Any opportunity in life to play on a past tradition of clothing is a fun one. Fashion and clothing are meant to be fun as well as fit for practical purposes, of course.
As history has developed, and we have entered a different age, the fashion aged with it and that is most likely what will happen for a very, very long time!
It may feel like today is the only time when we have looked back on clothing and repeated it in an effort to keep it alive, but 100 hundred years ago, people did the same!
We have always looked back on our ancestor’s ways of life and found bits and pieces to bring back in subtle ways or to improve something else.
Steampunk is one of these. It is a subgenre of science fiction, and it incorporates a mix and match of retro and futuristic mannerisms and technologies inspired directly from 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.
It is definitely clear of these components in steampunk clothing by the borrowing of patterns and colors of the time mashed with giant and oversized goggles or binoculars, that largely resemble some sort of slightly terrifying contraption for the eyes.
Furthermore, it is certainly hard to not stand out when kitted in steampunk head to toe, and that’s exactly the point!
What does wearing a steampunk jacket mean to you? It meant something completely different to people of past lives, and it will mean something different to people of future lives.
What’s important is how you define it right now.
Steampunk is an opportunity, it’s a learning curve of how we can use styles that have come and gone and change them into something that could remain with us forever.
Sustainability wasn’t heavily popular at the time, and if we want to keep these styles, we must find a way to fit them in.
FOR WOMEN
There is just something about Victorian long waistcoats that brings a level of confidence like no other, perhaps it is the nature in us that enjoys embodying a whole other lifetime of people and clothing and enjoyment.
Wearing a piece of clothing like this jacket lets you take a step into the past with the choice of bringing a modern edge to the remainder of the outfit.
Pairing it with something more punk and futuristic plays on redefining the purpose of a jacket like this in today’s society.
This jacket embodies a single moment in time while personifying another, today’s time. Isn’t that magnificent in itself?
It’s available in a wide range of colors, and we love how sophisticated it looks by itself, it’s your choice how you style it around other pieces of clothing you have.
The collar accentuates the neck and shoulders in a manner much as they did in the 1800s, propelling the shoulders back, and the back straight.
Many Victorian pieces of clothing were designed to keep you prim and proper and while this isn’t necessary today in the same standard, it’s interesting to have as a feature.
Some features that you may find interesting or useful about this jacket, are:
- Long puff sleeves
- Stand collar
- One-button design
- Irregular hem
- Lace-up back
- Ruby Red color
FOR WOMEN
You may actually recognize this style of women’s double-breasted jacket today in fashion as well as in your steampunk wardrobe.
The fit and sophistication of the double-breasted feature are exactly what we use today in modern tailoring.
A double-breasted jacket enables the weather to switch sides when fastening, it can be worn from either side and while this may seem confusing to some, it was to accommodate the strength of the garment itself.
Double-breasted has another form of proper gentleman manners held within it, single-breasted simply does not look the part.
Many doctors used to wear jackets just like these as well as chefs to protect themselves, the style is easily combed over into other paths of life and has done so for a long time.
Take general Napoleon Bonaparte for example, while it was said he used his jacket to hold up his trousers, many rumors speculated about a deformed arm.
Either way, the double-breasted style has survived a plethora of ages and eras.
Some features about this one you might like are:
- Peplum Hem
- Long sleeves with epaulets
- Double-breasted fastening
- 8 button closure
FOR MEN
This is the type of jacket that just screams handcrafted with the most precise care, the patterned detailing are just magnificent in themselves, let alone the form of the jacket to carry them on.
The detailing on the cuffs matches these patterns in a way that ties the whole costume jacket together. While this type of jacket can be used for many purposes other than everyday wear, like costuming for Halloween, ringmasters, and pirate outfits.
The shape is stunning and would be a staple for any event that you want to stand out in. This jacket would’ve been the pinnacle of a masquerade in the 19th century.
Some features you may notice about this jacket are:
- Velvet fabric choice
- Staple colors, blue, red, and black
- Intricate detailing on cuffs, and body of jacket
- Excellent workmanship
FOR MEN
You’ve seen steampunk clothing and jackets about for a while now, but this is the king of steampunk coats! The jacket defines steampunk in its own right.
The more buckles and fastening buttons there seem to be on a jacket or coat, the more military and Victorian it gets. This is the perfect combination of the past and the future in one long tailcoat jacket.
Fun fact - Michael Jackson was extremely inspired by military coats and jackets in his own costume wardrobe, he liked the sophistication and playfulness that he could embody while performing. And many artists like Beyoncé have been inspired by him since to do the same.
The collar is just splendid to look at, it has definitely been cut and made by skilled machinists because the shape not only is difficult to obtain but difficult to pull off too!
Some features that you may find interesting about this jacket are:
- Long sleeves
- Gothic style
- Long tailcoat
- Extravagant collar shape
- Countless buckles on sleeves and breast of the coat
Final Thoughts
Steampunk is extremely playful when you look into how you can style it around your life. Even if you’re just someone who is into costumes and garments reminiscent of another time period.
Steampunk gives you an opportunity to explore another world and experiment with how you can dress yourself to fit it.
Many of these steampunk jackets would be perfect for masquerade parties, could this be a possible excuse to throw one of your own?
Who cares about it being an extravagant thing to do, you have one life and a masquerade should be a part of it at least once!
We hope you’ve been able to find a steampunk jacket to fit your aesthetic, or if you were just curious to know more about the subgenre, we’re glad to have been able to inform you on the topic at hand.
Steampunk should be enjoyed for its complexity in colors, patterns, and shapes.
Bringing back fashion from another time enables you to appreciate the history we’ve been through, and this subgenre plays on both history gone by, and what’s to come next!
