plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

Steampunk or Cosplay Style & Your Own Twist Link Up #24

September 17, 2020 / 27 Comments
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

Monica and I are back again putting our own twist on a super challenging theme…Steampunk or cosplay.

Your Own Twist is a link up collaboration between me and Monica of Jersey Girl, Texan Heart. We decided to host a fun link up once a month (since we are both super crazy busy so why not add more projects to our calendars)! On the third Thursday of every month, we will host the Your Own Twist Link Up with the goal of inspiring some of our fashionista friends out there.

The idea behind this collaboration is to take one common piece or theme and style it our own way with our own twist…Monica and I have both taken a lot of fashion inspiration from one another over the past few years even though we have totally different styles. It is always fun to see how we can interpret similar items in unique ways. We will let you know the themes well in advance in the event that you would like to use the theme for your own post and add it to the link party. However, any fashion posts are welcome regardless of whether you used the theme or not.

plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

I chose the theme for this month and then I got stumped. Utterly and royally stumped. I mean, I had a general idea of what Steampunk and Cosplay should look like, but I didn’t really know how to style either of these themes.

But first, I should probably talk briefly about these two styles of dress and how they are similar to one another.

According to Wikipedia,”Steampunk is a retrofuturistic subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.”

plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

When it comes to steampunk style, there are no set rules but the focus is on a combination of Victorian era fashion synthesized with modern style and industrial type accents. The types of garments you will see styled in steampunk fashion include bustles, corsets, gowns, petticoats, and parasols which are accented with industrial accessories like timepieces, mechanical gears, and aviator goggles. The steampunk genre also can include post-apocalyptic elements such as gas masks, tattered clothing, and weapons.

Clearly, I did not style a steampunk outfit. While I absolutely adore this genre, I just didn’t have anything that would work. But do check out my friend Eva of Style My Thrift with her upcycled steampunk outfit. It is so brilliant!

plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

I went the cosplay way…

Wikipedia defines cosplay as a “portmanteau of the words costume play.” It “is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.”

Cosplay has become a major phenomenon since the 1990’s where participants find inspiration for their characters from anime, cartoons, comic books, television shows, movies, and video games. Cosplay grew and expanded from the costumes that could be found at science fiction conventions. The costumes at these conventions probably fall into the steampunk genre. So cosplay is sort of a derivative of, or maybe more accurately, an expansion of steampunk fashion.

If you are interested in knowing more about cosplay, check out this introductory guide to the fascinating world of cosplay. The cosplay community has grown over the years and many cosplayers participate in events like the San Diego Comic-Con International, Anime Expo, and Anime Matsuri. Many large events like these have been cancelled due to the current pandemic, but you can always consider attending future events when normal scheduling resumes. 

Cosplay is an excellent hobby to unleash your creativity and express yourself. People who are passionate about this hobby dedicate a lot of time, energy, and resources into making their costumes and, in a sense, becoming the characters they are cosplaying. If that sounds interesting to you, you are going to love cosplaying.

Cosplay was a bit easier for me to style because it incorporates a larger pool of inspiration. While I did not model my outfit after any particular character, I did draw on some elements from anime school girls with some Harry Potter vibes.

plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge
plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

I absolutely loved the final result of this bit of costume play!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What are your thoughts on costume dressing? Silly or stupid? Fun or ridiculous? Stylish or insane?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Shop my look…

plaid skirt, long blazer, schoolgirl outfit, otk socks, fashion over 40, cosplay, Shelbee on the Edge

Outfit Details: Jacket-c/o Rosegal / Skirt-c/o Dresslily / Shirt-Gap / Tie-Thrifted (Hugo Boss) / Belt-Cato / Sock-Sock Dreams / Sock Garters, Boots, Earrings-All Super Old

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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Shelbee on the Edge