Steampunk clothing at White Mischief

With White Mischief so heavily inspired by Jules Verne (we’ve had shows entitled “From The Earth To The Moon”, “Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” and “Around The World In 80 Days”, the steampunk aesthetic is one of the dressing-up themes we encourage. (Line-up for June 7 show; details on tickets and group discounts.)

Check after the jump for a magnificent collection of images taken from the last White Mischief show… thank the photographers and congratulate the Mischief-Makers who dressed up in such formidable outfits. We recommend Prangsta as a place from which to hire your steampunk outfit, but our guide to London’s best vintage clothing emporiums and costume rental locations offers many more suggestions.

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We recommend: The Clockwork Quartet

White Mischief is proud to recommend a show from a musical outfit upon whom we have been keeping our beady eyes for some time. Featured in a Guardian article on steampunk before they had even played outside their own mysterious Victorian warehouse venue, now the Clockwork Quartet is presenting its series of songs and stories before the public for the first time, at London’s historic Horse Hospital. Read below for further details.

THE CLOCKWORK QUARTET

Listen & book tickets at http://www.clockworkquartet.com

Thur 15th | Fri 16th | Sat 17th October
The Horse Hospital
Doors open at 7:30 for an 8pm start, £15, Book Here

“Tarnished, bittersweet music that conjures up Portishead” – The Guardian

Dearest Friends,

I take great pleasure in inviting you to the world premiere of my new show. A collection of songs and stories following the cursed paths of a clutch of troubled souls – with music and light relief provided by my infamous companions, The Clockwork Quartet.
- The Raconteuse

Discover The Horse Hospital transformed into a run down Victorian music hall, where you can enjoy a cup of tea, a glass of port, or something more potent, and refreshments crafted by the band chocolatier. Advanced booking recommended.

“The Clockwork Quartet is a Dresden Dolls-esque collective of 20-odd musicians, actors and cabaret performers who all play various bizarre and morbidly dark characters. Intrigued?” – NME

The Clockwork Quartet consists of a core quartet of guitar, bass banjo, violin and cello, with help from accordion, oboe, piccolo banjo, Stroh violin, musical saw, and the magnificent Steamdrone, as well as the percussive possibilities of clocks, metronomes, discarded mechanical parts and found objects. Members include two trained luthiers, a carpenter, a jeweller, a prop maker and sculptor, a chocolatier, and a doctor of zoology.

Listen & book tickets at http://www.clockworkquartet.com

Click below to view teaser e-flyer:

We recommend: Steampunk Tales

Described as “The Penny Dreadful for your iPhone”, Steampunk Tales is a regular compendium of neo-Victorian and steampunk fiction from authors including the highly respected GD Falksen.

To preview issue one for free, visit SteampunkTales.com

Tips for steampunk outfits from GD Falksen

Reproduced with permission from the author, steampunk writer GD Falksen, this article suggests a number of tips for those planning steampunk costumes.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have noticed recently a general interest in having rules; or perhaps not rules, but a framework in which to explore. I suppose this makes sense, for people are generally most comfortable if they have a structure to be free in. Often people post here wondering if their outfits are “steampunk,” or if there is a way to integrate their personal style into the steampunk environment.
Given this situation, I would like to offer those of you interested in having some basic rules the following list of points to use as guidelines. Those of you who are already confident in your steampunk style have no need to dwell upon these, but anyone who is concerned or hesitant about how to approach a “steampunk outfit” should feel free to use these points as reference. I hope that they are useful.

As a disclaimer, I should like to state that these points are based upon my own experiences, observations, reading of steampunk literature, and academic understanding of history. I will confess that where other people often spend an evening watching American Idol to relax, my idea of “vegging out in front of the TV” involves First World War documentaries; so I am very much taken by the historical aspect of things. However, given that I am the author of the Steampunk Style Quiz, which has been taken over 10,000 times with very positive feedback, I do feel that my observations are generally acceptable.

Rule One: Steampunk fashion is a real-world reproduction of the clothing that is or could be found in steampunk literature. It’s that simple.

