Royal Steamline The Blog | Inspiration for Brides & Grooms

Cyberoptix Tie Lab, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

1. Exhaust Bow Tie

2. Let Them Eat Cake Necktie

3. Argyle Skeleton Key Necktie

4. Clipper Ship Necktie

5. Wooden Gift Box

…and many more.

xo,

Royal Steamline

I’m excited to share another local, vintage clothing Etsy shop that offers fun, gorgeous pieces from decades past. Fab Gabs Vintage offers a mix of casual and fancy dresses, suits and accessories. There’s even a special section for boudoir vintage lingerie! Whether you’re going for a Mad Men style, rockabilly or an “old Hollywood” wedding, there’s plenty of guys and dames fashions to be found here. The ’50s-era polka dot dress below would look amazing with one of these crinoline petticoats we featured last summer.

Wartime Bouquet

The Ultimate Lucy Dress

Paul Drake 1960s Sportcoat

… and there’s still a week left to enter Teh Fab Gabs Vintage Giveaway. Head over to the blog for details.

If you haven’t been already, head over to Offbeat Bride to get all the brass, glass and goggle details.

As we’ve all been made very aware, this is the 100th anniversary of commercial lighter-than-air travel. But as many still don’t know, it’s also the 110th anniversary of This Grand Nation’s Order of Steersmen. On this date in 1899, the Steersmen were incorporated by Admiral Smythe-Hutchins – much to the dismay and embarrassment of Lord Carruthers – to be the honorable fellows whose steadfast hands would guide the airship fleet through the celestial expanse.

As an especial salute to these first stalwarts, Royal Steamline presents a particular pair of dress badges commemorating this heady time in Our History. The Particular Order of Master Steersmen is presented in limited edition as a salute to hydrogen, aluminum and the steely-eyed souls who piloted them through the blue profundities. Handcrafted from vintage and new buttons, seam binding and millinery, this collection can usually only be purchased through the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. But today, we’re giving away two special pieces from the collection: one Steersman dress badge and one Steersman brooch (see images below).

The first two people to contact us via email or Twitter DM will receive a dress badge or brooch. We will contact the winners to get all of your shipping details.

Photo by Royal Steamline

{Royal Steamline Dress Badge - The Steersman Gent}

{Royal Steamline Brooch - The Steersman Lady}

We were thrilled when LocaLovesPirate contacted us about her new Etsy Treasury, featuring our Tell Tale invitation. Hurry and check it out before this treasury disappears.

In case you missed it, Rock ‘n Roll Bride featured this scarlet-saturated Steampunk wedding by Kelly Moore Photography. Follow the links for more photos.

Winter is almost here and there’s no reason you have to cover up your lovely dress with a jacket or plain sweater. And what better way to accessorize your wedding dress than with a complementary shrug? I love the shrug Holly Stalder made for me so much (the flower was made out of fabric from my dress!), I still find excuses to wear it on every day occasions. Here are some of my favorite shrugs on Etsy.

{My "wedding shrug" by Holly Stalder | photo by Jessica Hill Photography}

{Capelet With Bow by Holly Stalder}

{Antique Silk Taffeta Bolero by Elizabeth Dye}

{Dauphine Victorian Shrug by Countessa}

{Agnes Nuno Silk Ruffle Shrug by Louise Broad}

{The Carina Long Sleeved Wedding Bolero by Bonzie}

Find them here:
1. Holly Stalder
2. Elizabeth Dye
3. Countessa
4. Louise Broad
5. Bonzie

While it’s easily argued that they offer far more Steam than Punk, the Steampunk Emporium have a lot going for it.

{Happy motoring}

First off, their closets are deep. An extension of the Ladies’ and Gentleman’s Emporiums, the Steampunk Emporium is simply a showcase for pieces the owners feel would be most attractive to clockwork enthusiasts. While they may be right, I’d encourage anyone shopping for steampunk wedding attire to peruse the greater catalogs as the site offers a large variety of items, many of which could be modified easily to suit your tastes. For example, the following basic $40 skirt could be altered in any number of ways:

Secondly, it’s easy to find good deals. For example, a pair of ladies’ black satin elbow length gloves with button trim are only $14. While purchasing entire ensembles (such as that of Barnaby Clifton, featured in the first photo) quickly can become expensive, be sure to check the Emporium if you’re seeking the right finishing touch for your wedding ensemble (Walking stick? Victorian spectacles?) — you might just find it at a great price.

Thirdly, each of the main steampunk ensembles are crafted around imaginary characters with colorful backstories, such as aeronaut Baron von Frohman or scientific explorer Augusta Huntington. As devotees will attest, we at Royal Steamline enjoy a good story and feel that this sort of creative contextualization is much more fun than a bland sales catalog.

Lastly, if you have sharp eyes, you’ll notice that the Emporium offers a full line of Old West wear too (the link is in the lower left corner). If it fits the tone of your wedding, this is where some creative mixing can really get cool. For example, what if the groom combined a dapper Baker City vest with a rough-and-ready gunners trench coat? These types of combinations easily could put the Punk back in the Steam and help you create a fun and unique wedding experience.

We featured Louise Black’s cameo corsets a little while back (before she made it to Project Runway), but have you seen her clothing line? I’ve had my eye on this gorgeous dress for quite a while…

{Avant Garde Marionette Inspired Black Silk Party Dress by Louise Black}