Fanime 2014 Theme Gathering ~ 5/21

[BSaphire]

Would a wind up doll type cosplay work. It doesn't have to be super hardcore Victorian. From the article I read (thanks B!) I am understanding that your steampunk cosplay will work if you keep the Victorian technology, imagination, and general mind set. For example, my understanding as I just pust it, Dorothy of "Big O" would be steampunk because she is essentially a clockwork android.
So, do y'all think a wind up doll cosplay would fall under the category of steampunk?

I'm going to allow Victorian Cosplay of any sort to fall into this category. If any cosplayers are specifically "steampunk" or their props then we will just put them in the center. :P

[Alyxiane]

Oh gosh. I would love to take part in this! I'm a "maybe" at this time but I'll know once I get the time and materials to do so.

(Though I do kind of want to play with "oriental steampunk." Like steampunk with Asian influences as well if this shall be a-okay.)

[BSaphire]

Oh gosh. I would love to take part in this! I'm a "maybe" at this time but I'll know once I get the time and materials to do so.

(Though I do kind of want to play with "oriental steampunk." Like steampunk with Asian influences as well if this shall be a-okay.)

If it is Steam Punk'd it would be fine with me XD I too love the Asian steam punked outfits :)

[Alyxiane]

Oh gosh. I would love to take part in this! I'm a "maybe" at this time but I'll know once I get the time and materials to do so.

(Though I do kind of want to play with "oriental steampunk." Like steampunk with Asian influences as well if this shall be a-okay.)

If it is Steam Punk'd it would be fine with me XD I too love the Asian steam punked outfits :)

Ok! :D I'm also glad at the fact that there's two days of the gathering. I kind of don't want to run back to the hotel room and struggle to put on my Rinoa cosplay so I can be at the FF gathering on time. I'm definitely planning to attend Sunday's. XD

[Cosplay Circus]

Yes! Steampunk gathering!! I was so happy when I found out the theme this year~

Either going to have a steampunk OC or a steampunk version of Maka Albarn for it c:

[SweetNiar]

My Raichu cosplay might start looking steam punkish.  Ive been having trouble designing it but this could give me a few more ideas that will have it take off :D

[BSaphire]

@ Alyxiane: I'm glad to hear that having it on two days helps cospeeps out :) Originally I was thinking of the ones that only come for one day and are new that it would provide at least one possible gathering for them to attend (pending they are theme of course *LOL )

@ Wolftale: Can't wait to see your Punk'd cosplay!

@ SweetNiar: There are soooo many cosplays out there that would look astounding Punk'd and I sure hope this gathering gets to see bunches of them! So go ahead... Punk it and then show it off here too! :)

[ThunderMuffn]

I'm a new user, indeed, but have perused these forums many times looking for help and tips. I've seen a few billion requests for help regarding where to get or how to make goggles, dread-falls, masks, or even fake piercings(for those who take the "punk" more literally). I thought a thread gathering resources for all these topics would be more then prudent.

There are two ways to tackle the costume dilemma here: we can make it or buy it. With any of the items we want or need for an outfit, "make" or "buy" are the options(and make requires buying materials too X_X ). Remember that some of these items are found in the most unlikely places: using Gatorade bottle as goggle lenses seems like a logical step, but going to the lingerie store for a Victorian corset might not occur to you. Of all places in the world to look for little things, go to an Army Surplus Store! They have goggles, messenger bags, boots, gas masks! If you don't know where the one in your town is, find it. Every town has one. Of course, similar to this is the Thrift Store, which you should peruse too. A cute wind up clock could provide nitfy ear-rings and necklaces for three, so go dig through that stuff.

So let's look at goggles: they're unisex and pretty basic for a
steampunk outfit. Assuming you didn't find an awesome pair to buy (at the Army Surplus Store!)you can always make them. Remember that they don't HAVE to go over your eyes; you can use lenses that are made of anything if you don't have to see through them. Try these sites for construction ideas.
http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/channel-steampunk
http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/iST_20080826



Alright, for some girls(and, I suppose, a few guys) hair extensions seem like a good idea: instantly more "steam punk" without having to have butt-long hair or a buzz cut. There are a variety of options, but I see a lot of people headed tword dread and dread-falls.
You can buy these finished already,
http://quinnster.fqdn.net/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtemisArtemis
Or make your own,
http://community.livejournal.com/fakehairlearner/profile
http://community.livejournal.com/fakehair/profile
http://www.youtube.com/user/MentalShiver
As a subset, cyberlox are a fun kind of dread; the second link has cheaper prices, but a $100 lower limit to buy. Guess you and some friends will have to go in on these together!
http://www.cypherlox.com/
http://www.tatumribbon.com/id88.html



Again for either gender but predominantly for girls, we have the corset! A classic Victorian look: making your own will be quite hard, but buying them can be expensive. Here being an "adult" helps: the best bet is a lingerie store. I say buy local as you can generally try the corset on first to be sure it fits, but online will work too.
http://www.fredericks.com/corsets/outerwear-corsets/co2,default,sc.html



Now shoes are harder, of course, but the steampunk-ish look seems to be in. Just search places you might find cheap shoes to begin with: Rue21, Claires, Charlotte Russe, all good options. If you want to go online, there's a bunch of sites to try, but I like these:
http://www.zappos.com/frye-carson-lace-up-black-soft-leather

Then there's the random stuff you might WANT but not need, like so
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TomBanwell

LASTLY, for the miscellaneous how to's:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5942849_sew-faux-leather.html

OKAY, so that's the link-list so far, I hope you find it helpful! If any of you have specific questions of links to add, they'll get sorted into the Steampunk Linklist too! Good luck and happy crafting!

