If someone asks 'Why do you wear that?', what do you reply?

[frances]

Men in hats is an interesting thing.  I have a friend, non-steamy, who always wears a nice hat because his eyes are really sensitive to light.  Even on a grey day he has to wear his hat .  All sorts of men comment on his hats, all races and ages.  They often ask how much it cost and where did he get it.  It would seem that men like men in hats, (excluding jockey caps worn backwards, that is).

[Retorque]

I don't generally wear goggles or anything else that could be identified as uniquely Steampunk, but I still get asked why I am dressed up quite often, and most people make assumptions that don't make sense. For this reason, I quite often choose a response intended to confuse them further. I have responded with "would you rather I be naked?", "why are you wearing that?", "to make people like you ask questions", or "because it was clean" on numerous occasions. Usually that ends the conversation. In cases where it does not end the conversation, it is usually (though not always) actually worth my time to continue talking.

I was, however, a bit confused last night when I arrived at an event where there was already a Steampunk in attendance who was well known by the community - younger than me, but with a similar build. i wandered away from my group and was immediately mobbed by Doctor Who fans:
"Are you a timelord?"
[assuming the individual couldn't tell the difference between a top hat and a fez (though I apparently missed an episode where he wore a top hat)] "Yes."
"Are you from the future?"
"No."
"Are you lying?"
"No."
[Jedi mind trick] "Are you lying?"
"Yes."
"I knew it! Guys, this is [Steampunk's name]! He came here from the future!"

A confused and excessively hyper conversation followed, but I was quite entertained. It was certainly worth a few minutes of my time.

[Ocelot]

I had a lot of people asking if my moustache was real (schoolkids)...
I'd often tell them "My moustache is real...  But I am false..."
Confused looks all around
(Stolen from Alexei sayle)

[Smiley]

I reply with a simple "Well, why do YOU wear that THAT?"

[Kieranfoy]

I say, "But look, BROCADE! It's BROCADE!" Substitute "It BILLOWS!" if they're asking about a coat instead of waistcoat.

[Decent ship Sargent]

I am also a reenactor as well as steaming. I get asked silly questions all the time, why are you wearing that? Reply because I'd be cold if I wasn't. Is that sword real? Answer no its a figment of your imagination. Silly questions deserve silly answers in my opinion, sensible questions get sensible answers.

[Technomancer]

I reply with a simple "Well, why do YOU wear that THAT?"

Someone already posted my usual response 

[MechanicalMouse]

Regarding my Top hat I often reply "I could not find a baseball cap to match my waistcoat"

[Captain Marcus Stahlsturm]

I use a satchel to carry my work to university. This satchel happens to have the red army insignia on it. I am by no means a Communist, my political views appear to be wholly unique and not up for discussion here. I merely bought it because it suits a lot of my airship  pirate outfits. I have been stopped once by a random girl who came running up to me from all the way down the street.
"excuse me. I couldn't help but notice your bag. Are you a Communist?"
"No, not at all"
"well that's disappointing"
Then she ran all the way back up the street again. Now I was the one confused.

I also own a greatcoat which I try not to wear with my satchel lest I look like an extra from enemy at the gates. Just before Christmas I was wearing the coat, open, with a red shirt and regular trousers. Three people that day enthusiastically commented on how awesome my Malcolm Reynolds cosplay was and how they loved Firefly. I'm a firefly fan so I was ok with it but it was completely unintentional. I also wouldn't mind so much but browncoats should know that Mal's coat is meant to be brown...mine is green 

[Capt. Dirigible]

Most of my immediate work colleagues know I'm a steampunk and take my waistcoats, pocket watch, pipe smoking and  waxed 'tache and whiskers in their stride. However this week I have started wearing a day cravat to work and have got some very  positive comments. One member of the public I was registering told me that my cravat was 'very dashing' and that it's a pity men don't wear them these days. I said "Thank you, I'm trying to bring them back'

[Dr. Madd]

Lately I've been wearing everything from Soviet Army helmets from WW2 to a caveman bone clipped into my hair like a top knot- My hair is now shoulder-length.
I wear this to work- I find it makes excellent boss-repellant.

[Lady Toadflinger]

Last weekend my daughters and I went to a Steampunk Emporium and Swapmeet. We were tastefully and imaginatively arrayed in our best SP outfits, of course! When we stopped at a Starbucks for coffee, another customer asked us if we were heading to Sutter's Fort.(In Sacramento, a Gold Rush era fort...) Well, that slowed me down a bit, and I forgot to give my daughter's favorite answer: We're off to church. Well, at least Sutter's Fort is from the right era...

[Chaos Zum Aufziehen]

i don't get asked "why do you wear that?" as often as "can i try those on?" gesturing towards my goggles :L i'm less than sane, perhaps this is expected of me? XD

[VampirateMace]

Or, it's them wishing they could be as cool/brave/etc as you. I've gotten the same request, and it usually doesn't seem to be coupled with the look people give when they decided someone is insane.

