The Queer Geer Mk. II: A club for the LGBQT+ crowd and friends

[J. Wilhelm]

Decisions. Risk management....

Regarding the cape. There are 4 sellers of which two of them sell at $36, which make the purchase feasible. Now, I finally I got pictures of the real article from buyers who left feedback. Seems the actual product differs from the pictures in the number of buttons. Of all vendors, only one is showing real photos of the article, and suspiciously missing a front view except for that provided by actual customers.

Vendor 1: The most expensive option (same link as I gave above) they quote $53.10 and have XXL size which is ideal (45 cm shoulder span). But they have no feedback from customers. Thir photos are the nicest, and clearly allude to a known Korean brand of clothing in the logos plastered over the photos (Nibbuns)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-Women-S-Autumn-Winter-Fashion-Europe-And-The-United-States-Cloak-Cape-Woolen-Jacket-Double/32752699105.html

Vendor 2: Same as the guys selling the long coats above; they quote $45 and offer XL size which is still 45 cm in span. They've sold 6 items but zero feedback.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/UK-2015-Hot-Sell-New-Casual-Women-Cape-Wool-Poncho-Jacket-Ladies-Winter-Warm-Cloak-Coat/32456710797.html

Vendor 3: The cheapest option at $36.55 under a no-name brand (probably a copycat) They only offer L size (42 cm shoulder) . But to their credit they have the largest amount of feedback, mostly positive and photos provided by two customers plus some photos of the cape taken by the vendor on a model. They only offer in Large size (42 cm shoulder span).  Also the reviews are mostly good, the customers in Europe and America seem content with the quality.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Spring-2014-new-women-s-clothing-han-edition-cape-fur-coat-in-Europe-and-the-cape/1860366753.html

Spoiler: ShowHide

Customer photos (note only 3 pairs of buttons below collars)

Right click to zoom in

Photos on vendor's model (no photos of the front   )

Vendor 4: A mysterious "MissFox" brand which I can't find anywhere on the web, also at $36, but they do offer XXL, and the shop has the largest positive rating and largest number of sales of the bunch. No indication on the number of buttons, as they offer a scant number of blurry photos. Definitely another copycat. I can only hope they are selling the same as vendor # 3 above. It looks to me that several Chinese factories will manufacture the very same product and sell under different names.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MissFox-Brand-Poncho-2016-Autumn-Winter-Camel-Blue-Cashmere-Hooded-Poncho-Cape-Coat-Women-Cloak-Casacos/32759571281.html


Aaaargh! I hate the inherent dodginess of buying in Chinese websites... Although I''ve been mostly lucky with my purchases.

If I go ahead and buy, and assuming everything turns out OK, I'm at least committing to sewing more buttons to complete the look...  Opinions? Do I throw the lance?

[Mme. Ratchet]

If you are comfortable with sewing, I would recommend looking at finding a pattern close to what you are looking for as opposed to buying one. If not, I'd say jump on buying it.

[J. Wilhelm]

Well. The deed is done. I have taken the gamble. I got the cape in navy blue, size XXL (46 cm shoulders) for $36.15. I'll have to be very careful how I spend my money for the next 10 days, though. It will be very tight. I can do it because January will be a 5-paycheck month, and the loss of money due to the holidays (I have to benefit of paid holidays), means that I will lose probably no more than 3 days or $150 in wages in January. February will be very tight, though. I have planned to get a second job by then, so I can pay for my college loans... So by serendipity I can pull this stunt now.

Let's hope it all goes well. I'm exited to see this cloak coat get here.  I have a zippered navy blue cardigan which will look very good underneath (I know, I know, sweaters and zippers, but I'm not one to pay much attention to historical accuracy). Over the short sleeve blouse, both of them will easily get me to 0C/32F weather perhaps a little lower, -4C/25F, which is what you can expect during the coldest days of the Winter.

The reason to pick this cardigan is that it has a very "naval" look to it. Since I'm wearing a short sleeve blouse, the warm sleeves are important. Very similar to this cardigan, but  with deep vertical ribs in the front and with a double light blue stripe along each sleeve all the way to a high mock neck, and without the grey/white lining:

Zippers did get their start in the 1800s (albeit the modern form of zipper dates back to 1913)  and Cardigans are inspired from the British Army waistcoats during the Crimean War in 1856.  

