Steampunk the Matrix

Ralph Lauren black leather jacket, on Ebay

Yes, please. 

A Sampling of Steampunky Jackets

Well, last night I reached a milestone--while I was browsing and saving things to share here, Ebay alerted me that I had reached my quota of saves. Egad! Time to blog and share the lovelies I've been finding with you.

My main hunt at the moment is for jackets and coats. And ooooooh, this is a great time of year for finding beautiful and oh-so Steampunky things.  This post will serve as a sampling!

First, we have the elegant, more dressy jackets:

by White House Black Market

by Free People

by Ralph Lauren purple label

Ralph Lauren, bidding ended

Then we have an elegant, military-esque jacket:

by Together

And then a wealth of casual pseudo-military jackets:

by H&M

by Cabi

by Apart

by H&M

by Spicy Girl

by Cynthia Steffe

by White House Black Market

by Fleurish

found here

Then we have all the so feminine riding jackets:

by Ralph Lauren

by Ralph Lauren

by Cabi

by Ralph Lauren purple label

by Zelda

by Ralph Lauren

Oh, that last one is just gorgeous. 

And finally, a little jacket that was not quite in any of the above categories, but which I really like, and which I think could be a great addition to a Real World Steampunk wardrobe. Particularly mine. Ahem.

by Ralph Lauren

As you can see from this post, Ralph Lauren is a fount of good Pseudo-Steampunk pieces this year, esp. jackets. I'll post more specific to RL later!

Adorable Real-World Steampunk Sweaters, on eBay

by Marc for Marc Jacobs

I am so tempted to bid on this cardigan.  This is effortlessly Steampunk--the kind of thing I have been searching for the past year, so easy to throw on with just about anything this winter, and appropriate for just about anything my day might hold.  The only reason I am hesitating is because it is mostly wool, which I am not sure I want rubbing against my neck.  Don't get me wrong--I LOVE the fact that is it a natural fabric, and not some nasty acrylic.  I am sure the texture looks amazing in person for the wool too.  But I'm one of those wool-sensitive types, and can't even wear mohair or merino against my skin without itching.  Which means I usually wear only cashmere.  And even then, only the softest cashmere.  Yes, I'm that much of a baby.  A baby with highly discriminating taste; and, fortunately, excellent skills hunting down luxurious but affordable cashmere at consignment shops and clearance racks.

So, I'm debating the sweater.  I wonder if I would be happy wearing a silk or cotton scarf around my neck underneath, cravat style?  Or maybe that would be too bulky at the front. . . or would shift around and end up looking messy?

Someone else is bidding on this beauty, so I have a feeling I won't have made up my mind before time is up.  That's why I am posting about it now--so at least I can admire it here, if not in my closet. ; )

by H&M

This one is also totally adorable, and Steampunk without even trying.  For me personally, I don't know--the length is the only issue, and it will fall more like a cropped sweater on me.  That is totally fine, if I would wear it open.  But of course the adorable Steampunky appeal is in the look of the cardigan when fastened closed, and I think that would just end up looking weird on me, long-waisted and middle-aged as I am.  So, I'll leave this find for someone else--but enjoy sharing with you.

 by Zara

This cardigan, on the other hand, looks great open, so the cropped length is not an issue.  I like the tone of the buttons, and the color too.  The fabric is a modern cotton knit, but as long as you were going for a more distressed Steampunky look, it would be fine. 

Also by H&M

This cardigan is more subtle, but so pretty.  The only downside is that it closes with hideous silver-tone snaps, very modern (and cheap looking), so you would have to wear it snapped all the time.  But, that would not be a hindrance if you planned on wearing it that way.

