Dieselpunk + Steampunk Culture
Public Reaction
I was curious what reaction others here receive from the public when you're wearing dieselpunk style? Most of the time mine is pretty positive. Especially from senior citizens. Today was a little disturbing though. I was dressed in what I call my "Godfather style" meaning all black with a white tie and my white fedora (the same hat as in my photo here). We were out eating lunch when I noticed some women looking at a cell phone laughing. After they left my wife leaned over and told me that they had taken my photo.
Anyone else get odd reactions when wearing dieselpunk fashion?
Anyone else get odd reactions when wearing dieselpunk fashion?
Views: 92
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on -
Now I'm in a quandry. I'm supposed to go to that board meeting next month and give a 5 minute speech, in defense of our groups, our benign nature and our right to be at the fair. And I felt that we should all come either in Toy Soldier uniforms, or steampunk attire. This of course would get the press interested, as well.
However, now a friend advises me that nobody should show up in anything but business attire. Why? Because most of the people on this board are apparently hard right Christian fundamentalist types, and that he feels that showing up in something outrageous would defeat our purpose before we were even heard.
However I'm thinking that they should see exactly what we were wearing when we got thrown out... and the press isn't going to want to cover a bunch of people dressed in boring business attire. So I'm in a dilemma as to which way to go with this.
-
Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on -
You're fighting to have your style accepted, so it's fitting that you wear your style just to display that Dr. Steel's toy soldiers are based on fun and not anti-Christian cult-like activity.
-
Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on
-
I've decided that you're right. Being a conservative Christian myself, I can "speak their language", so I think that could go a long way. And I think that it's important that they, and the press, see what it is we're fighting for.
Tome Wilson said:You're fighting to have your style accepted, so it's fitting that you wear your style just to display that Dr. Steel's toy soldiers are based on fun and not anti-Christian cult-like activity.
-
Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on
-
Strangely, I'm seeing very few (so far, no) people from the local steampunk group saying they'll come support our fight. That saddens me.
-
Permalink Reply by Larry on -
Being a guy I had to look up what victory rolls are. What I learned is that they look great. Good for you.
Melanie Baldaia said:The other week i went out with victory rolls but no one really seemed to think it out of place. I did put a picture of myself in victory rolls on facebook and my cousin said they make me look old haha! but honestly i think they look great and i will still wear them when i like so its alright :)
-
Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on
-
I'm really impressed that you pulled them off.
Lisa, my wife, usually ends up cursing the curling iron for twenty minutes before she gives up.
I'd love to see photos if you have any!
Melanie Baldaia said:The other week i went out with victory rolls but no one really seemed to think it out of place. I did put a picture of myself in victory rolls on facebook and my cousin said they make me look old haha! but honestly i think they look great and i will still wear them when i like so its alright :)
-
Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on
-
Excellent!
Have any tips?
-
Permalink Reply by Cap'n Tony on -
@Jonny: Give 'em hell! No need for a circus, but a forthright display in uniform of your right to dress as you wish will serve you and the soldiers and *punks well.
@ Melanie: the V-rolls look good on you! Wear 'em with pride, girl!
@Marcus: When I worked up in DC I once got mistaken for an exhibit in the Nat'l Archives. I was in the black fedora and long wool overcoat, and standing quietly watching a video exhibit. When the loop ended I started to walk and made some poor lady jump three feet in the air!
When wearing the tan fedora and trench coat I'd occasionally hear tour kiddies wondering if I was FBI or CIA, LOL.
Marcus Rauchfuss said:Usually, I get a lot of compliments, especially from my lady-friends whose husbands are of the 'T-Shirt and Denim Year round' sort.
Every now and then, somebody tells me, suits are completely out but this has only happened twice so far.
At one point, last October, when I was dressed very noir, I was actually mistaken for a member of a film crew (they were shooting somewhere around Munich University were I used to live).
Oh yes, just three weeks ago, I was wearing a black suit, white shirt, black tie and a black fedora, some freak (he looked really strange, possibly on or seriously off drugs) approached me and asked: Are you serving God or Satan?
-
Permalink Reply by Dreia M on -
I imagine that women don't stand out that much in more formal settings... women's suits for example haven't changed very much. When I look at pictures of women at swing parties, I notice that the same dresses probably wouldn't be out of place in any contemporary formal event.
There are a lot of everyday items that seem to have a little bit of a Diesel feel. My old Fossil watch definitely seemed to. Military lines come in and out of fashion fairly regularly; right now, they seem to be in again.
I definitely stand out in my style of dress (even just because of wearing skirts!), but when I'm dressed "retro", I always get a lot of compliments. Retro for me is dressing with a strongly 20s-30s (but not flapper!) influence, and my hair is like Clara Bow's. Elderly men seem to like my look and act very courteous toward me when I look like this! I like the look of pretty much anywhere between the 20s and 50s and find it much more flattering to my personality and my figure than the later clothes which seem to all be made for 6'0 women with boyish figures.
I recently got a pair of vintage 50s cat's eye glasses to wear with my more 50s stuff and my more modern stuff (which it goes with). If I ever put together a Raygun Gothic outfit, the glasses will get worn with that. I'm presently looking for the right round wire-rimmed pair that will go with most other things.
On a similar topic, I have a "steam" look too and had one before the genre even had a word, but it's not "full dress" - it's more "modern with a Victorian science fiction/adventuress influence"... I felt it matched my inner Victorian eccentric. I might wear a ruffled blouse with a vest and pants that fit like riding pants, or long skirt (but not period), with boots. I wore things like Victorian keys and pocketwatches before they were being worn by steampunks. :) This was my signature look for years, actually. Paradoxically I've been drawn to the look less since I've been seeing it everywhere.
Want something embarassing about someone in diesel fashion?
Since my best friend is a man (and diesel whether he calls himself that or not), I had a best man instead of a maid of honor at my wedding (to my now ex-husband). He was dressed to the 9s... black and white oxfords, purple shirt, white tie, pin stripe suit.
People who had not met the groom thought that my best friend was the one I was marrying because he was the best dressed man present... until they saw me marry some other guy up at the altar, which was confusing to people :)
-
Permalink Reply by Larry on
-
I took my father to the VA hospital this week. I got several compliments on my fedora as people would pass by and an occasional compliment on my vest.
Then yesterday I was at my eye doctor for a check up (I have glaucoma so I visit him a lot) and I was in full tie, vest, hat etc.. and he complimented me and said, "You know. No one ever dresses up now days."
-
Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on
-
We went to that Fair board meeting, and it went well. We came to an arrangement that if we go again next year, we'll call ahead a month in advance and they'd "tie up their dogs", in return, we had to promise no giving out of anything, not even business cards.
Here I am this past weekend in dieselpunk attire (and I was wearing a dieselpunks.org pin but you can't see it in this shot) at my high school reunion. I was a bit overdressed but so what. :p
© 2012 Created by Tome Wilson.