[Crescat Scientia]

J. Wilhelm:  I am sure the zipper can be forgiven.  We already use modern, more efficient forms of batteries in our devices, so why not improved mechanical devices as well.

I suspect the garment issue is, as you surmised, a matter of a popular design by a well-known retailer being imitated by cheaper knock-offs.  (This is a well known issue in fashion circles, as you probably are aware.  There have been recurring attempts by the fashion industry to find or make legal ways to suppress copying, but so far they have had little success.) 

I hope what arrives suits your purposes and does not require too much in the way of alterations.

[Mme. Ratchet]

Keep us posted on how it goes!

[J. Wilhelm]

Keep us posted on how it goes!

The cloak/cape coat is still in China, but it has already been submitted through the mail service and is awaiting transport overseas. In the meantime, as soon as I had this week's paycheck, I purchased a relatively inexpensive 5 yard full-length kilt made of acrylic wool

The eyes have it. This is the final look (approximate - the illustration is very unrefined)) of the outfit in the "Pride of Scotland" tartan, a commercial design very similar to that registered as "Highland Pride of Scotland" to McCalls of Aberdeen (purple and green lines are reversed). The choice came down to simple economics and the item is deliverable next week as well, so presumably coat and kilt will arrive simultaneously. Eventually the coat will get 3 stars on the Epaulette / Russian knot/ Shoulder board and/or rope knots on the "sleeves" to indicate a general's rank (Chief of Staff, US Airbirne Corp of Engineers). I should get embroidered star patches and Engineering insignia (Castle or Airship) as opposed to metal pins, because US uniforms of the era lacked metallic insignia, as far as I know.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Mens-5-Yard-Scottish-Kilts-Tartan-Kilt-13oz-Highland-Casual-Kilt-6-Tartans/111955073241

https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails.aspx?ref=1715

Highland Pride of Scotland. McCalls of Aberdeen STA ref: 6477

Together, the kilt and coat complete the outer shell of the Steampunk outfit, allowing me to go out in cold weather -we'll be below zero Celsius sometime between Thursday night and the wee hours of Friday - so this year we are looking at having a cooler Xmas and hopefully a more normal January (normal meaning not so obviously greenhouse-effect temperatures. I guess there's a chance we'll at least see some ice sheets and possibly a snow flurry which we haven't seen since the 2000's.

I remember back around 1985 when I visited Texas regularly, we even had enough cold to freeze over the surface of heated pools at a hotel where we were, and every year there would be a bit of snow around Xmas. Because we woul only be below freexing for a couple of weeks, the temperature would hover around zero, and with precipitation, giant ice sheets would cover the streets and roads, and the last time I saw that was circa 2005. That used to be the normal in Texas for winter. But after 2000, the regularity of such events changed drastically.

[J. Wilhelm]

The kilt arrived! It's beautiful! It arrived before the cloak. I'll keep you posted. The pattern upon closer inspection has more colours that shown...

[Crescat Scientia]

The kilt arrived! It's beautiful! It arrived before the cloak. I'll keep you posted. The pattern upon closer inspection has more colours that shown...

New clothes are exciting, aren't they?  I'm glad the kilt is beautiful, and I hope you get much enjoyment out of it.

[J. Wilhelm]

I'm very satisfied with  that purchase. The buckles and belt straps on the kilt could be of a better quality, but otherwise the quality of the build and the quality of the fabric are outstanding.

I took the kilt on a "test run" by pairing it with the Luftschiffengel outfit. The kilt is basically placed over the "lederhosen" shorts and since the shorts are high waisted and corseted, all the way to the natural waist, the kilt perfectly overlaps the shorts around the height of the navel. The kilt can handle the extra volume of the corset and "lederhosen" shorts at the hips, which I feared would be a problem.

But I got the surprise of my life. When looking in the mirror, I did not expect at all that the white blouse, champagne corset and black lederhosen braces (suspenders)  would look so nice paired with the purple/navy kilt. The kilt just shone when I wore it with full regalia - meaning insignia plus the lederhosen breast plate over the white blouse (My apologies I have not taken photos of the full ensemble yet - save the "virtual model" you have seen).

