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top hats
Vivian Steampunk Trousseau: A November Ballgown
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Vivian’s May 2023 Traveling Suit
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For my Patrons, Here’s Vivian’s Visiting Dress
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Steampunk Sapphire with her Fantastic Top Hat
Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
Continuing my Gemstone naming theme, Sapphire is today’s black steampunk paper doll. I probably should get better at spelling Sapphire, because I keep wanting to give the word two Rs.
Steampunk, which is today’s paper doll style, is a style based on the idea of Victorian clothing crossed with anachronistic styles. So, corsets, bustles, top hats and such combined in ways they never would have been combined in the actual 19th century.
Personally, I’m a bit conflicted about steampunk (especially the fiction), because I rarely see the genre engaging with the inherent colonial and racist underpinnings of British and American empire building in the 19th century. So, while I love the fashion, but I don’t want to glorify that period in history, or any period, actually. There’s no magical Golden Age.
One interesting thing I recently discovered is steamfunk which is an afro-futuristic approach to steampunk and engages in this same issue. I need to learn more about it. I literally discovered it last week.
Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
I wanted to do a steampunk paper doll. That’s all really. Also, I’m kinda in love with her hat.
Plus, I know I have some Patrons who love steampunk fashion and I couldn’t imagine starting out the new series with out doing at least one steampunk set.
Specific Source Images: This Wig & King’s Road Corset from Violet Vixen (the corset isn’t on their website anymore, hence the Pinterest link)
Learn/See More
On the Blog: Steampunk Paper Dolls, Victorian Inspired Paper Dolls, & More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: Steampunk as Defined on Wikipedia, My Steampunk Pinterest Board, The Intersection of Race and Steampunk from Silver Goggles (from 2009, but still well worth a read), & Chronicles of Harriet article on Steamfunk
Last Thoughts
Is it wrong that a part of me still sees steampunk fashion as super close to old school Victorian inspired goth fashion? I feel like there are steampunk purists who would question that.
I do have a Patreon page where I have exclusive content and such, if you’re interested.
Steampunk? Are you into it? Not into it? Have a book recommendation for me in the genre? Drop me a note in the comments.
A Big Skirted Princess Dress, Anyone?
There are genre’s I come back to over and over again. Some of them are themes like post-apocalyptic or fairies. Others are more like fashion styles. On of them is what I call “Big Skirted Princess Dresses.”
One thing you must know about me is that I was a child of 1980s and 1990s. That means, I grew up with Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid (which terrified me so much as a child I refused to watch it again until I was in my 30s.) I also grew up with paper dolls of these movies and the paper dolls of Peck-Grande who made the most amazing fairy tale paper dolls. Seriously. Check out their Beauty and the Beast paper doll or Sleeping Beauty paper doll. Also big skirted over the top dresses were sort of a thing in the 1980s and early 1990s.
So, in my head, fairy tale dresses with huge skirts and crazy decorations are just what princesses wear. Plus the big skirts give lots of room for added decoration.
Today’s foray into the big-skirted-princess-gown genre has a bit of a steampunk vibe. I really wanted this dress to feel autumnal, just like I think the other big-skirted dresses I have done feel like they are from other seasons. This one was my winter dress and this one was my summer/spring dress.
Do let me know what you think of today’s post in a comment. I love to hear from you. If you want to support the blog, think about donating through Patreon.
Need a doll for today’s clothing? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing
A Week of Coloring Pages: Steampunk Paper Doll Clothing
This is the first steampunk inspired set I’ve drawn for the B Pose dolls. I was kinda thinking of a like a street urchin dressed up. So, there’s tools, boots and a top hat.
Everything is better with top hats.
When I design sets in black and white, I often add patterns, because I think they are maybe more fun to color? I confess I’m not much of a colorer. I think I mentioned that yesterday. So, I am kinda guessing what people like to color.
I did have way more fun dawing those tools than I should admit. There was going to be hammer, but hammers are surprisingly hard to draw, y’all. So are screw drivers, but I digress.
Friday, there will be a cyberpunk set for the A Pose ladies. And who doesn’t need that?
Meanwhile, let me know what you think of today’s set in a comment and, if you love the blog, think about donating to help it out over on Patreon.
Need a Doll to wear today’s outfit? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing
Let’s Go to the Circus! A B Pose Outfit
Of course, the whole the idea of a circus based outfit, I suppose is that it isn’t very practical, but rather very showy. I mean, one doesn’t really associate circus with practicality.
Not that I know much about circuses except what I’ve seen on television.
There’s another version of today’s outfit over on my Patreon page for my patrons. Join if you would like to support the blog.
Need a doll for today’s clothing? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing
A Set of Steampunk Style Paper Doll Clothing Designs
So, for me steampunk style paper doll clothing is a natural evolution of my love of all things Victorian. I’d happily draw steampunk quasi-Victorian outfits every day. I just adore them. When I started the Dames and Dandies paper doll series back in January, I knew I’d be drawing some fashions that embraced my love of all things Victorian.
Today’s steampunk style foray consists of a pair of boots with vertical striped stockings, a skirt trimmed in pleats and a vest over a blouse. There’s also a tiny top hat and a purse to flesh out the outfit. One thing I love about steampunk style paper doll fashions is the little details- the buckles, the studs and the little pleats. Sometimes I don’t want to draw detail, but usually I enjoy the tiny things that make a paper doll outfit unique.
Don’t worry. There is a floating tab designed to help keep that tiny hat on the paper doll’s head. Everything is better with tiny top hats.
Anyway, I always love to hear from y’all, so let me know what you think of today’s paper doll set in a comment. Should I do more steampunk? Less steampunk?
Need a doll to wear today’s paper doll clothing? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing
Regency Inspired Steampunk Suit With Boots and a Top Hat
Okay, so to start with I guess you could call this a steampunk suit. I mean, it’s definitely in that genre, but the silhouette is very much Regency, not Victorian. Here’s a few source images to show what I mean. There’s this famous drawing of “Beau” Brummel and this lovely men’s fashion plate as examples.
So, as you can see, the shorter double breasted jacket and the vest and such are all very Regency, as are the fitted trousers tucked into boots. But I made my jacket shorter than would have been common and my vest longer to really show off the style. And, of course, thigh high boots were probably not that common in the period.
Here’s an 1860’s suit in case you’re curious what an actual Victorian suit looks like.
I had some trouble coming up with a color scheme. I really wanted to use a lot of brown, but I didn’t want to just use browns. That seemed boring. So, I accented my browns with orange and teal.
To go with my suit, I drew a top hat and a cane, because it seems to me that any well dressed steampunk gent should have those accessories.
After I’d drawn this outfit and colored it, I decided to try out a second color scheme in blacks and reds. You can head over to the Patreon page and see that version. It’s very Gothic feeling. Sometimes, I think most steampunk outfits would look gothic if you just made them black, not brown.
But the steampunk entranced friends seem to always get irritated when I point that out.
Anyway, check it out if you like and let me know which color scheme you like better.
Need a a Doll to wear today’s clothing? All the C Pose Dolls & Clothing