COSTUME: Steampunk Sherlock

Hello again! Welcome back and all that bull.

So having posted promising to post more, I thought I'd do another one tonight, and tell you a bit about my latest costume. As some know, I've attended a few costume parties just recently (the last year or so) and have come up with some crackin' ones. I knocked together a reasonable Fourth Doctor one last Halloween, and I went as a Red Shirt to a Dead Celebrity Party.

So when my friend Ellen invited me to a costume party at her house, I knew I had to come up with something to top the previous costumes. To the end, I considered all my options and decided on Sherlock Holmes. However, a Sherlock Holmes costume is easy enough to put together. Get a Deerstalker, a magnifying glass, a long cape and a pipe and you're sorted. 

So I decided to make it into a bit of a challenge. I looked at previous Sherlock Holmes, and thought "why not Steampunk it ?" 

Alas, a brilliant idea was born.

The Costume 

the costume itself is fairly simple. I deliberately went as far away from the established image (below) as I could. There will be no deerstalker, no magnifying glass and no long cape. The pipe's staying simply because I like pipes. Grandpa used to have several. Instead, I decided to create a smart Victorian Gentleman look for the occasion, since Sherlock is usually described as being well dressed.

The sterotypical Holmes

To the end of creating a Victorian Gentleman look, I bought a beautiful black frock coat which comes to just below my knees. It's the type of coat I've been after for a while as an alternative to my leather trench coat. I also bought a red patterned waist coat to wear above a white, striped shirt. Tomorrow I will buying a simple pair of black trousers to match the jacket, and a black tie completes the look. After that, it's a simple case of waiting patiently for the small 'steampunk' touches, all of which were acquired at joke.co.uk

(Beware, this next paragraph will be link heavy.)

First up, a pair of Victorian style glasses. But Sherlock Holmes never wore glasses, I hear you cry. That is true, he did not. However, in lieu of a magnifying glass, I bought these. I think they're quite niffty, and that it is something Sherlock Holmes (particularly Robert Downey Jr's version) would wear if he had the chance. Last up is a pocket watch. There's nothing special about this watch, it's just something you see all gentlemen from that era wearing (plus it looks cool). 

The Pipe is a cheap model I acquired off Amazon, as well as a set of white gloves. To complete the look, I purchased a small cap gun, since Sherlock usually entered the field armed.

The great thing is my brother, Simon, is attending the same party and, after some subtle manipulations, has agreed to attend as the Watson to my Sherlock, also with steampunk touches (although he will be more armed than Watson was in the books lol)

However, this costume will reused in parts. With a black waistcoat instead of the red and none of the steampunk gear, the Victorian Gent outfit will be my Doctor's outfit. Photos of both costumes, as well as some with my brother, will follow.

Live Long and Prosper