top hats

Straps and Lace: Steampunk Paper Doll For Ensemble Eclectica

A black steampunk costume paper doll printable coloring page with a wardrobe of ten pieces. She can share clothing with the other paper dolls on Paper Thin Personas.
A black steampunk costume paper doll printable with a wardrobe of ten pieces.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Today’s steampunk costume paper doll has a mix and match wardrobe of ten pieces. There are about 12 different outfit combinations here. I really wanted to experiment with drawing lace and lace like patterns using some lace brushes I have in Procreate. I use the brushes during the penciling stage and then I ink over them. I don’t like how they look “raw”, but they really help when I’m trying to draw a repeat pattern that runs along something- as lace often does.

I feel like I am getting much more confident in rendering lace in my digital ink style, which I am really happy about.

I will save you all from my “steampunk” vs “Victorian fashion inspired” language musings from last week. Instead, I will simply say that that steampunk is a combination of modern styles and Victorian looks. It is both fun and whimsical and usually brown. I find brown boring, so I tend to lean into color with my steampunk costumes.

(This is why I never could have been a Goth. I just find all black so uninteresting.)

For the holidays, I treated myself to a set of Color Cubes by Sarah Renee Clarke to help choose color schemes for paper dolls. I randomly selected a beautiful teal, cream, and blue palette (Color Card 101) and added yellow for extra contrast. The new pieces can mix with last week’s Victorian Whims paper doll, though the colors don’t coordinate perfectly, so some creativity is needed, but the black and white versions work well together. If you combine these two steampunk costume paper doll creations together, you’ll end up with 72 outfit combinations, before you even add in hats and purses.

As some folks know, I have a coloring book out from Colouring Heaven and I’ve heard that it’s popping up in the occasional Walmart. I am still going to recommend you order it directly, if you want a copy, because as far as I can tell distribution in the USA is not consistent at all. However, if you happen to see it in a Walmart, I’ve love a photo. I am psyched to see it “in the wild” out there in the world.

Purim is this Friday. I confess that I have been do wrapped up with other things that I completely forgot about my favorite Jewish holiday, but if you need some Purim paper dolls in your life, I have several. If I remember I’ll see about drawing a new one for 2025, but life has been a roller coaster these last few weeks.

Victorian Whims: A Paper Doll with a Mix & Match Steampunk Wardrobe

A printable steampunk fashion coloring page with a paper doll and her mix and match steampunk wardrobe.
A printable steampunk fashion paper doll and her mix and match steampunk wardrobe.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

I was really struggling to write this blog post tonight about today’s paper doll with her mix and match steampunk wardrobe. I was particularly struggling to summarize steampunk, because I think I’ve summarized steampunk at least a hundred times on this site. Technically, there are 64 “Steampunk” tagged paper doll creations and 107 “Victorian Inspired” paper doll creations, so who knows how many times I’ve done it?

Way too many.

Still, I have to remind myself that very post I write is someone’s first time visiting the site. Those first time vistors haven’t read my steampunk summary seventeen million times. So, here we go.

Steampunk is a genre that blends Victorian-era aesthetics with steam-powered technology and futuristic, often fantastical elements. Steampunk was very popular about ten to fifteen years ago. I think it may have lost some of that popularity a bit. Someone who knows more about alternative fashion then me can probably speak to that.

Personally, I don’t really care if steampunk is “in style” or not. I am going to be drawing Victorian inspired fantasy clothing, because I’ve been drawing since before I ever knew what steampunk is. I draw it, because I like victorian clothing, and corsets, and boots. Creating a mix and match steampunk wardrobe is just really fun. Calling it steampunk and not “Victorian inspired fantasy clothing”, is because I don’t think anyone else on the planet calls it “Victorian inspired fantasy clothing. Also, “steampunk” is faster to type.

I’m enough of a historian to look at steampunk fashion and be able to draw a straight line through it to the New Romantics of the 1980s. Fashion is a cycle, even alternative fashions. Does it matter what it is called?

I digress.

So, I have three steampunk printable paper dolls finished, each with a distinctly different color scheme. All their of the paper dolls have different mix and match steampunk wardrobe. I’ll be sharing those paper dolls throughout March. I think of this one was the “green” one, for obvious reasons. She has over 50 different outfit combinations, mostly because of the top hat which lets your double these things.

Vivian’s December Opera & Dinner Dress

To view this content, you must be a paying member of my patreon!  Join us here and help support Paper Thin Personas. Already a qualifying Patreon member? See below on how to access the content.
To view this content, you must be a member of Rachel's Patreon
Unlock with Patreon
Already a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

Vivian Steampunk Trousseau: A November Ballgown

To view this content, you must be a paying member of my patreon!  Join us here and help support Paper Thin Personas. Already a qualifying Patreon member? See below on how to access the content.
To view this content, you must be a member of Rachel's Patreon
Unlock with Patreon
Already a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

Vivian’s May 2023 Traveling Suit

To view this content, you must be a paying member of my patreon!  Join us here and help support Paper Thin Personas. Already a qualifying Patreon member? See below on how to access the content.
To view this content, you must be a member of Rachel's Patreon
Unlock with Patreon
Already a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

For my Patrons, Here’s Vivian’s Visiting Dress

To view this content, you must be a paying member of my patreon!  Join us here and help support Paper Thin Personas. Already a qualifying Patreon member? See below on how to access the content.
To view this content, you must be a member of Rachel's Patreon
Unlock with Patreon
Already a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

Steampunk Sapphire with her Fantastic Top Hat

Today's black steampunk paper doll has her own fancy top hat and a great outfit, plus two pairs of shoes. You can print the paper doll in color or black and white, if you like to color.

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?

This Princess dress design for the paper dolls features buttons, autumn motifs and colors. There's a steampunk princess element as well with the top hat and boots. You can also print it in black and white for coloring if you wish.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

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

A steampunk coloring page featuring paper doll clothing for the B Pose paper dolls from paperthinpersonas.com.

Printable Black & White PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

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

I love circuses. So, today's printable paper doll clothes are inspired by the shapes and colors of the circus. Free to print in color or black and white for coloring.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
I don’t have a lot of familiarity with circuses, but I really like the colors and the shapes. I think the drama is awfully fun. I decided to create something fun and funky and maybe not very practical for average wearing.

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

A set of steampunk style paper doll clothing designs consisting of a vest over blouse, a skirt with pleated details, boots, stockings, a purse and matching hat in browns and teals or in black and white for you to color any way you like.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
I’ve loved Victorian fashions for as long as I can remember. I think it was probably early paper doll exposure, but what child doesn’t see the ruffles and the puffed sleeves and think, “I want to wear something like that?”

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

An elegant men's steampunk suit for the guy paper dolls from paperthinpersonas.com. Available in color or black and white.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
Every once in a while, I draw something that I can’t wait to share. This was one of those outfits. It’s kinda funky, detailed and a little sexy, I think.

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