Introduce yourself (Mk. III)

[Capt. Arriana Regala]

Greetings!!!

My name is Capt. Arriana Regala... Capt. AR for short lol! I recently started to dabble in the fascinating world of steampunk through My significant other. I am entranced by the lovely attire and intricate designs of the gadgets.  I've a novice at this so any guidance is highly appreciated

I've been reading books on steampunk, what it is and how it all started.  One question leads to more questions and my insatiable appetite to learn more about it is yet to be satisfied.

It is my fervent hope that I not only learn more about steampunk, but also gain inspiration and forge new friendships

[Charlie Knill]

Welcome to the forum Arriana  I too am new to the world of Steampunk 

[Capt. Arriana Regala]

Welcome to the forum Arriana  I too am new to the world of Steampunk 

Ey Charlie!!

Appreciate the warm welcome

I swear my internet provider's system runs on steam hence the lethargic speed. I guess I fit right in

[Cora Courcelle]

Greetings to you both and welcome to Brass Goggles.

[Charlie Knill]

Greetings to you both and welcome to Brass Goggles.

Thank you Cora  and maybe your internet provider's system does run on steam Arriana. They could have a steam engine hooked up to a dynamo to generate the electricity which they use to power their system 

[Shiverpass]

Hey all! My name is Shiverpass (Shiver for short if you're feeling brave enough), just Shiverpass. I'm 21, a hopeless romance and avid writer. I'm not too new to the world of Steampunk. The past eight years I've gone to my local Medieval Faire and there's been plenty of Steampunk things there and I've seen movies, read books about the universe. Now as I'm stepping out of my writing comfort zone of simple fiction, I've decided to join the Steampunk community in thanks to my new NaNoWriMo project which deals with a Steampunk Romance.

[Caledonian]

Hey all! My name is Shiverpass (Shiver for short if you're feeling brave enough), just Shiverpass. I'm 21, a hopeless romance and avid writer. I'm not too new to the world of Steampunk. The past eight years I've gone to my local Medieval Faire and there's been plenty of Steampunk things there and I've seen movies, read books about the universe. Now as I'm stepping out of my writing comfort zone of simple fiction, I've decided to join the Steampunk community in thanks to my new NaNoWriMo project which deals with a Steampunk Romance.

hello and welcome to BG! may your stay bring you inspiration!

[Shiverpass]

hello and welcome to BG! may your stay bring you inspiration!

Thanks!

[annevpreussen]

Hello, all! What a pleasure to be here!

My name (on here, at least) is Captain Annemarie von Preußen of the Eagle's Arrow airship, though since that's such a mouthful, most call me Anne.

My obsession with steampunk started roughly four years ago after reading a lot of books with a lot of exploring and dirigibles. I decided I liked the subgenre, did a fair bit of research, and before I knew it I had my first steampunk outfit, pieced together from thrifted boots and my old huntseat jacket. Annemarie the character started as a way to better coordinate outfits, but after a few of my close friends and I fell deeper into the culture our alter egos developed a life of their own. We're in the very slow process of writing a story about all of our steampunk personas who get a ship together and go on adventures, which we know is very cliche, but it's also very fun!

Although I still have a lot to learn, I enjoy making/modding different gadgets that I can add to my outfits as props or just to have (because everyone needs a parasol now and then!).  I know I'm young and inexperienced, especially compared to some of the impressive artists, makers, writers, and thinkers I've already met on here, but I'm excited and ready to learn!

I look forward to meeting you all!

[Colonel Hawthorne]

Welcome aboard, Capitan von Preußen.  You're very welcome here.

It sounds like you're off to a splendid start.  Yes, personas do have a habit of taking over.  The great(est) benefit of that is your persona will guide you in choosing your outfits and accessories.  Just ask yourself 'would the Captain wear/carry/do this' and you're well on your way.

Enjoy Brass Goggles.  There's some very talented, helpful people here.

Best,

Hawthorne

[annevpreussen]

Welcome aboard, Capitan von Preußen.  You're very welcome here.