Listed as "Grey Military Marching" cardigan, if you feel the urge to go find it on eBay

Oh, this one is soooooo close to my ideal sweater.  3/4 length sleeves, so I can do anything (namely dishes) without having to take it off.  Grey, my favorite color.  Nice shape and good length. But.  It is a cotton/acrylic blend, which is okay, although if I would prefer natural fibers.  But the whole sweater just looks. . . cheap.  I mean, those buttons.  And the close-up photos of the sweater show that there are flecks of yellow and red and white throughout. Ugh.  So, this is one that I would pass on--so close, but yet so far. 

by Free People

This cardigan is a lovely wool, lined with cotton.  The shape is flattering, and the buttons are cute.  I'm not so crazy about the navy & grey color combination for a pseudo-Steampunk piece, since those usually fall in the preppy zone.  But still, it would be adorable with jeans and lend a very subtle steampunky flair to an everyday outfit.

by Juicy Couture

Here is something completely different--an adorable wool/cashmere blend sweater dress.  In the close-ups the weave of this dress is lovely, and this piece could be so sweet for winter--maybe with a brown striped long sleeved shirt or turtleneck underneath, with thick grey tights and some tall Steampunky boots.  And a velvet ribbon in the hair. 

Do you know of any Steampunky sweaters?  I would love to see them, so please feel free to share links in the comments.

Sunday Pseudo-Steam for April 21, 2013

Skirt by Onanya, on Etsy

Jacket by GAP

"Tahra" boots by LaCanadienne

Earrings by Elaina Louise, on Etsy

After months of screen-shopping on eBay, hunting for whatever neo-Victorian treasures might be found there, I have finally begun to be tempted to buy.  One of my new acquisitions--the lightweight corduroy jacket I wore today--was an initial disappointment.  The jacket was listed as "pink," and it does look pink in photos--but when it arrived, I found it is actually icy lavender.  I never would have knowingly purchased anything in icy lavender, even at the super low price at which I snagged this jacket.

And yet, it grew on me quickly, and now that quirky color is now one of the reasons I like it so much.  Those of you who have been reading for a while might remember some of the pale pastel jackets I have posted previously;  there is something about that particular juxtaposition of steampunky style and so-not-steampunky colors.  It's unexpected.  Fresh.  Playful.  And besides, those pale pastels look amazing with the rest of the colors in the "traditional" Steampunk palette.

 
Look at the adorable lines on the back of this jacket!  And the little peplum detail!

Here I was trying to show how those fabulous earrings echo the shape and metal tone of all those tiny, functional metal buttons.  And the aubergine in the earrings' drop bead complements the purple undertone of the jacket, but warms it. 

gratuitous beauty shot of those fabulous earrings

"Cocoa-nuts" skirt, found at Clockwork Couture, and tambukiki on eBay

My Dear Husband photographer was patient while I tried the look with two different skirts.  Both work, but I like the darker brown gathered skirt best.

So now I have a second dressy pseudo-Steampunk look that I really like--and best of all, it is in colors that are perfect for the transition between winter and spring. 

Sunday Pseudo-Steam for Dec. 31, 2012

What a great way to finish 2012--with the assemblage of my best Real World Steampunk outfit to date:

~Jacket by Sickonineteen, found on eBay

~Blouse by Apt. 9, from Kohls

~corset belt by Cabi, found new on eBay

~skirt by Onanya, on Etsy

~Tahra boots by La Canadienne

Finally, a Real World Steampunk outfit I am happy with, just as it is.  But the best part of the outfit for me was how it all came together so effortlessly.  I bought all these things separately, just because I liked them so much, not purchasing them to necessarily go together--but when they all arrived I had a hunch they would go together nicely.  

 The jacket I bought for myself on eBay a few weeks before Christmas, so my Dear Husband said I should put it under the tree and wait to wear it.  Sigh.  Well, if I must. . . .  When I finally opened it, I was so pleased with the fit and look.  The only thing I'm not thrilled about is the button detail, which proudly declares "Sickonineteen" over and over and over down my front.  Since I have no desire to be celebrating "sicko" youth culture, and since I am quite a bit past 19 (and don't want to be insecure that the jacket is too youthful for me), I at least turned all the buttons so that the words are upside down and might not be as noticeable.

~The famous and fabulous golden "hot air balloon" glass bead earrings by Elaina Louise Studios, on Etsy, which were my self-picked birthday present.  Good consolation for turning one year closer to ancient.

