Costume quandaries (aka I suck at decisions)

[castalia]

I am making good progress on a steampunk costume for Dragon*Con, though I may or may not be able to incorporate the ray gun I made earlier this year. The more I think about it, the more I want to go with a sort of Victorian naturalist character, as I could play with specimen cases and jars and all sorts of little accessories to dangle on my person.

I am currently busy on an Eton Jacket, which I plan to wear over a blouse and a boned corselet I've already completed, made out of a faux tooled leather jacquard. These will be worn with the short version of this split skirt, without all that fringe of course. And boots.

Where I fall down idea-wise is the hat. I'd like to have a hat, b/c I like hats and they make outfits seem more finished somehow. The options I'm considering are 1) Make a hat, and 2) Buy a cowboy hat and call it a day.

For option 1, I've found a cool site that offers Victorian hat patterns and kits, complete with everything one needs to make a buckram frame and the instructions to cover it with the fabric of one's choosing. You can see finished hats at this site - lots of variety and it's easy to change the style just by bending the brim. At around $35, this isn't a terribly expensive option, and I'd get the satisfaction of having a finished product I made myself. I'm considering the Audrey or the Julie, but I can't make up my mind.

As for option 2, it'd actually be a bit cheaper and obviously less work. Sierra Trading Post has a bunch of cowboy hats on sale for $20-$25 each, which isn't bad. I could get a crushable one which would pack well, this more curvy model, a pinch-front Stetson, or for a little more a Kakadu Langston slicker hat or cowhide hat. STP is forever having sales and free shipping options, so it would be pretty affordable and all I'd have to do is maybe adjust the bands or stick a feather in there, etc.

To the costumers on my flist, what say you? I'm not really going for the high society look or anything very froofy, so if I make a hat it'll likely be something that would look a little more outdoorsy and rugged anyway.

Have a poll:

[Poll #1436360]

Comments

[delle.livejournal.com]

here's my question: tell me about your steampunk character. is she american? british? something else? I wouldn't recommend a cowboy hat unless she's american... and even then I tend to think of steampunk ladies as being more educated, more refined than a pioneer/western woman. JMVHO.

So I voted for "Julie"



(I may be doing a quick steampunk too - just doing a split skirt to put with my Mina blouse (not that my Mina blouse is done...) do you have any interest in doing an easy BSG costume - "easy" as in "buy it off the Net"?)

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I'm still ironing out character details. I'd love to do something Welsh, but other than that probably American. I was thinking a sort of female Stephen Maturin but 100 years later, as it were.

I'm so glad you're thinking of doing steampunk with us! A whole group will be fun. And yeah, I'd consider doing a BSG thing. I already have the tank tops that would work, though I may get a different black one. And BDUs are easy to come by around here, of course.

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

Female Stephen Maturin? I approve! Though honestly -- you're just not that much of a slob (thank god). ;)

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes, no disgusting wig or lack of personal hygiene for me.

[delle.livejournal.com]

OK, so where did you find the tanks? (and what is a BDU?) I look on amazon and ebay but all I can find is the 'licensed' costume, which has only the barest resemblance to the actual costume (not to mention the tanks are attached which isn't accurate at all...)

your favorite anal-retentive costumer

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I've had them so long I honestly can't remember. I think I got the grey one at Walmart years ago. The black one doesn't quite have the weird shape the BSG tanks do, though.

BDUs are Battle Dress Uniforms, the fatigue type pants and jackets you can get at Army/Navy Surplus stores.

[deborak]

Hey, we'll have to get photos together. Bill and I both have Victorian gear (although mine is pseudo Edwardian because the line suits me better). I have pics to post that I haven't gotten to yet. As for hats, I think a steampunked up visor or newsboy cap would fit better with this persona. I have to go down to the costume shop in Carytown tomorrow and get Bill a derby and pick out something for my "refined steampunk lady" outfit.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely up for a group photo. I can't wait to see your costumes! I've chosen the very late Victorian just b/c I like the lines better for me, and all the pieces that caught my eye just happened to fall into the 1890s by luck.

Do you have any pics of what sort of visor you're talking about?

[deborak]

No pics. I was just imagining. A plain visor like you can buy at Michaels gives you a broad brim and a short stand-up band that you can decorate to match your character.

[keleos.livejournal.com]

What size is your head? I ordered a hat for my costume, which I'm realizing now would SO not have been finished in time for D*C, thank goodness I have another year. But it's too small. You, though, might have a littler head than me.

And I think what Deb is talking about with the newsboy cap is something like this:

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/products/mh/NMD3546_mh.jpg

I mean that kind of shape and so forth, not the material obviously. Is that right, Deb?

[deborak]

Yeah, that's "newsboy" style. What does your hat look like?

[keleos.livejournal.com]

See below.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

What kind of hat? I do have a small head - I wear an extra small hat, usually. About 21 inches in diameter.

Yeah, I've had newsboy caps before, but it's the visor I'd love a pic of. When I think visor I think what the clerks at race tracks wear.

[keleos.livejournal.com]

Hat:




It's a chola hat from Bolivia. I paid $27 for it and waited FOREVER for it to arrive, only to get it and realize that either the numbers they gave were misrepresented, or I measured wrong. I think it was probably the latter. The inside of the hat measures about 20.5 inches.

[deborak]

I'm being random, but this is just too funny! Maybe you could order one of these to go under your hat.

[keleos.livejournal.com]

That is... unsettling in a whole new way.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's lovely. Very small, though, so I'm wondering if even I could wear it. Might be half an inch too small for me. If you don't find anyone who can wear it, I'm sure someone over at steamfashion would snap it up.

[keleos.livejournal.com]

How about I bring it to D*C with me and you can try it on. If it fits, you can borrow it for the con. After that, I'll plop it over in that comm... though some days I'm not so sure about the "fashion" aspect over there.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I'd love to try it on, just to see.

though some days I'm not so sure about the "fashion" aspect over there.

*snort* I couldn't agree more.

[keleos.livejournal.com]

And as much as I like to peruse etsy, sometimes the pimping gets a little heavy-handed.

I'll bring the hat with me, e-mail me to make sure I still have your cell number and you have mine, and I'll text you when we get our room.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Oh man, yes. Every other post is a "come buy my crap!" ad.

Will do!

[mir280.livejournal.com]

0_o That urn thing is creeeeeepy!!! And now there is to be a group pic which means I HAVE to get my butt in gear and make my costume. I have never waited this long to start one before:( Eeeeep!

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Uh oh! Do you have any fabric yet? I sure don't want to be at your house when the crazy last minute sewing starts ;P