It sounds like you're off to a splendid start.  Yes, personas do have a habit of taking over.  The great(est) benefit of that is your persona will guide you in choosing your outfits and accessories.  Just ask yourself 'would the Captain wear/carry/do this' and you're well on your way.

Enjoy Brass Goggles.  There's some very talented, helpful people here.

Best,

Hawthorne

Thanks for the warm welcome, Col. Hawthorne!

I've already found that having a persona to inspire me has done wonders with helping me bring deeper meaning to the things I choose to wear to portray her. Honestly, steampunk in general has made me a much more creative person when it comes to character creation/consistency, and the world we built around Annemarie and her crewmates has been so fun for us!

Another thing I've noticed is that almost everyone has some sort of title for their steampunk name! No one is just John or Jane, but Lord Johnathan, Earl of Southerland or Commander Jane of the Fourth Regiment. It's so interesting to see everyone else's alter egos and what we have in common!

[J. Wilhelm]

Welcome aboard, Capitan von Preußen.  You're very welcome here.

It sounds like you're off to a splendid start.  Yes, personas do have a habit of taking over.  The great(est) benefit of that is your persona will guide you in choosing your outfits and accessories.  Just ask yourself 'would the Captain wear/carry/do this' and you're well on your way.

Enjoy Brass Goggles.  There's some very talented, helpful people here.

Best,

Hawthorne

Thanks for the warm welcome, Col. Hawthorne!

I've already found that having a persona to inspire me has done wonders with helping me bring deeper meaning to the things I choose to wear to portray her. Honestly, steampunk in general has made me a much more creative person when it comes to character creation/consistency, and the world we built around Annemarie and her crewmates has been so fun for us!

Another thing I've noticed is that almost everyone has some sort of title for their steampunk name! No one is just John or Jane, but Lord Johnathan, Earl of Southerland or Commander Jane of the Fourth Regiment. It's so interesting to see everyone else's alter egos and what we have in common!

Welcome Captain Hawthorne! I'm not sure what to make of the peerage titles, however. Perhaps that is just a combination of silliness and psychological need  to compensate for one's shortcomings? And not everyone has a persona, but to be honest I just have more fun with one  It allows me to be as silly as I want to be.

It is interesting to see that you are a writer. The other day out of curiosity I was perusing your pages at Wattpad. I come from the maker side of things, and after 4 years of living from my own steampunk business I am back now doing the more conventional costume planning and I am developing (what to me looks like) a giant saga around the fictitious Admiral Wilhelm... in a story very heavily based on real history (because I'm an incurable amateur historian).

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,47892.msg968580.html#msg968580

But I'm approaching this by developing the background first, and immersing myself in history (I'm currently "swimming" in Austrian and Prussian history to formulate a global conflict) so it'll be sometime before the story emerges in the "Textual" segment of this forum.

I'm curious to see what you'll discuss in the forum... And again, welcome.

I remain at your service,

Adm. J. Wilhelm
USAS Orca

[annevpreussen]

Welcome Captain Hawthorne! I'm not sure what to make of the peerage titles, however. Perhaps that is just a combination of silliness and psychological need  to compensate for one's shortcomings? And not everyone has a persona, but to be honest I just have more fun with one  It allows me to be as silly as I want to be.

It is interesting to see that you are a writer. The other day out of curiosity I was perusing your pages at Wattpad. I come from the maker side of things, and after 4 years of living from my own steampunk business I am back now doing the more conventional costume planning and I am developing (what to me looks like) a giant saga around the fictitious Admiral Wilhelm... in a story very heavily based on real history (because I'm an incurable amateur historian).

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,47892.msg968580.html#msg968580

But I'm approaching this by developing the background first, and immersing myself in history (I'm currently "swimming" in Austrian and Prussian history to formulate a global conflict) so it'll be sometime before the story emerges in the "Textual" segment of this forum.

I'm curious to see what you'll discuss in the forum... And again, welcome.