The corset belt was under the tree too; I had been looking for a good steampunky belt online for about a month, and was so excited to find this one:

(this is the seller's photo from eBay--I don't have a better close-up myself)

The belt is real leather, and has four functional buckles in a lovely bronze--not only beautifully steampunk, but highly adjustable!  I have a naturally long torso, so the cut of the jacket would likely not look right without that wide belt, which visually bridges the gap.

The skirt is the one I have blogged about previously, and used to wear with only the front gathered up.  But after seeing the skirt in the photos from that day's Pseudo-Steam photo shoot, I decided I liked it much better gathered in both front and back.  I have been wearing that skirt for years, but this is the first time I think I have done its subtly steampunky nature justice.  And I really like the tones of brown in the belt and skirt and boots together. 

The blouse I have had tucked away in my closet for years--further proof that my neo-Victorian leanings began long before I ever heard about Steampunk.  It was exactly right under the jacket.  So, all the pieces seemed to come together on their own, and this is what I wore to church yesterday morning.  Something about the juxtaposition of the anacronistic and Divine never fails to make me smile inside.  There's nothing sacrilegious about it--how fitting to dress creatively when going before the ultimate Creative Mind, the original Maker, who is simultaneously in and out of Time.

Happy New Year to all of you who stop by, and I hope this next year brings you plenty of Good and Satisfaction, Steampunk or otherwise. : )

Real World Retail Win: Beautifully Steampunk Jackets on eBay

So, last week I wrote about the shopping excursion my girlfriend and I took to a retail area that should have had an excellent selection of clothing, and surely one or two steampunky items.  I anticipated the event for weeks--having had some neo-Victorian success on the same trip one year prior, and really wanting to find just one or two more items that I really liked. I don't mind building my Real World Steampunk Wardrobe slowly--much better to weigh each purchase carefully and end up with a small, tightly-cohesive, really "me" wardrobe than buy too many things hastily and and up with a jumble that I don't know what to do with.  And I am determined to make every piece I acquire have use in more than just one outfit, to make it worth the closet space.  So I have made a personal vow that much as I am impatient to have my RWSW now, I am going to rein my creative wardrobing aspirations in a bit, and will fully complete one outfit before I add more pieces to the wardrobe.  Reasonable, and so much more fun in the long run, because I will get to wear completed looks sooner.

The caveat being that if I see something fantastic for sale, at a great price, I can get it, wardrobe rationing aside.

Like this jacket, which I just won on eBay for the ridiculous price of $8:

The back:

And I can see in my mind's eye exactly what I would put with this jacket, so I am very excited to receive it.  All the way from Buckinghamshire, UK.  For still cheaper than I would find it in a mall in America, even if I could find something this steam-alicious this season.

Yes, eBay will continue to be my favorite place for Real World Steampunk treasure hunting.

Here are more lovely neo-Victorian/Steampunk jackets available right now on eBay:

By Deep. Found here

Very similar to the one I won, just longer bodied and with a lot more buttons.  Wearing this many buttons can be dangerous--ventures into "trying ridiculously hard" territory.  But the shape and tones of the buttons themselves look nice with that much repetition, so I think this is still cute and definite Steampunk fodder.  But I would wear this with fairly simple and neutral clothes--textured, but not patterned.

By Ann Taylor LOFT. Found here.

Once again, Ann Taylor LOFT of years past is a great place to start looking for steampunk-compatible jackets on eBay.  This camel color and the coppery-toned buttons are lovely, and the semi-fitted shape is also very good for Steampunk.

By White House Black Market. Found here.

I absolutely adore this jacket.  If this were at all a color I could wear well, I would be sooooo tempted to add it to my wardrobe.  I love the shape, the rich texture, the detail, the darting, the collar, the three wee buttons--this is a piece that is well-designed and while the color is not at ALL one would think of for Steampunk, it would be so beautiful with black and grey, very elegant, very fresh.  No one wants to wear those traditionally steamy but overall a little dull colors everyday.

By Theory. Found here.

Basic black velvet with nice shape.

Found here.