The contrast between white, black, gold and navy/purple really elevates the uniform to a new level. Navy really does look good paired with black as long as you have white as an "intermediary" between the two colours (otherwise navy tends to gets lost in black). I wanted the kilt as an "outer layer" to be worn during cold and more formal occasions, as a "shell," but I had not expected the kilt would look so good paired with the Teutonic-style upper torso. This means the kilt may be worn with the short sleeve blouse and leather braces and still look as if it was made to be that way.

Mind you the uniform really pulls hard toward the "fem side" when paired with the kilt, much more than I had originally intended. Not my original intent, I swear. But OMG it looks so good! 

The modified lederhosen were meant to be androgynous, but not cross-dressing, per se. Lederhosen are by definition masculine. Kilts are also masculine. That the combination turns out to be so feminine is really an eye opener. The kilt, although it is a full-length masculine garment, really pulls it toward crossing that gender line. I'm not sure what to make of it. Certainly a new dimension. I will have to adapt to it and embrace it.

What an interesting mental exercise. I know this perception of the garments  as being feminine is entirely psychological. We have been conditioned to recognize patterns and colours in clothing as culturally assigned to the gender binary for centuries. Pink was a masculine colour for children back in the 19th, C. But in the 20th. C. that changed. Similarly the braces and skirt-like combination is a given for girls in the 20th. C. So we are subconsciously associating the look with femininity.  It kind of makes it look like one of those prep school uniforms. Maybe some sort of Victorian military academy for girls? If that concept had ever been remotely acceptable back then? The look is very feminine for the 20th. C, because we have a masculinisation of feminine dress throughout the 20th. C, but I think the look would definitely not be as feminine by 19th. C standards!! Any opinions?

The sweater on the other hand doesn't pair so well as I thought. The colour is alright, but the cardigan sweater is straight past the hips and kills all the figure you worked so hard to get with the fitted blouse and corset. It downright makes you look matronly. For the moment, the cardigan stands as an undergarment to the cape coat, as there is no other alternative toward covering my forearms in zero-degree weather.

Which brings me to my next point: the kilt is so warm! Over the shorts and socks plus boots it is extremely comfortable, even with the corset underneath. I have no doubt the lower body of the uniform will protect me at cooler temperatures. Between the thigh-high socks, shorts and kilt you get a sensation that is hard to describe.  Warm and soft, as if your entire body from the waist down was being hugged (I know, I didn't mean it to sound that way    Or maybe subconsciously I did It sounds weird, but I don't know how else to explain it).

OK I'm happy  I just need to get that coat.

[Miranda.T]

So glad you are happy with it  And one thing about the buckles and straps, they are easily replaceable at a later stage if you wish. Hopefully the cape will work as well.

In terms of the types of clothing that are seem as masculine and feminine, although I agree that there are some culturally assigned conventions (such as the pink/blue schism), I think the shape and silhouette of clothing has definite gender inferences that are not merely cultural. Put crudely, any form of clothing which enhances the hip to waist ratio Will appear feminine (think bustles, crinolines, petticoats), and anything that enhances the shoulder to hip ratio masculine (think of the cut of business suits, and the trend for women to 'power dress' in the 80s was all about sending out the, as they perceived it, masculine signs of authority, although that in itself is of course a whole other argument...) So, with your clinched in waist due to the corset, and shorts and kilt bulking out the hips, I can see why the effect may be coming over as strongly feminine. The contasting shades may also be adding to the effect.

Yours,
Miranda.

[J. Wilhelm]

Yeah, I did notice the hips went up by a couple of inches. Suddenly the shoulder to hip ratio went below 1. The whole set is so pretty. It does look good  For those of you familiar with kilts, the front is not pleated and the sides and back are. Upon any motion of the waist or kneeling, the fan effect on the pleats looks awesome. 

[Mme. Ratchet]

Keep us posted on how it goes!

The cloak/cape coat is still in China, but it has already been submitted through the mail service and is awaiting transport overseas. In the meantime, as soon as I had this week's paycheck, I purchased a relatively inexpensive 5 yard full-length kilt made of acrylic wool

