mixture of technological and period accessories: timepieces, parasols, goggles and ray guns. Even modern accessories like cell phones or iPods can be found in steampunk outfits, after being modified to give them the appearance of Victorian-made objects. Aspects of steampunk fashion have been adapted by mainstream high fashion, the Lolita fashion and aristocrat styles, neo-Victorianism, and the romantic goth subculture.

Like a beacon of light out of the cyberpunk scene, "steampunk" offers a fresh, romanticized view on technology by making it retro. Much like the extraordinary world of literature, steampunkers accept that everyday items can perform unconventional tasks. For example, a pocket watch would double as a time machine, or a compass could navigate you through the stars.

Although steampunk is generally based in brown earth tones, the style is very similar to a traditional goth's black garb and the styles are showing up on fashion runways for Fall 2008 all over the world.

With all the activity in the fashion industry and the entertainment field, it feels like just a matter of time before this underground scene of steampunk moves above ground. It seems to be already happening.