This little jacket is just lovely, and would really work with a Western-themed Steampunk look.  Think big bustle-y black skirt hitched up with lacy black stockings and sassy little Western riding/granny boots.  Adorable!

By Worth.  Found here.

Another attractive jacket with a shapely silhouette.

By Carma. Found here.

Very cute--really like the  distressed ruffles and 3/4 sleeve length.

By Ann Taylor LOFT. Found here.

This is the jacket I bought for myself this year in dark brown--so now it seems it can be found in green as well as in burgundy and aubergine.  If you like this jacket, and are a size 6, check out the link ASAP--at $6.00 the price is right.  

By Ann Taylor LOFT. Found here.

Lovely shape, lovely color, lovely texture.

By Internacionale.  Found here

Another icy sea foam blue.  This one is not quite as cute as the first I linked above, mainly because of the slightly oversized buttons--less would have been more in this case--but it looks like a jacket one could layer with, so well worth consideration.

By Sitwell/Anthropologie.  Found here.

Basic jacket, excellent shape and color and buttons for Steampunk--and the jacket's texture and color really work well to give that earthy, mossy feel.
 

By Tulle/Anthropologie. Found here.

This jacket has a very nice subtle texture I really like, and it would be a very practical, versatile piece--could be worn as jacket or top, and would go with all blacks, browns, greys.

Found here.

This jacket has interesting Steampunk potential--if you want to see more, follow the link to see more photos, which show the detail better.  The detail on the front is clear plastic sequins--ew.  But yet, I really kinda liked how distopian they felt in that placement on that jacket--turned a little girlie touch into something more cynical.  But why on earth the seller decided the neck piece was a good accessory with this jacked I don't know.  (Shudder.)

By Marc Jacobs.  Found here.

A creative re-invention of the denim jacket.

Found here.

This one is so similar to the little girl denim jackets I blogged about here--and I almost think I like this look better on kids than grown women.

Unbranded. Found here.

This jacket looks like cheap Chinese sweat-shop.  But I included it because I like the pewter buttons against the olive green.

By Atmosphere.  Found here.

This one is also a very cheap looking jacket.  It reminds me of a similar jacket sold by Free People last year, which you can often find on eBay.  But this jacket also comes in black, green and red, so could be worth considering if you needed one of these harder-to-find colors in a military-feel jacket.

H&R London. Found here.

Can't tell the quality of this jacket, but I really like the subtle but intricate black-on-black trim down the front there, as well as the slightly off-set row of antiqued silver buttons.

By ABS.  Found here.

Another cute military style jacket.  So Steampunk.

By River Island. Found here

This one also strays into the "way too many buttons" territory; less circus and more clown.  And yet, I still like it.   But I think whoever wore this jacket would have to be very careful in putting clothes together with it, and keep the other elements dark, distressed, textured and simple.  Absolutely no patterns!

By All Saints.  Found here.

Props to this seller for the lovely background for the photo.  This adorable jacket can be found on eBay in gray as well.

Unbranded.  Found here.

This jacket leans towards the pirate end of the Steampunk spectrum--but is just so lovely I had to include it. 

By Free People.  Found here.

Ditto on this jacket--these rich textures are just beautiful, and would allow the wearer to dress this up or down easily.

By Insight.  Found here.

Another pirate-y option.  And yet, this jacket/coat made my jaw drop when I saw it on eBay--can you believe such wonderful clothes exist and a regular person like me could buy them and work them into an alternative reality wardrobe?  This fact alone makes me happy.

Found here.

This is another jacket that it is hard to get a feel for from the photos--could be very cheap looking in person.  But the design is fabulous!  I esp. enjoy the buttons and the belt details.

By Corrine. Found here.

The jacket I will leave you with.  So, so pretty.  What a lush and unusual shade of blue, so elegant and unusual design.  Effortlessly Steampunk--the kind of thing I hope a closet full of someday.   I don't mean just to have a closet full of clothes--but to have a closet that only contains things that are beautiful and make me smile inside.

So, there you have it.  The world of retail does not have squat going on in the stores these days.  Pity.  But the online world of other peoples cast-offs is rich with potential Steampunk fodder.