Lolita VS Steampunk

The Inventor Loli by dizzylolibliss featuring flower jewelry

Here is the first installment of Lolita vs Other Fashions. Lets begin!


This time around I want to focus on Steampunk Lolita, but let's begin with a quick overview. 

What is Steampunk any hoo?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.^[1] Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history. 

From Wikipedia

Let's have some fun:

What is your Steampunk sensibility? Take this fun quiz to find out Hello Quizzy

Needs some guidelines? Check here: A sense of structure

Steampunk Lolita, wtf?


Many will argue til they are blue in the face that Steampunk-Lolita is not a substyle of Lolita, some will hear nothing less than that is is a valid substyle. Why is it so controversial a style? Well, it boils down to the question: "Is Steampunk cosplay?"

Lolita and cosplay are at odds. Most Lolitas do not want to be associated with cosplay in anyway, and rightfully so. Lolita isn't a costume, it is a fashion ( of course we needn't even mention the reasons here). No with all the technology that is invented for Steampunk outfits anything from jewellery to "hand guns," the cosplay line gets very blurry at best and non existant at worst. This doesn't mean that you have to swear off the Steampunk aesthetic in your Loli. If you have just been shot like Momoko in Kamikaze Girls by this hybrid, resist the urge to just throw a pair of googles on with your favorite Lolita garments. This hybrid will probably not mesh to well with OTT Sweet styles of clothing or gothic. The best would have to be classic especially if it is heavily influenced by the Victorian Era ...no Rococo please.

If you want more Steampunk heres a LJ community: Steampunk Fashion and for more Steampunk Lolita here's a LJ community for you too: The Aesthetic Engine!