New York Times Fashion & Style – Steampunk Influences?

Are your ears burning? They should be because the New York Times is talking about you.  David Colman’s This just in from the 1890’s is a laundry list of Steampunk influence in fashion and style – yet the ‘s’ word is nowhere to be seen!

Not long ago, big brass-buttoned military coats looked a bit extreme. So did high-button, high-lapel vests and slim tweed trousers. And so did guys who tucked said trousers into high, old-fashioned hunting boots. Now these clothes (along with those ever-present beards and mustaches) look like downtown defaults…

I’ve been seeing more and more examples of creative folks clearly drawing inspiration from Steampunk but shying away from the ‘s’ word.  That’s sure to upset some people but I truly have no problem with it.  I draw inspiration from myriads of things and people around me and it would be impossible to site every single thing that touched or influenced me.

As with home design, where curio cases, taxidermy and other stylish clutter of the Victorian era have been taken up by young hipsters, many of today’s popular men’s styles have their roots in the late 19th century.

[Read More for the rest . . .]

Not sure I can forgive the ‘hipster’ label though!  😉  It’s also entirely possible that the author has not yet encountered the word ‘steampunk’ and has noticed it’s influence from ‘the other side,’ so to speak.  If that’s the case, well, Hello Mr. Colman!

 “There are all kinds of societies that are about dressing up in period costume and then going back to your oversize jeans the next day,” he said. “This is about style as a way of being.”  [emphasis mine]

And there you go.  Thanks so much to James for pointing this article out, I likely would have never seen it had he not.  If you come across something similar please don’t hesitate to send it on to us!

A growing interest in fashion has been one of the very surprising things that Steampunk has brought to me, so I’m excited to announce that The Steampunk Workshop will be covering a lot more of it in the very near future with the addition of artist, photographer, and creative conceptualist Libby Bulloff to our crew!