How do I get Steampunk clothes when I have no money?

[Cogni]

     In the USA keep an eye out for when new thrift stores open like Goodwill or Salvation Army. When they open a new location they'll take the best items from their other stores and distribution centers and put it in the new location so it can save you some legwork. Also Goodwill usually has a distribution center/ main hub for areas with a lot of stores that usually have the best stuff. Lastly, military surplus stores are always great, that is if you can find one still open for business.

[Dr Fidelius]

My local military surplus store is NO FUN AT ALL.  The jarhead who runs the place has no sense of humour, whimsy or adventure.  Sure it's a great resource for all the camo you can eat, and tee-shirts with Chesty on them, but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

[The Duchess of Frugonia]

"Canadian scarlet tunics" *comes over all faint*

[Dr Fidelius]

"Canadian scarlet tunics" *comes over all faint*

Sergeant-Major Henderson, of Her Majesty's Martian Expeditionary Force, First Barsoomian Fusiliers has been looking for one in his size for two years now, within his budget (which is approximately fifteen cents, American, and half a cheese sandwich).

[The Duchess of Frugonia]

Sir, may I make so bold as to suggest that searching overseas, in the Mother country, might be another opportunity?  Though whether the dairy based demi-offering would survive Her Majesty's postal service is another matter entirely...

wishing you the very best of luck in your search
I remain
Lady Alice
Duchess of Frugonia

[D.Oakes]

I found of all things a 1930's police issue black pea coat at my local surplus store, and it was only $20, a steal given the shape it was in and that it fit.  If it was not 96 degrees, I would fetch it and take a picture.  It is rather warm, even just to carry.  Sometimes the best way to find things is luck.  Anytime I have ever gone to such a place looking for something specific, I have never found it.  It is only when you go for something general that lady luck seems to reward you with gold. 

[inigo jameson-gatling]

Go to it slowly and carefully. You don't need a full outfit straight away, build it up. Also be careful of buying stuff from outside the EU on the internet as if your customs people are having a bad day you could end up with importation taxes.

[D.Oakes]

Go to it slowly and carefully. You don't need a full outfit straight away, build it up. Also be careful of buying stuff from outside the EU on the internet as if your customs people are having a bad day you could end up with importation taxes.

Or even have an item siezed.  I bought a really cool periscope from the Ukraine and customs thought it was a national treasure.  (it was one of a million Soviet ones made in the 1970's)  It worked out though because the dealler sent me a ton of other things as compensation and I ended up finding an older model that was listed wrong on ebay within the US. 

[barb dwyer]

RoseOak wrote (way back on like, page three of this thread)

I've been thinking for a while that we need a new sticky thread about making/getting clothes on a low budget. Simple things like suggestions for getting clothes from charity/thift/ secondhand shops and easy ways to modify them.  Everyone here has advice and it would help everyone, especially newbies if there was a thread to go to that helped you start out and saved having to post a new thread.

And thus this sticky was formed.

I've another request for consideration:
the second part of this above
A tutorial list.
Often tutorials of making things are very well written-
but difficult to find using the search feature.

If the search were to include a 'category'
for example, something like
making gloves
or
steampunk your own leather gloves

(I'm not looking for that specifically, it's just an example)

When I enter it into the engine here
it comes up all sorts of other things.

If there were a 'tutorial' sub-title something
then you could browse all the tutorials.

*shrug*

I'm apparently the only person on this site
who wasn't born with a gift for computer-talk.

But the sticky could reference things like this AWESOME link that shows how to build a look from what's already at hand:
It could read something like -

Unsure where to start?
Take a look at these for beginning a look:

http://hiddenyume-stock.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-on-a-Budget-167392399

[Guinevere Meander]

You are not the only person..
If we could have a filter in the search engine for "tutorial" and then go from there, that would be beyond great, besides helpful!
still searching Guin

[Lady Ashgrove]

maybe it would be easier to find the tutorials if we would all make a "pact" to title them

Tutorial - how to make gloves
Tutorial - repairing umbrellas

would they come up in a search in a "clump" that way?

[Jedidiah_Sampson]

...but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

I order my gas masks from budk.com, I'm sure you can find more than gas masks to suit your needs as well.

[Dr Fidelius]

...but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

I order my gas masks from budk.com, I'm sure you can find more than gas masks to suit your needs as well.

I love their catalog.  My daughter has been on their mailing list ever since she bought a nice set of throwing knives from them.  They have some very reasonably priced sword canes as well.

[barb dwyer]

maybe it would be easier to find the tutorials if we would all make a "pact" to title them

Tutorial - how to make gloves
Tutorial - repairing umbrellas

would they come up in a search in a "clump" that way?

Wonderful idea, Lady Ashgrove!