Rule Two: When in doubt, dress Victorian and then add. The Victorians were the first people to fully capitalize upon steam technology in a way that affected everyday life, so it is no surprise that most steampunk writing either takes place in the Victorian world or is strongly inspired by it. If you’re afraid that your outfit is “too Victorian” you’re probably doing it right.

Rule Three: Steampunk fashion is about creating an outfit that delights the senses, entertains the wearer, and engages the viewer. Never feel obliged to take away from the style or appeal of an outfit simply because you fear it will be “not steampunk enough.” Do not be misled, coerced, or second-guessed into including a collection of “steampunk status symbols” (goggles are the most infamous, though we do love them) if they do not fit with the outfit, or with the vision you are attempting to produce.

Rule Four: There is no “steampunk color.” Some people have claimed that steampunk is only brown, or only black, or only white, or only light, or only dark. They are wrong. Virtually any color can be steampunk (though perhaps one might balk at neon). If you like to wear black, there is a steampunk justification; if you like to wear brown, there is a steampunk justification; if you like to wear bright colors, there is a steampunk justification. Remember, steampunk is set in a world of comparatively advanced technology, so it is perfectly reasonable to have vibrant colors and complicated machine-made patterns.

Rule Five: You are allowed to like other genres. If you like a style of fashion that does not fit into steampunk (Enlightenment era, Pulp Adventure, Mod 60s, Medieval, etc.) be proud of it. Do not feel compelled to try and wedge it under the steampunk caption. These are all genres that people have worked very hard to create, expand, and explore; so we rather owe it to them to respect the diversity and uniqueness of their differences. You are all diverse and well-rounded people with differing interests. Let that be a source of pride.

Rule Six: Have fun and be yourself. That’s what this is about. Don’t feel compelled to conform with everyone else. Don’t feel shy about posting just because you don’t want to dress like the other people who you’ve seen post. And don’t post with the question “do you guys think this is steampunk enough?” Post with the statement “I feel that this is steampunk, and here is why I think so.” At worst, someone will disagree and then the two of you can discuss your conflicting views, get to know each other, and come to an understanding; or, you can simply feel free to ignore them, and you have every right to do so if you don’t feel like arguing over a simple difference of opinion.

I hope that those of you looking for this sort of thing find it useful. Above all, I would like to emphasize that the point here is that you should be proud of having your own opinion and your own unique style.

Humbly yours,

G. D. Falksen

Stentor Industries

Jason from Stentor Industries is something of a White Mischief regular and will be attending the forthcoming party. He has made this prop – a Journey To The Centre Of The Earth harpoon gun – and will be brandishing it on the night. Stentor Industries makes bespoke props and should be the first port of call for the very most dedicated steampunk weaponry enthusiasts.

London Alternative Photography Group seeks steampunks and neo-Victorians for photoshoot this weekend

White Mischief is getting a reputation as a meeting place for people who are fans of the “steampunk” artform or the neo-Victorian look. Accordingly we’ve had a request for people who like to dress in this style and would like to attend a photoshoot in London this weekend. Please read on for more information.

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Custom-made “…80 Days” pith helmets and rayguns from Stentor

We are thrilled to note that Stentor Industries – the purveyors of fine props, models and replica sci-fi weaponry – will be present at White Mischief “Around the World in 80 Days” on Saturday June 7. Fellow steampunk enthusiasts will hopefully be as excited as we are to note that Stentor have custom-designed an entire set of “Around the World in 80 Days” accessories, including steam-powered rayguns, goggles and a pith helmet, which will be put through a full range of tests next Saturday! Read on for photographs and elucidation on the complete Stentor Industries range.

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Steampunk photos

There’s a whole subculture dedicated to the steampunk aesthetic, whether that means clockwork mechanisms, burnished brass and copper, technology of the Industrial Revolution, or Victorian-inspired clothing topped off with goggles or monocles. A look around sites such as Steampunk Fashion or Brass Goggles leaves one quite astonished at the level of creativity being poured into the genre. Here we display some of our favourite steampunk photos from around the web, some of which might prove to be useful dressup inspirations.

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