I remain at your service,

Adm. J. Wilhelm
USAS Orca

Oops, sorry if I wasn't clear! I'm Annemarie; the other user is Hawthorne

For me, at least, the title comes from a) really, really wanting to be an airship captain, and b) silliness (because I love the long names all steampunks seem to make for themselves). And yes, I really enjoy my little alter ego! It's especially fun that I have friends who are into it with me; we'll sometimes slip into character and have a miniature, unplanned rp session. We're eventually planning on all dressing up as our characters and taking photos together, which I'm really looking forward to! As silly/nerdy as it may be, I have a lot of fun with this. And one of the best things about steampunk (in my opinion, at least), is that it provides an outlet to do that.

Oh no! Ahh, I didn't think anyone would actually see the link! I only posted it because I didn't feel right not acknowledging my internet forum origins. I'm sorry the writing quality isn't that great and everything's unedited! We're really writing this entire thing without an end in mind and without a plan, so it's more than a bit scrambled right now. Hopefully we'll get on our feet soon...

It seems that an interest in steampunk and a love for history often go hand in hand! I'm sure your enthusiasm for bringing in factual events to your fiction make your story more interesting and more realistic. I also think it's a great idea to explore the world and background before you get too heavily into the plot-- we didn't do that in ours and ended up starting over after about a year.

Since I'm such a newbie, I don't know, but do people post their writings in the Textual section? In my poking around there I've only seen threads for people wanting to discuss writing. I'd be very interested in reading some things on there. I've been searching for good steampunk stories for a long time!

[J. Wilhelm]

Welcome Captain Hawthorne! I'm not sure what to make of the peerage titles, however. Perhaps that is just a combination of silliness and psychological need  to compensate for one's shortcomings? And not everyone has a persona, but to be honest I just have more fun with one  It allows me to be as silly as I want to be.

It is interesting to see that you are a writer. The other day out of curiosity I was perusing your pages at Wattpad. I come from the maker side of things, and after 4 years of living from my own steampunk business I am back now doing the more conventional costume planning and I am developing (what to me looks like) a giant saga around the fictitious Admiral Wilhelm... in a story very heavily based on real history (because I'm an incurable amateur historian).

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,47892.msg968580.html#msg968580

But I'm approaching this by developing the background first, and immersing myself in history (I'm currently "swimming" in Austrian and Prussian history to formulate a global conflict) so it'll be sometime before the story emerges in the "Textual" segment of this forum.

I'm curious to see what you'll discuss in the forum... And again, welcome.

I remain at your service,

Adm. J. Wilhelm
USAS Orca

Oops, sorry if I wasn't clear! I'm Annemarie; the other user is Hawthorne

For me, at least, the title comes from a) really, really wanting to be an airship captain, and b) silliness (because I love the long names all steampunks seem to make for themselves). And yes, I really enjoy my little alter ego! It's especially fun that I have friends who are into it with me; we'll sometimes slip into character and have a miniature, unplanned rp session. We're eventually planning on all dressing up as our characters and taking photos together, which I'm really looking forward to! As silly/nerdy as it may be, I have a lot of fun with this. And one of the best things about steampunk (in my opinion, at least), is that it provides an outlet to do that.

Oh no! Ahh, I didn't think anyone would actually see the link! I only posted it because I didn't feel right not acknowledging my internet forum origins. I'm sorry the writing quality isn't that great and everything's unedited! We're really writing this entire thing without an end in mind and without a plan, so it's more than a bit scrambled right now. Hopefully we'll get on our feet soon...

It seems that an interest in steampunk and a love for history often go hand in hand! I'm sure your enthusiasm for bringing in factual events to your fiction make your story more interesting and more realistic. I also think it's a great idea to explore the world and background before you get too heavily into the plot-- we didn't do that in ours and ended up starting over after about a year.

Since I'm such a newbie, I don't know, but do people post their writings in the Textual section? In my poking around there I've only seen threads for people wanting to discuss writing. I'd be very interested in reading some things on there. I've been searching for good steampunk stories for a long time!

Ah! My lord! One thousand apologies Fräulein von Preussen! The fault is mine, though I reserve the right to lay fault on the two pints of Bock ale which I just imbibed.

Don't worry, I won't judge your writings. Though I may fancy myself to be a writer, the truth is that fiction writing is a completely new endeavour of mine (I have much better experience at technical writing), though I realise that if I don't write the fictional story, someone will! Thus the story writes itself by mere action of it's accumulated background.

