other costume musings inspired by KWCS

[anotheranon]

• My impulse to focus on headgear and accessories (sleeves, aprons) is on the right track - it's the little details that make "the look".
  
  
• I need to gag my inner minimalist & toss her in a closet for awhile if I plan to keep doing 16th century. I may have been raised with visions of Donna Karan dancing in my head but the Elizabethans emphatically weren't - trim is my friend.
  
  
• Need to add a cuff or something to my venetians, as when I lunge they ride up enough to create an unsafe "sock gap".
  
  
• Saw herringbone corset in ladyaelfwynn's new book and want, WANT!! I'm thinking steampunk may be the perfect venue for me to live out my stuffy tweed fantasies. Besides, it's a perfect excuse for more corsetry, and sharply tailored menswear. At the same time. The other obvious advantage is that it's historically inspired so I won't be plagued with "how accurate is this?" doubt with every seam and stitch :P
  

Comments

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I got into steampunk because I was asked to run costume panels at a themed SF con. So I approached with my usual level of research.

I was agonizing on an LJ group about the plastic nosepads on my new pseudo-vic sunglasses, and the general response was very valuable:

Chill the )$&% out and if anyone gives you crap, shoot them with your raygun!

As someone who does mostly historicals and/or recreations, that was an incredibly liberating thing to realize. It has totally recharged my creative chops and I find I'm getting really enthused about costuming again. Had a blast last weekend modding a kid's toy engine from K-mart into what will become my new Backpack Time Machine.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I think you know exactly what I'm talking about re: the relief that comes from not having to do rigorous research. Not that any of us have to but I like getting reasonably close to the "you are there" effect. Given that the retro-victorian world of steampunk never existed, I feel less bound to make it 18-whatever perfect :)

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I have a tendency to get caught up in all the rules and research and end up missing things. Steampunk has enough structure (historical basis) that I have a kind of mental framework to build on but allows enough creativity to wander around a hardware store putting random objects together an thinking "hey - that would look cool on a hat!".

[glitter-femme.livejournal.com]

... stuffy tweed fantasies ... more corsetry, and sharply tailored menswear

Um. Swoon.