my Chrono'nauts Tea frontier costume

The Grand Chrono'nauts Tea at the Brooklyn Indie Fair yesterday was quite a success... so much so that all the attendees couldn't quite fit into the tent. I did not stay long because my leg is still in a cast boot and it was not an ideal place for a cripple hobbling around with a cane. But I caught a glimpse of some familiar faces: jaborwhalkyand squirrelmadness, of course, along with dreamshadowsin the fashion show, and thatjazzand isee4dimensions milling about. There were lots of beautiful handcrafted items for sale at the vendors' tables. And the fashion show was amazing. I caught the second half of it, thought my vantage point was less than ideal, butI had a great view of the hats and a glimpse of the outfits as the models were exiting the runway (at first I thought everyone in front was freakishly tall until I realized the pavement was sloping downward). I especially liked the clipper ship headpiece and the man's cape reminiscent of a Iverness. Lots of male models which was a pleasant surprise. I missed the Q&A, the photo booth, tarot readings, cordials, free food, and probably lots of other fantastic stuff, but the biggest treat of all was just looking at the outfits of the attendees. Lots of casual steampunk and some really wonderful coats and jackets - I epsecially admired one that looked as if it were sewn out of fleecy sweatshirt material but had all the detailing of a Regency style frock coat. The criers for the steampunk Twelfth Night production were beautifully dressed and we chatted for a few minutes about my costume. I tried taking photographs of the milieuex but everytime I lined up a good one, a bunch of people in baggy tee shirts drifted into the frame so unfortunately I don't have any photos of everyone else, but I am sure that others will post them. Here's one of my frontier costume:


 
Construction details if you are interested. The clothing is all from thrift stores except the blouse is from Old Navy. The petticoat is a vintage Betsy Johnson (lucky thrift shop score from when I first moved to Manhattan). I  modified the skirt with pieces from an old pocketbook so it kind of looks like skirt lifters. Well, kind of. Hiking up the skirt to reveal something underneath (bloomers, petticoats, stockings, holsters) is one of the style details I  associate with steampunk. I bought the skirt especially because it was cheap and I didn't want to ruin a nice skirt in case this modification went awry, but it turned out okay. I may yet put those pleather and brass thingies on another skirt. I covered up my cast with a brown leg warmer; yeah,  I  should have painted it bronze, but the doc only told me on Friday that I  have to keep wearing it for awhile longer. I wore a brown Mary Jane and leg warmer on the other foot to try to make my legs match. The walking stick was one of my first purchases when I moved to Manhattan in 1991. The handle resembles a leaping horse. I made the wrist cuffs from the same old pocketbook and a remnant of water buffalo hide. I love working with leather but I do have some moral qualms about purchasing it so I try to use remnants, old pocketbooks, and pleather whenever I can.  The collar is made from an old belt and pieces of vintage brass stamping. I  modeled it on the Victorian "v"-shaped ties that women wore over their blouses. The belt is from Daffy's; it was $11 and I sewed the outer pocket of the old handbag onto it. The hat's been in my family for many years though I am unsure of its origin, but I  think it is military-issue. The leather hair-wrap was a gift from some high-school acquaintance.

I was going for a Western frontier style, which seems to be somewhat scarce among the East Coast steampunks. I guess all the Western steampunks are out West, though  I do sometimes see gents with a Western look, but rarely ladies. I hesitate to say 'it's my cowgirl' outfit as most people think of rodeo queens when you say 'cowgirl.' I was paying tribute to Annie Oakley, one of the first American celebrities and a truly gifted markswoman (she could split a playing card in half with a bullet fired along the edge) I do consider myself a cowgirl, though. I can ride and shoot and I'm very good with animals, and with hand-to-hand combat as well as weapons of all kinds. I don't have any kind of persona but I did want to express my love of horses with my costume.

Once I can walk without a cane, I'm going to work on a 20s style costume and some masculine attire, maybe a pre-Raphaelite outfit if I  can find the right gown.