Dress Code

Now for a moment many artists fear: time to implement the dress code.  Even in a flexible culture of people such as Steampunk, it is important to put your best foot forward and show off your desire to be taken seriously as a businessperson as well as an artist.  The first step to being taken seriously, is to dress the part.

This does not mean to drop the Steampunk gear.  Any businessperson walking into a Steamcon in a modern suit and expect to do business will likely be laughed off the stage unless they are selling pieces that are meant to be used in modern, everyday wear.  In case you are asking, yes I do wear suits like that, and understated Steampunk accessories can pique the curiosity of any boss.

But as the artist focused on selling your art, you must be part of the culture.  When selecting your wardrobe, be prepared to sacrifice some of your favourite pieces for practicality

The Golden Rule: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. This pearl of wisdom, given to me by a co-worker when I was a Grocery Clerk (and a dear friend) is perhaps the most important aspect of looking at your wardrobe.  Some steampunk accessories can be extravagant, and it can be great fun to show off your best pieces at a Con.  However, many of these pieces can get in the way actually working, especially when dangling pieces can catch on or damage your work.  So leave the larger, more extravigant pieces in your case for the parties and stick to the more understated styles.

Dress Conservatively-but still Steampunk.  It is important to understand that dressing conservatively does not mean dressing like the CEO of a major corporation.  It means being a little more dressy, a little less gaudy, and a little more professional.  Thankfully, the Steampunk culture provides a very useful out for the artist that wants to look steampunk, since any culture will attract people from their own culture rather than those from without.

Steampunk is steeped in Victorian Traditions, which held some of the classiest forms of dress for both men and women.  When dressing for a con that you plan on working at, look to Victorian Styles to provide the inspiration for how you dress.  Many Victorian dresses and suits can easily and quickly be adapted to good looking Steampunk wear with space for some of your smaller accessories, such as a wrist-band computer or ray-gun holster.

The Alternative: Dress in the theme of your art.  If you make functional or artistic equipment, dress the part.  A Ray-gun tinkerer should probably wear something that leans more functional or military.  It's useful to dress the theme of your art if your art is something that is worn, such as jewelry or accessories, or provides a particular theme, such as metal work.  Functional art (like a clockmaker) will see better success with this type of dress style than aesthetic art (such as painting).

There is the option to "blow them away" and go completely off the deep end with your dress style, but it is usually best to do that once you are a well known artist within the Steampunk community.  Remember The Golden Rule and keep people coming to your booths!