History, of course is the easy way to write a novel, for it provides all the background and details you need (though some may think of it as cheating). In that sense my story is true anachronism (writing alternate timelines as opposed to writing entire fictional places or times). The story of course writes itself if you look at real history and simply ask the question: what could go wrong here?    Once the background history reaches critical mass, it MUST be put down on paper! You will find that the story writes itself if you simply develop all the background "what if's" first. Like the musings of a Machiavellic mind, it is the chaos and entropy of the whole situation where you will find your story!

Indeed, Textual is the place to post your written musings, be it background discussion, or whatever.  I am at the point where I will have to do that, as I started with my story many years ago just to develop a character. But as the years turned my interests changed, and the story became spread across several sections of the forum. At some point I have to consolidate the story, and formally present the characters. The characters, of course are like alter egos, each representing a different facet of my own person.

Since I can't afford a true reproduction of an Admiral's (or Captain's) US officer's uniform, I have tackled my second character's uniform instead... that of an Austrian elf-like airship engineer, Julin Bahlmann. That second uniform is nearly complete, so it will most likely appear first in the Anatomical section (where most things sartorial are placed). Perhaps All Hallow's Eve will provide an opportunity to unleash that alter ego. 

I remain AYS

Adm. J. Wilhelm

[Colonel Hawthorne]

No harm done, Admiral.  That Bock must be fearsome stuff - I'm more a cocktail sort of chap, myself.

You and the Captain raise some interesting points above, which should probably be a separate discussion but ... well, we're here now, aren't we?

The use of titles I'm sure isn't limited to New Zealand steampunks, but neither is it universal here.  We have our share of Sirs and Captains and what have you, but there are at least equal numbers who do not choose to adopt a title or rank.  My travelling companion, Mrs. Hudson (the younger), struggled for some time to fiind her persona - she wasn't happy with being 'Lady' somebody - then hit on the inspired back story that she had originally been one of Sherlock Holmes's Baker Street Irregulars but Mr Holmes's landlady, Mrs. Hudson,  felt that was no life for a girl so offered her a bed in the attic in exchange for some help with the running of 221B Baker Street.  Of course she met some very interesting people over the years and picked up some useful skills. When Mrs. Hudson (senior) retired, she handed the business over to her protegé and the two of them decided there should always be a Mrs.Hudson at 221B so the younger adopted the name.

The Colonel has a different story, with his service in Her Majesty's Air Privateers, but we've managed to work out how the two of them met.

I think you're both right to suggest there's an element of silliness in how we choose our names/titles/rank.  For me, that's very much the heart of steampunk - allowing adults to play and be a bit silly.  Marvellous stuff.

And it's fascinating how this slightly silly world we've chosen can connect us to the history of the 'real' world (I use the term loosely). Through steampunk I now know much more about the London sewerage system and women's suffrage in New Zealand, to name but two (unrelated, I hasten to emphasise) topics.  It's quite wonderful.

[J. Wilhelm]

That Bock must be fearsome stuff

It's effective You will feel it real fast...  I'm not a fan of hop-saturated beers, and I tend to go with the maltier caramel-tasting brown ales. In this case, Bock is a 7% amber Lager ale adopted by Franciscan monks in Munich centuries ago (colloquially called "liquid bread"). We have several local breweries established by Germans around the turn of the century (the last century, no this one ), and this particular one is brewed by Spoetzl Brewery in the town of Shiner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bock

[Kristoff]

Hello Everyone,

I am very new to the Steampunk community and I'm just starting to get my feet wet. I have been a lurker in the Steampunk genre since the late 80's. I didn't realize till recently that I have subconsciously been more of fan than I had I realized. My earliest memory of the Steampunk genre (outside of film or literature) was roleplaying games back in high school.

The stepping stone for my realization was watching a Japanese Anime called The Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. I began watching it and noticed the Steampunk imagery and I sat back and noticed that quite a few of my pop culture items were indeed Steampunk related. So I began delving deeper into it and since then I have begun building my library with books like Levithan by Westerfeld (about to begin reading this), Steampunk Bible, Steampunk Fairy Tales, and a project book by Thomas Willeford. I have also watched the complete season of Steampunk'd, hopefully there will be another season.

