Positive Reactions From Doing Steampunk

[metalotaku]

at the dayton air force muesem our steampunk guild was thought to be part of the exhibit by other patrons, and the staff loved our outfits, and wanted us to call ahead next time we had plans to come so they could set up a thing for us to speak at.  it was very nice.

[Kayt]

A friend and I went to a mall yesterday in steampunk garb. A guy selling makeup called us over (I always keep walking when salespeople do that, but my friend stopped) and while he was showing off the makeup he was selling, said our clothing was amazing, he really liked the style, we looked like ladies from the movies, and that he'd never met ladies like us before (I didn't buy anything from him though :p It was expensive and I rarely wear makeup). A girl going into Hot Topic stopped and said she liked my outfit.

[CacheForte]

Haven't really gotten much beyond the standard fair of "Nice hat." But, it's nice being complimented on it anyway.

[Captain Shipton Bellinger]

A couple of days after the Steampunk exhibition opened in Oxford I was standing engrossed in Suekichi's astonishing watches as a party of school children went through. I was completely oblivious to them, absorbed as I was in study; however, my wife tells me that as the children reached the far end of the gallery, near to where she was standing, one small boy turned to another and, glancing back toward me, said in awed tones "He's dressed weird. He must be a scientist."

Apparently the look of horror on the accompanying teacher's face was splendid, and my good lady had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing aloud.

Bearing in mind that I was not overly steampunked - in fact mostly wearing my everyday walking-out garb subtly embellished for the occasion - I took this to be a compliment to my sartorial appearance, regardless of how it may have been intended.

[Rockula]

There is a favourable Steampunk article in tonight's London 'Evening Standard'.

[tophatdan]

at the dayton air force muesem our steampunk guild was thought to be part of the exhibit by other patrons, and the staff loved our outfits, and wanted us to call ahead next time we had plans to come so they could set up a thing for us to speak at.  it was very nice.

i was at dayton last june and had the same sort of reaction to me and my companions!

[Siddons, the Incompable]

Once, whilst out in our local asda, my other half was wearing his 'flying admiral' outfit,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

and a little boy in the next queue turned to his father and asked loudly "Is that man a king?".
We had a smile over that 

[r_is_for_rachel]

at the Oxford Steampunk! exhibition yesterday i had 2 sets of people asking to have photos taken with me!

also when my fella and I went to Caldicot Victorian Christmas event in December, the organisers loved us and asked if we would like to be properly involved for 2010!

[Maj. Clive Hathaway]

This was kind of neat.... not exactly a pos. reaction but...

I had a Dr. Appt this morning before work. Fri is casual day at my office, so i just wore what i'm going to wear out tonite...

Driving cap
Levis
Waistcoat
Button up Workers shirt
Suspenders
Harness boots
And of course, my handlebar mustache.

And the Doctor comes into the exam room, takes one look at me and says:
"Have you seen of Gangs of New York?"

It threw me for a minute because of course i've seen it, but couldnt understand whay he would ask me that.
Until i realized i look like an extra from the same movie!!

[Vagabond GentleMan]

That's my bene-cove!  All rum-togged in yer rogue's riggings, pattering flash with the bonesaw!

[Faylinn Baumont]

my newly acquired pocket watch has gotten several nice comments. also strangely since I started wearing some more subtly steampunk clothing people have been telling me I look quite nice and asking me where I'm going. Most of the time I reply downstairs to make photocopies or to the cafeteria to buy a sandwich 

[Maj. Clive Hathaway]

Yeah, thats the weirdest thing about wearing steampunk/ victorian inspired clothes... just because i'm not wearing sneakers and a tshirt, everybody is like "Whoah, what are you all dressed up for?" And i'm like "What in the hell are you all dressed DOWN for... is it national sit- on- your- couch- and- give up- on- life day?"

[tophatdan]

i can relate to the whole 'what are you so dressed up for' comment. i mean i dress like this every day, when i dress 'up' its tie and tails, just because i look better than you dosnt make me some weirdo...

i get a lot of good comments, sometimes i think people are trying to be witty but they come off brash, i just wish folks would be able to have a conversation that with me that wasnt about my hat or cravat...

im a human being, an interesting and intelligent one at that, maybe you should try asking about the weather rather than if i can pull a rabbit out of my hat...

[OswaldBastable]

Once, whilst out in our local asda, my other half was wearing his 'flying admiral' outfit,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

and a little boy in the next queue turned to his father and asked loudly "Is that man a king?".
We had a smile over that 

thats officially the best comment ever 

[Angus McCarthy]

Glancing out the streetside window at the studio this afternoon I happened to see a young lad of 13 or so walking with a few chums and gripping a plastic toy Calabash in his teeth. I made my approval known with a hearty thumbs up and the boy nodded in dignified response.

That just made my day. 

[RoseOak]

Yesterday on the bus into town.
I wasn't terribly steamed up, just a leather duster, boots and my new stetson with my goggles on it but as soon as I got on the bus, a couple of children sitting at the back started whispering  "ooh granny, look at that woman" which I thought was really sweet. The only spare seat was across/in front of them so I sat down. They were still whispering and I caught the sentance "look at her hat" with the kind of awe that only a 7 yr old can manage and  I turned around and said hello which prompted a gasp at my goggles so I took my hat off and handed it to them to look at and they were so excited I think everyone on the bus heard them  .

[Vagabond GentleMan]

This morning on the train to work I had triple-positive reactions from very different people all within the span of about 10 minutes.

First a 30-something working-class redneck talked about my hat and goggles with me, big grin on his face and all excited!  When he learned that I constructed and modded my goggles from and old pair of German WWII safety goggles he almost pissed himself!  He though it was so cool that I was combining history with modern craftsmanship.