[frances]

Last weekend a middle-aged lady told me how brave I was dressing like that - just the usual SP style jacket, top hat etc etc.  We engaged in conversation where I was encouraging her to dress in the same style if she wanted to.

[Lady Emily Springfield]

One weekend last summer when I was doing the normal thing of promenading along the seafront in my finest stuff, as one does, I got a mixed bag of reactions. I observed that on day 1 (in Hastings), the 'locals' just surreptitiously took pictures with their mobiles when they thought I wasn't looking and talked quietly hoping not to be overheard. Several tourists from overseas took the other option of stopping me to ask questions - and politely asking if they could be photographed with me! I prefer to talk to people, but the less-than-secret mobile pics (which presumably went onto their social media in some form) did quietly amuse me. On day 2 (in Eastbourne) they were far less polite. I had lots of crass comments with impolite laughter, and one very chavvily attired family group in matching shell-suits and baseball caps did the "what's that?", "I thought it was a statue until it moved", etc, conversation about what a freak they thought I looked - which irritated me as I felt I at least rated a "she" not an "it" - so they were ignored as I felt it would demean me to communicate with them. I went off Eastbourne that day. Much better was the summer before when my outfits each day quite literally stopped traffic at times in a rural east Anglian village! I credit my parasol... And I had a lovely chat with a Saxon re-enactor that week too.

I tend to attempt to explain Steampunk if I get the chance, as I hope it may well encourage the curious but heretofore timid to travel back in time to join us if they get an interesting enough answer... 

[Capt. Dirigible]

At the Steampunks at the Seaside weekend Rockula and I were standing in the fish 'n' chip shop  along with Andrew O'Niell of The Men... and a group of local 'lads' (jeans, hoodies, shaven heads etc) who were clearly having a good snigger at our outfits. At this Andrew walked across the chippy, right in front of these guys doing a faux 'cockney' accent and exaggerated 'cor blimey' strut saying "Gor! Fackin' 'ell!! Wos all this?? People dressed differently from me?? Woss going on? It's outside my field of experience!!". At which point he caught the attention of one of the group and said "Er..excuse me. I'm not being funny or anything but...why (indicating the lad and his group)..are you all dressed like that?"

Priceless..

[frances]

At the Chatham event over Easter the whole of the fashion show was devoted to explaining to people why we dress as we do.  And I did the same when I was giving a talk on 'top hats the steampunk way'.  I think that the general public enjoyed knowing why things are like they are.

[Clym Angus]

At the Steampunks at the Seaside weekend Rockula and I were standing in the fish 'n' chip shop  along with Andrew O'Niell of The Men... and a group of local 'lads' (jeans, hoodies, shaven heads etc) who were clearly having a good snigger at our outfits. At this Andrew walked across the chippy, right in front of these guys doing a faux 'cockney' accent and exaggerated 'cor blimey' strut saying "Gor! Fackin' 'ell!! Wos all this?? People dressed differently from me?? Woss going on? It's outside my field of experience!!". At which point he caught the attention of one of the group and said "Er..excuse me. I'm not being funny or anything but...why (indicating the lad and his group)..are you all dressed like that?"

Priceless..

You can take a man out of rock and roll, but you can't take the rock and roll out of the man.

[Loadsa]

I would reply "Do you like it?"  9 times out of 10 that is the reason someone is asking....plus reading some of the very witty answers on here I would try my hardest to remember them and finish off the conversation with that!

[Kieranfoy]

I recall once I was asked "Alright, I have to ask. Which church are you with?" while the person (a register person at Walmart in Mississipi) looked at my waistcoat and old-fashioned shirt. I admit, that was the weirdest question I was asked, so all I could manage is "Uhm. None, pagans don't have churches. I just dress like this."

Maybe that's a bit of Southern culture I missed. Are there Steampunk churches down there?

[qui est in literis]

I had the opportunity to attend Aggiecon as a vendor this last March, selling my books (shameless product-pushing; check the bottom link in my signature) and decided to dress comfortably. Comfort included a shirtwaist dress, stockings, oxfords, trenchcoat (because the dealer's room was chilly), and fedora.

George RR Martin asked why I was dressed like that, as he couldn't identify me as a cosplayer, and I found myself completely incapable of saying anything witty or interesting.

I should have offered him a book or something.

[Fairley B. Strange]

I occasionally use: "Because you really don't want to see me naked." as it can be useful - just in case maybe they do.

[Prof Samuel.H.F.Foreman]

"why do you wear ripped clothing? we all have our quirks!"
adapted from an Arty quote from w13.

[Rasponov022]

"We all have our styles und I want to be different then the usual people, I want to be seen"