My project goal right now is to make it through Willeford's book and then make own goggles (already started drawing plans up for it). Then I would like to build a scaled size of an airship that's in my mind. Then take it from there. I also am trained writer, not a paid one though. So I have some story ideas I want to put on paper as well.

I have also joined a few other sites so that I can get more involved with the community. I hope that I can become a contributing member here as well as elsewhere. It should be a fun adventure.

[J. Wilhelm]

Hello Everyone,

I am very new to the Steampunk community and I'm just starting to get my feet wet. I have been a lurker in the Steampunk genre since the late 80's. I didn't realize till recently that I have subconsciously been more of fan than I had I realized. My earliest memory of the Steampunk genre (outside of film or literature) was roleplaying games back in high school.

The stepping stone for my realization was watching a Japanese Anime called The Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. I began watching it and noticed the Steampunk imagery and I sat back and noticed that quite a few of my pop culture items were indeed Steampunk related. So I began delving deeper into it and since then I have begun building my library with books like Levithan by Westerfeld (about to begin reading this), Steampunk Bible, Steampunk Fairy Tales, and a project book by Thomas Willeford. I have also watched the complete season of Steampunk'd, hopefully there will be another season.

My project goal right now is to make it through Willeford's book and then make own goggles (already started drawing plans up for it). Then I would like to build a scaled size of an airship that's in my mind. Then take it from there. I also am trained writer, not a paid one though. So I have some story ideas I want to put on paper as well.

I have also joined a few other sites so that I can get more involved with the community. I hope that I can become a contributing member here as well as elsewhere. It should be a fun adventure.

Welcome to the community Mr. Kristoff.  Don.t get too hung up on the goggles - they're optional!

Kabaneri made some noise in this forum not so long ago. If you are into Anime, of course, you can't forget the movie Steamboy, and for a more Dieselpunk experience Last Exile series. I think we have a thread somewhere in the Aural Ocular section with a list of all the relevant movies and Anime shows (if you care to scroll through the pages - I don't think we've touched on that thread fro some time).

I had the honour of participating in the Austin release party for The Steampunk Bible a few years ago, and got invited to discuss a bit on the panel by the side of Mr. Michael Moorcock (!). http://www.tor.com/2011/05/12/austin-steampunk-bible/

I'm sure you've heard of the infamous Mr. Willeford, and Sgt. Kato. But note that through this forum have passed the greats, such as the late Datamancer, our friend Herr Doktor and at some point even Jake Von Slatt, plus the good folk from Vernian Process and many others you have heard of.

By the way, you're not the only writer. There is a Textual section where all the related threads lie, if you care to peruse therein. I got a major literary project brewing up, and which is under wraps because I started assembling a background story first, and as time went by the background became greater and greater. It seems to have emerged out of my sheer love for history, aviation and some very personal issues which perhaps needed let out. So I may formally start on the story plot some time in the near future. For the moment I'm just having fun bringing my characters to life.

Please feel welcome in this forum. 

~ ~ ~

Adm. J. Wilhelm
USAS Orca

[Kristoff]

Hello Everyone,

I am very new to the Steampunk community and I'm just starting to get my feet wet. I have been a lurker in the Steampunk genre since the late 80's. I didn't realize till recently that I have subconsciously been more of fan than I had I realized. My earliest memory of the Steampunk genre (outside of film or literature) was roleplaying games back in high school.

The stepping stone for my realization was watching a Japanese Anime called The Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. I began watching it and noticed the Steampunk imagery and I sat back and noticed that quite a few of my pop culture items were indeed Steampunk related. So I began delving deeper into it and since then I have begun building my library with books like Levithan by Westerfeld (about to begin reading this), Steampunk Bible, Steampunk Fairy Tales, and a project book by Thomas Willeford. I have also watched the complete season of Steampunk'd, hopefully there will be another season.