Without taking a breath, the next fellow who came up was a scrawny little Capitol Hill Suit!  I've never gotten positive reactions from a Suit before.  Anyway, he was actually familiar with the term 'Steampunk' and I started talking about literary origins and subcultural ethos and values.  He ended up taking my facebook info so we could discuss 'Cross-cultural comparisons and cultural critiques sometime'.

Maybe 3 minutes later, an elderly lady came up and asked to take my picture.  Turns out she's an author of children's books and wanted to use me as inspiration for an 'Arctic Adventurer' character in a book about a penguin stuck in DC, trying to get home.

Cool, huh?
Bene

[Countessa Lenora]

This morning on the train to work I had triple-positive reactions from very different people all within the span of about 10 minutes.

First a 30-something working-class redneck talked about my hat and goggles with me, big grin on his face and all excited!  When he learned that I constructed and modded my goggles from and old pair of German WWII safety goggles he almost pissed himself!  He though it was so cool that I was combining history with modern craftsmanship.

Without taking a breath, the next fellow who came up was a scrawny little Capitol Hill Suit!  I've never gotten positive reactions from a Suit before.  Anyway, he was actually familiar with the term 'Steampunk' and I started talking about literary origins and subcultural ethos and values.  He ended up taking my facebook info so we could discuss 'Cross-cultural comparisons and cultural critiques sometime'.

Maybe 3 minutes later, an elderly lady came up and asked to take my picture.  Turns out she's an author of children's books and wanted to use me as inspiration for an 'Arctic Adventurer' character in a book about a penguin stuck in DC, trying to get home.

Cool, huh?
Bene

Quite the amazing day you had.....and maybe you'll get to be the penguin!

[Fyral]

I know I'm thread necroing a bit but on friday the local steampunk group held a photoshoot at a reconstructed victorian house/museum in the area, my friends and I ended up being almost an hour late because what should have been a 15 minute walk took a fair bit longer due to people constantly asking us to stop and take pictures with them. a lot of other people stopped and took pictures of us when we where taking some out door photo's. we also where able to "Recruit" one of the waitresses at the restraunt we went for dinner at afterwards. so all in all quite an enjoyable day.

[darkshines]

I love it when people ask first, but sometimes it can get a little wearing. Mr C and I have been on dates before and people have taken photos of us. I get it, we are pretty, give us some privacy already! Lol!

[Fyral]

yeah, most of the people seemed to assume we where a wedding party or actors (well two of us actually ARE actors but still)

and as wearing as it can be its really hard when the people asking are all cute asian girls here between olympics.

[Vagabond GentleMan]

This path month or so I've been getting the "Can I get a photo with you?" constantly.  I've lost count, but I can tell you that it happened yesterday at the theatre, the day before on the subway train, and the day before that on the train, and two days before that in a subway station.  Starting to get old...although I admit I should feel it flattering.

Also, I've been hit on by really straight-laced (but drunk) bourgeois 'ladies' a lot this week.  I see them out of the corner of my eye at the bars or on the trains, and they're staring at me, and in my head I'm saying:  "Please don't talk to me, please don't talk to me, please don't talk to me, you whiskey-breathed blond bimbo..." but they do, and they invariably ask to wear my hat or my goggles or whatever, and I invariably uncomfortably find a polite way to say "No", and even though I feel I'm being as stand-offish as I can be without failing to be polite, they always leave saying: "All the other guys who talked to me tonight have been such jerks, it's so nice to meet a gentleman".

So, while I walk off muttering under my breath like Popeye about having my time burgled by a drunken plebe, I have to wonder:  "What is going on?  How bad must the 'normal' guys be such that my polite but stand-offish disinterest is favorable in comparison?" 

[Victoria The Mistress]

I had one!! Just a little one...... I was complimented by a lady in a charity shop for my outfit, and I hadn't really gone all out - I was wearing an ankle length between hobbled skirt with a split, lace up knee length brown boots, waistcoat with braces for shoulder straps over a white corset blouse and a brown military style velvet jacket, plus my usual assortment of necklaces, watch pendants etc. I was really chuffed!

When we had the last League of Bournemouth Steampunks meeting, we were invited to attend their Night At The Museum Event in costume, and thanked for our presence on the Sunday afternoon (we have also been asked to warn them in the cafe next time we descend en masse LOL). Then we went for a turn about the pier - cue several goggle eyed small children (excuse the pun!), and rounded off with a go on the carousel.

Quite a few people came to watch the strangely dressed grown-ups thoroughly enjoying themselves, but we didn't raise a flicker of anything from the chap who took out money for the ride. Poor soul was obviously having a very boring day and not even the sight of us could improve things.

I do enjoy the thrill of being different though - so sometimes the positive reaction is all my own 

[RoseOak]

Well whilst going into town yesterday the bus  stopped opposite one going in the other direction. I glanced around and suddenly found myself on the receiving end of a huge grin, wave/salute from a gentleman on the other bus. I smiled back and he was still grinning when the bus moved off.
 I wasn't really all that dressed up either. Pink and gold corset style top, deep magenta cotton floor length skirt, black lace light sleeved jacket top, brown duster with black felt hat with red and white cameo brooch pinned on.

[Clym Angus]

Well around January time Val, Sploo and I did Camden suited and booted.

Many compliments and photographes later we came away with a very warm and fuzzy feeling. (still not a lot of steampunks in Camden). So to cut a long story short we're going to do it again this weekend, if your around and see something that looks not unlike this:



then do say hello.

Clym