Erotic Romance & Dressing Up
by Victoria Pond
As the author of a steampunk erotic romance collection, Niina asked me to talk about the sexy appeal of dressing up in steampunk garb. If you already think the anachronistic outfits, waist cinchers, and aviator goggles are sexy, well, you don’t need me to tell you why.
But for those of you who might be fresh to steampunk, here are the top 5 reasons these outfits are sexy to me.
- Standing out. Do you get an adrenaline rush from the stares of strangers on the street? You know you look amazing in your steampunk concoction, full of verve and charm, and you can bet those gagglers wish they had the nerve to pull it off.
- Mix and match from any era! Here’s an example of a perfectly acceptable steampunk outfit: any style of corset, sunglasses, a miniskirt, and boots that have utterly pointless clockwork charms in place of spurs. If you think swishy petticoats with nothing underneath have a prim-but-naughty appeal, who’s to tell you that you need more petticoats (at least 8 in summer) and a pair of knickers? If you salivate over men’s dashing top hats, buy them for all your friends, regardless of gender. You get to decide what makes the “best of the best” from the last 300 years in order to build the ultimate sexy outfit.
- Creativity. Whether you’re making your outfit from muslin or soda cans, or whether you’re admiring the cut of a gentleman’s leather tailcoat (practical for staying dry in the rain during outdoor activities on an airship, of course), steampunk costuming is the ultimate chance to show off a creative bent. You can be as daring or risqué as you like—how much décolletage will you show?—and choose your potential paramours based on the outlandishness of their outfits.
- Community. Only a small group of people have the guts to dress up in this manner, so the people who go for it tend to be very welcoming and accepting. There are plenty of safe places to show off your bustled creations or find the perfect mate who shares your interests. So long as you’ve got some element that makes you “steam,” you’re part of the movement. Here’s one costuming venue that can’t have a “more accurate than thou” crowd.
Steampunk clothing is going mainstream! Sure, you could always find neat stuff on Etsy, and everyone has a friend who reads MAKE magazine, but last year it showed up on an episode of Castle. If Nathan Fillion wears it, that automatically adds sexiness points, right?
Victoria Pond is giving away one e-book of My Lady Gambler on this blog so do comment about the Guest Blog or have you ever read steampunk, watched movies, followed the fashion? Share! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