My project goal right now is to make it through Willeford's book and then make own goggles (already started drawing plans up for it). Then I would like to build a scaled size of an airship that's in my mind. Then take it from there. I also am trained writer, not a paid one though. So I have some story ideas I want to put on paper as well.

I have also joined a few other sites so that I can get more involved with the community. I hope that I can become a contributing member here as well as elsewhere. It should be a fun adventure.

Welcome to the community Mr. Kristoff.  Don.t get too hung up on the goggles - they're optional!

Kabaneri made some noise in this forum not so long ago. If you are into Anime, of course, you can't forget the movie Steamboy, and for a more Dieselpunk experience Last Exile series. I think we have a thread somewhere in the Aural Ocular section with a list of all the relevant movies and Anime shows (if you care to scroll through the pages - I don't think we've touched on that thread fro some time).

I had the honour of participating in the Austin release party for The Steampunk Bible a few years ago, and got invited to discuss a bit on the panel by the side of Mr. Michael Moorcock (!). http://www.tor.com/2011/05/12/austin-steampunk-bible/

I'm sure you've heard of the infamous Mr. Willeford, and Sgt. Kato. But note that through this forum have passed the greats, such as the late Datamancer, our friend Herr Doktor and at some point even Jake Von Slatt, plus the good folk from Vernian Process and many others you have heard of.

By the way, you're not the only writer. There is a Textual section where all the related threads lie, if you care to peruse therein. I got a major literary project brewing up, and which is under wraps because I started assembling a background story first, and as time went by the background became greater and greater. It seems to have emerged out of my sheer love for history, aviation and some very personal issues which perhaps needed let out. So I may formally start on the story plot some time in the near future. For the moment I'm just having fun bringing my characters to life.

Please feel welcome in this forum. 

~ ~ ~

Adm. J. Wilhelm
USAS Orca

Thank you Admiral for the welcome. I will definitely make sure to make my way to the Textual section. As for the anime, I do like them and I just acquired some Hayao Miyazaki animes. The Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, and Nausicaa. All of them were excellent.

[xX_Lee1987_Xx]

Hello everyone!

The names Lee, and i'm from the town of Crewe in the north-west of england and new to the Steampunk scene! nice to meet all of you!

Since im new to the steampunk scene, was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of how to get a good outfit for a beginner who's only just starting out in the steampunk community, i'm also aware that a steampunk convivial is happening in my hometown next month, but would like some tips/help with getting started on the basics of steampunk etc.

anyhow, i'd say i see myself as a very eccentric type of person and absolutely love my flavoured tea's like Earl grey and darjeeling (got a fair collection) also a big fan of British colonial / empire and history as a whole! would probably see my Steampunk character be somewhat in the class of either a military or aristocratic tea drinker of some kind! any help would be appreciated!.

[Colonel Hawthorne]

Good day, Mr Lee, and welcome to BG.

I'd say you're off to a good start.  Having a steampunk persona is purely optional, but you're already thinking about yours so my advice is to keep doing that.  You'll find when you've worked out who you are that the character itself will guide you to the garments and accessories they'll need.  I should say you'll definitely need a tea strainer somewhere about your person!

If you have a nearby convivial, it may be best not to get too stressed about getting an outfit together; rather, go along, meet people, see what they wear and talk to them about your ideas.  You'll find we're generally a helpful bunch, and I'd be surprised if you didn't come away with some useful thoughts and suggestions.

But if you would feel 'undressed' going to such an event without at least making some effort, I'd suggest starting with a hat.  Haunt your local second-hand shops; it's surprising even at my end of the planet how often the odd top hat or pith helmet pops up.

Enjoy the forums, and keep us informed as you undertake your steampunk journey.

[Prof. Cecily]

 Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
A very warm welcome to Lee and Kritoff!

...I think you're both right to suggest there's an element of silliness in how we choose our names/titles/rank.  For me, that's very much the heart of steampunk - allowing adults to play and be a bit silly.  Marvellous stuff.

And it's fascinating how this slightly silly world we've chosen can connect us to the history of the 'real' world (I use the term loosely). Through steampunk I now know much more about the London sewerage system and women's suffrage in New Zealand, to name but two (unrelated, I hasten to emphasise) topics.  It's quite wonderful.