The eyes have it. This is the final look (approximate - the illustration is very unrefined)) of the outfit in the "Pride of Scotland" tartan, a commercial design very similar to that registered as "Highland Pride of Scotland" to McCalls of Aberdeen (purple and green lines are reversed). The choice came down to simple economics and the item is deliverable next week as well, so presumably coat and kilt will arrive simultaneously. Eventually the coat will get 3 stars on the Epaulette / Russian knot/ Shoulder board and/or rope knots on the "sleeves" to indicate a general's rank (Chief of Staff, US Airbirne Corp of Engineers). I should get embroidered star patches and Engineering insignia (Castle or Airship) as opposed to metal pins, because US uniforms of the era lacked metallic insignia, as far as I know.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Mens-5-Yard-Scottish-Kilts-Tartan-Kilt-13oz-Highland-Casual-Kilt-6-Tartans/111955073241

https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails.aspx?ref=1715

Highland Pride of Scotland. McCalls of Aberdeen STA ref: 6477

Together, the kilt and coat complete the outer shell of the Steampunk outfit, allowing me to go out in cold weather -we'll be below zero Celsius sometime between Thursday night and the wee hours of Friday - so this year we are looking at having a cooler Xmas and hopefully a more normal January (normal meaning not so obviously greenhouse-effect temperatures. I guess there's a chance we'll at least see some ice sheets and possibly a snow flurry which we haven't seen since the 2000's.

I remember back around 1985 when I visited Texas regularly, we even had enough cold to freeze over the surface of heated pools at a hotel where we were, and every year there would be a bit of snow around Xmas. Because we woul only be below freexing for a couple of weeks, the temperature would hover around zero, and with precipitation, giant ice sheets would cover the streets and roads, and the last time I saw that was circa 2005. That used to be the normal in Texas for winter. But after 2000, the regularity of such events changed drastically.

I wanted to let you know that, actually, some US insignia were metallic, but it was optional and by no means normal. Corps badges, for instance, were sometimes metallic, and some hat badges were metallic.







In my own, recent news... I'm going to be moving back home with my parents this summer, so that should be an adventure. And I've been really bummed out because one of my favorite members of my favorite band and I'm not sure how I feel about the new guy that's replacing him.

[J. Wilhelm]

Yeah, I suspected  there would be exceptions. The coat is fairly  unique, so I'm sure in the context of Steampunk one can make concessions.  Because the shoulder boards can't be used transversally, that is they're more akin to epaulettes, and you don't have sleeve cuffs - hence no knot insignia, I have decided to use stars as insignia for a Lieutenant General. 

Basically moving the clock forward a bit, to the uniforms in the Spanish American War, where you started to see fatigue blouses with simple shoulder wise boards.

I think that 3 stars for a Lt. General would be the appropriate rank for a Corp of Engineers Chief of Staff  position. There are a number of metallic buttons that look like stars available in the market.

[CloudWolf]

Mme. Ratchet. If you are referring to Sam being replaced by Brian in spg I can understand that feeling. I'm dubious too. But if you listen to the Bing Crosby cover with zero I think it could go very well indeed.

Also a happy New year to everyone as come the hour ill and be too full of port to type.

[J. Wilhelm]

Happy New Year  everyone!

[Mme. Ratchet]

Mme. Ratchet. If you are referring to Sam being replaced by Brian in spg I can understand that feeling. I'm dubious too. But if you listen to the Bing Crosby cover with zero I think it could go very well indeed.

Also a happy New year to everyone as come the hour ill and be too full of port to type.

Yeah, that's what I'm referring to. I heard the cover with Zero and while I think it could be good, I'm very apprehensive. He certainly does much better with the pantomime than Sam did with Hatchworth, and admittedly when Hatchworth took over for The Jon I was apprehensive, too. So maybe I'm just scared of changes I certainly did miss the sound that The Spine, Rabbit, and the Jon had, and having Zero on seems to make their sound much more akin to that. We'll see where it goes.

[CloudWolf]

All will be well. If it's not then I shall bring tea and port.

[J. Wilhelm]

Woo-hoooo! The coat arrived! On the warmest day of Winter    what irony  somebody has a sense of humour.

Still wrapped in cellophane (or similar), the coat looks perfect. Deep Navy Blue. And with the right number of buttons! Woo-hoo! I don't have to make so many mods.

I'll give a review later after work.

JWD

[J. Wilhelm]

The cloak cape coat arrived in good condition. All the buttons promised by the manufacturer photos were there- as opposed to the other website which had a smaller number of buttons - obviously a knock-off of another knock off    But this one is a quality facsimile of the Korean version. Basically identical to the Nibbuns coat above, but made by a Chinese company called Joloun. I don't think you'll find any info on the Internet about this brand name. I think that each of those websites above may be selling knockoffs made by different Chinese factories... But at least Joloun's materials are of good quality and the presentation of the product (tags, care instructions) makes it look like it could sell in an expensive store. Not bad for $36. I won the gamble.