Now to get THAT ... made into a sticky... so everyone can see it LOL!

[MrBlackrose]

...but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

I order my gas masks from budk.com, I'm sure you can find more than gas masks to suit your needs as well.

I love their catalog.  My daughter has been on their mailing list ever since she bought a nice set of throwing knives from them.  They have some very reasonably priced sword canes as well.

Just picked up their "Black Tie" cane myself. Wonderful balance, and no rattle.

[Rocketeer and Roll]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Ross yet, but they basically make a living by taking clothing lines that other stores discard because they go out of season and selling them at phenomenally lower rates.

Look for striped shirts there. I got a blue long sleeve dress shirt with floral pattern in the stripe and an olive striped shirt with gold patterning in the stripes for only $10 each. And a bunch of nicer short sleeve dress shirts with pinstripes at anywhere between $7 and $12.

I also got a couple of Geoffrey Beene shirts for like $12 which is amazing because in any other store they would have been $60.

[Jedediah Solomon]

I recomend the Job. Working sucks, but money is always good to have!  Good luck

[bmgillies]

My solution was to raid the military band q-store at school. As well as having enough pipe band uniforms for 60 pipers (we have 2), there are also plenty of items that are no longer official uniforms. I got two pipe jackets, the red jacket and beret in my dp, a sporran and a broken pith helmet for free 

[Cogni]

I just found this while shopping for some bits and pieces

http://www.majorsurplus.com/SKS-Grab-Bag-P15730C2152.aspx

enjoy

[D.Oakes]

I just found this while shopping for some bits and pieces

http://www.majorsurplus.com/SKS-Grab-Bag-P15730C2152.aspx

enjoy

That's like my attic and bedroom...   

[Andy_W]

Well i'm new on this thread, forgive me if I repeat as I am not reading the entire thing...

Top tips in Uk:
Check out TKMax every now and then. Charity shops and boot sales.
Also don't forget that a Steampunk outfits can be very eclectic. I find the eye is in the accessories that bring a Steampunk outfit to life.
Check out my faves on Flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/61659170@N03/favorites/with/3699135851/ fro some inspiration.

If you guys are after how too's ive got a few linked some place, spats, goggles and someother odds and ends.

[Kryss LaBryn]

Depending where you are you might have luck at set sales once a movie has finished shooting. I got a sh**load of amazing furs (including Icelandic sheep and muskox!) for peanuts at the 13th Warrior set sale in Vancouver. They are not well-advertized so you have to keep your ear to the ground, but one can pick up some amazing stuff/deals there!

Also you might try your local costume rental store (if you have one about). Sometimes they sell off older stock; it's not popular anymore, or it's getting too ratty to rent out, but is still wearable/fix-up-able.

Talk to older relations, especially if they're about your size. Vests are pretty much only worn with suits for like weddings and such, but back in the '70s vests were worn with suits as a matter of course. And they enjoyed a resurgence as women's wear in the '80s (often non-darted and with brocades), so someone might have a vest they'd pretty much never wear again lurking in their closet.

Shirts and pants haven't changed too much over the years; add a pair of leather suspenders (check out your local army surplus store, there's some GREAT stuff there and I got a pair of leather suspenders originally intended for the French army to use to hold up their ammo belts for like $5 recently). Also, one can find very nice spare uniform bits (jackets, helmets, etc etc) for very reasonable prices there. Army surplus store might be another handy place to get a job.

Get a cosplayer girlfriend may have also been suggested, haha; if it hasn't it's not entirely an invalid option. Find someone who sews and see if you can trade something for whatever item you want.

Good luck!

[Annlyn Lloyd]

...but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

I order my gas masks from budk.com, I'm sure you can find more than gas masks to suit your needs as well.

I love their catalog.  My daughter has been on their mailing list ever since she bought a nice set of throwing knives from them.  They have some very reasonably priced sword canes as well.

Wait... THROWING KNIVES? I'm scared now.

[Dr Fidelius]

...but there are no East German gas masks, or Canadian scarlet tunics, or anything of that sort.

I order my gas masks from budk.com, I'm sure you can find more than gas masks to suit your needs as well.

I love their catalog.  My daughter has been on their mailing list ever since she bought a nice set of throwing knives from them.  They have some very reasonably priced sword canes as well.

Wait... THROWING KNIVES? I'm scared now.

There is nothing to be concerned about. She had purchased them as a Christmas present for her then-boyfriend. (They have since broken up, which is a bit of a shame as I liked the lad, but her current beau is even more fun.)

[Sgt.Whatshisname]

I second the above post.
Also, another simple answer: Make them!  

THIS!

Do you know what would be really cool.

If Brass Goggles added a whole new  read only section devoted to patterns and how to instructions..