So very true!

I remain yours,
Prof. Cecily

[xX_Lee1987_Xx]

Thanks for the welcome Colonel Hawthorne! Sir!

I also want to know are Steampunk fancy-dress outfits a good idea for a new beginner, as i think i do have a suggestion or a few ideas of what i might want my character to be!, i have found a website where i can easily get a Pith Helmet for around £16 or so from a militaria store via online!. The only problem i see with going for a military look, is where to find Colonial-Zulu style tunics etc or grenadier guard style trousers, i do already own a pair of Aviator Goggles (WW1/WW2 style if that still works with steampunk) i could post some links below of some fancy-dress outfits i found that do steampunk style, but im not sure if they're decent/high quality enough i'd like some tips / help thanks!.

http://www.escapade.co.uk/halloween-costumes-sale/steampunk-adventurer-costume-01508m.asp?gclid=CIzi0NqG8c8CFVIaGwodTwIFhw
http://www.escapade.co.uk/adult-costumes/retro/steampunk-gentleman-costume.asp?gclid=COqliNyG8c8CFVcW0wodPGkLZQ
https://www.joke.co.uk/letter-s-costumes/men-s-steampunk-costume~70152/
http://www.epicmilitaria.com/british-army-tropical-pith-helmet.html - £16.95

Any help would be appreciated!.

[Colonel Hawthorne]

That's a tasty avatar you've chosen, sir.  I don't remember seeing him yesterday.

The pith helmet in your last link looks exactly like my own - probably made in Vietnam and may not actually be pith despite the description (I may be doing the merchant a great disservice here, and apologise if so).  The price seems about right for such things, so unless anothe BG member has unfavourable personal eperience with this merchant and product I'd say go for it.  Be aware there are other styles of pith helmet you may prefer (French, German, etc.) - search that same site for 'pith helmet' and you'll see some others.

I see no problem with your goggles.  You're not the first to use the type I think you're talking about, and you certainly won't be the last.  Give them a bit of a brass look with Rub'nBuff - useful stuff, available from craft shops.

I confess to doubt about the fancy dress links.  Typically (in my experience) such things are made to be worn once for a party or similar event.  The great thing about many of our outfits is - they're clothes!  They're made to be worn over and over again and put up with a degree of abuse (incluidng rain).  For 'proper' military tunics, trousers and what have you military surplus shops (physical or online) can be useful, but be careful of prices.  What's far better (and arguably much more fun) is digging around in car boot sales and charity shops and repurposing things you find.

An example: my 'riding breeches' are a relatively-unmodified pair of second hand chinos, which would normally be far too short for me but which look perfectly fine when tucked into long boots.

A big part of steampunk for me is looking at something and realising it could be something else with a few tweaks.  And iIf you don't sew yourself, I recommend making a new friend!

Don't rush it.  Steampunk outfits are rarely, if ever, 'finished' - we're always having new ideas and finding new bits to attach.  Make a start and see what develops.

[Cora Courcelle]

Hello everyone!

The names Lee, and i'm from the town of Crewe in the north-west of england and new to the Steampunk scene! nice to meet all of you!

Since im new to the steampunk scene, was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of how to get a good outfit for a beginner who's only just starting out in the steampunk community, i'm also aware that a steampunk convivial is happening in my hometown next month, but would like some tips/help with getting started on the basics of steampunk etc.

anyhow, i'd say i see myself as a very eccentric type of person and absolutely love my flavoured tea's like Earl grey and darjeeling (got a fair collection) also a big fan of British colonial / empire and history as a whole! would probably see my Steampunk character be somewhat in the class of either a military or aristocratic tea drinker of some kind! any help would be appreciated!.

Welcome to Brass Goggles Lee.  It's great fun here and everyone is very helpful.  May I suggest that you start a thread in Anatomical, which deals with matters of dress and sartorial elegance; you'll get lots of brilliant ideas and advice, just ask!
My husband and I are hoping to be at the Crewe Convivial for at least one of the days so maybe we'll see you there.