Edit: Yay, there's was a thread for this sort of thing! I'm so glad to see it. Alright, well this linklist is still useful I suppose, and still up for modification!

[Cosplay Circus]

@ThunderMuffn a lot of really good tips and links, thanks so much for posting them! :)

Also, just a couple things that are pretty typical for steam punk costumes are various types of hats (top hat, tricorn, ect.)/hair pieces and tool belts. What elements you add to a costume though depend entirely upon the character your portraying and what they do. If you plan to make your own OC steam punk character one of the first things you do before designing the character is pick a job for the character, the key to this is that after you know what their job requires you can think "ok, what would someone working as a ______ dress like?" after that you can start to form their personality which will give you some of the more personal touches for the clothing. Something to keep in mind when making steam punk costumes is that not everything has to be perfectly colored and in order, steam punk OCs (in my personal view) are most of the time people of the working class so they are far from daintily dressed. They also tend to be more styled realistically then anime cosplays, such as their hair doesn't usually defy gravity XD

Huuuuuge thing though, when buying a corset do not buy one if you've never tried one on before. There are different styles of corsets and you need to try the style on and find out what size you are before you order it online, once you know the size and style you want you can buy it anywhere you'd like. Good corsets tend to be a little pricey though so just giving a heads up that usually they're priced $100+, the cheapest I have seen that I considered good quality was last weekend with a friend who got hers for $75 at a costume shop. Another heads up to those that are willing to spend it, a well known corset shop is called Dark Garden but their price range is usually $300+. Stunning clothing if the price doesn't stun you first.

Besides shopping around online for steam punk clothes and accessories, there are a pretty good amount of steam punk shops in San Francisco on Haight Street. Another shop that I believe is on Valincia (pardon my spelling) is called Five and Diamond, it is an amazing steam punk shop that sells clothes and accessories from (I think) local steam punk artists. There's also a steam punk convention happening in Santa Clara called the Albion Expedition that always has a lot of great vendors, panels, and workshops. For anyone who really is wanting to go for authentic steam punk, I'd highly recommend attending :)

[BSaphire]

@ ThunderMuffn & Wolftale: First off I want to say thank you both for the links, tips, and advice for all those cosplayers out there who want to Punk their cosplays & ThunderMuffn I appreciate the link for the shoes cause I have been looking for a pair of Victorian lace-up boots for my Elegant Goth Loli. I found one pair I loved (@ $90) that were black velvet so shoe/boot links are always a plus in my book! XD

I am wondering if either/both of you would be up to a 20 questions session on SteamPunk from cosplayers? It is something we are doing in the Cosplayer Hangout. PM me if you are interested or if you have questions.
Thanks again
BSaphire

[SweetNiar]

deviantart.com has some great references for steampunk outfits and accessories as well.  l got a couple links to make your own steampunk hat and spats for your shoes....

Hat Tutorial http://idzit.deviantart.com/art/Top-Hat-Tutorial-1-81296461

Spats Tutorial http://animus-panthera.deviantart.com/art/Spats-tutorial-part-1-pattern-170567234?q=gallery%3AAnimus-Panthera%2F8740275&qo=1


There are a couple other tutorials for both, but these i liked the best.

[BunofGovt]

I'm a newbie when it comes to steam-punk, I think I first saw a cosplayer at Fanime in 2009 and was deeply impressed.  But I haven't really delved into it until last year.

Here's the link for the Albion Expedition convention Wolftale mentioned:

http://steampunkexhibition.com/

[Cosplay Circus]

I am wondering if either/both of you would be up to a 20 questions session on SteamPunk from cosplayers? It is something we are doing in the Cosplayer Hangout. PM me if you are interested or if you have questions.
Thanks again
BSaphire

PMed :) I love the idea for the Cosplayer Hangout, definitely needed a place to sit down last year when I had to do periodic checks to make sure my duct tape scythe was still holding up.

Hat Tutorial http://idzit.deviantart.com/art/Top-Hat-Tutorial-1-81296461

I love that hat tutorial :D had tried it out a couple months ago and it's a great hat to make and decorate for any cosplay need.

Here's the link for the Albion Expedition convention Wolftale mentioned:

http://steampunkexhibition.com/

That's the one! :) Thanks for linking it had completely forgotten to do it ^^;;

[Ska_Kitti]

I will likely attend the gathering as an original creation of Victorian/Steampunk effects, but I'm not sure on the day <3

[maikiritori]

I'm sad that for as much as everyone is talking about steampunk and how much they'd like to do it, that no one has actually confirmed a steampunk cosplay for the gathering. I'd totally be there if I had more money/time for making one. I hope some people will be able to actually show up.

[jobiberry]

I'll be there with the rest of my group on Saturday :)))))))))))))<3

[jackiemarie90]

a bioshock cosplay fits in steampunk right?

[BunofGovt]

I've seen some bioshock cosplayers and I thought at first they were steampunk!  So I'd say Yes.  I'll definitely be in my Heihachi cosplay on Saturday so will be at the Saturday gathering.

[Mordyan]

I just attended Nova Albion for the first time this year. So I already have a head start on the theme. I definitely will wear steampunk on Sunday and will try to come by the gathering.

Now I definietly need to finish the breather/gas mask I started...

[BSaphire]

1st post has been UPDATED!