Right click to zoom in

The colour is a true military dark Navy Blue - a real plus   and not the sickly Royal Blue shown in some photos. A few minor issues with alignment of buttons (as seen in photo above), as is customary with Chinese products, which were easily corrected with thread and needle, but nothing major. I also had to detach the "epaulettes"/shoulder boards, as they inexplicably made them a bit too long and they would do their best imitation of an inchworm as soon as I wore the coat. So I just detached the ends altogether and repositioned the buttons. That will be an advantage when I go to sew in the General rank stars, as those will probably hold the epaulette in position - or I could do a pin with a metallic 3-star insignia. The good news is that I won't have to hunt for buttons matching the existing ones. So the coat turned out as I had hoped it to be the first time I saw it.

There are many ways to wear the coat, depending on how many buttons you open. The collar alone has a spectacular 4-button double breast closure hidden behind a type of woolen "Gorget*." With or without the Gorget, the neck closure is very interesting, since the Gorget itself has two buttons to hold it in place - so a total of 6 large buttons just in the collar area!  Or the lapels can be partially opened showing 3 buttons on each side of the neck. A very military look (more photos will ensue).

The sweater looks really good under the coat. On the other hand, the coat looks OK with the kilt. But I know for a fact that the kilt worn without the coat just with the white blouse and and with the black Lederhosen braces (US:suspenders) really looks very good. I will need to try some photos, because all the spectacular action of the kilt is on the back-side, where the pleats of the kilt come into action - for those of you familiar with how kilts are made.

However the cloak coat looks fantastic when only wearing the "Lederhosen" shorts, garters (UK: suspenders) and thigh-high socks with boots. It has a very "Lolita Goth" look to it. The coat is short enough to show the bottom cuffs of the shorts, plus the entire bows of the garters and a bit of bare legs are in full view Pictures will ensue.

The coat is a little snug on the shoulders, but just the right size for me. Regarding feminine bodied people, while the coat is the right size for me, I'm having a hard time seeing how a person with a well developed chest could fit into one of these coats... they planned for no room in the chest area! Specially made for flat-chested people   I don't know since I never tried a larger size. There is an XXXL size in one of those shops and by comparing dimensions, apparently it's almost the same as the XXL (the size I bought) but with a few more inches around the bust...

The coat is very warm and comfortable otherwise, and has real pockets in the front, a rare find nowadays when even brand name dress coats have "imitation pockets" as opposed to the sewn-shut pockets in men's coats of old - which were real pockets. To date, I refuse to buy a blazer, tuxedo or dress coat that doesn't have all functional pockets, and that is fitted on the spot - it's just a matter of principle. If I'm going to spend so much money on a good coat, I expect some minimal tailoring and no fake items.

Cheers,

Lt. Gen. Julin Bahlmann,
Office of the Chief of Staff, US Airborne Corps of Engineers
United States Airship Orca


~ ~ ~

*Gorget is the metallic half-moon shaped piece of shield hanging from the neck of officers in the British Army and many other armies - Then-Colonel George Washington wore one during the French and Indian Wars; see [Gorget] As part of military uniforms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorget

[Miranda.T]

Really glad you are pleased with this purchase - buying clothing over the web can so often be a disappointing experience, but it sounds like you have come up trumps here. As to the lack of space around the chest area, I suppose as the Chinese do tend to be rather svelte so I suppose that type of cut works for them. For an event we bought our daughter a corset of far eastern origin for not many pennies and whilst it worked for her (being really, really slim), if it had been for me I'd have had to buy about five of them to sew together...

Yours,
Miranda.

[Aubreay Fallowfield]

Meta-Clubs
Steampunk "Internet" clubs which do not meet in person.

So we're not allowed to meet.....ever?!

[J. Wilhelm]

Meta-Clubs
Steampunk "Internet" clubs which do not meet in person.

So we're not allowed to meet.....ever?!

I'm quite sure that is not meant literally.    Perhaps it would be better to write "Internet clubs for members who telecommute"?

[Mme. Ratchet]

It's been awful quiet in here of late. What's everyone been up to?

[Miranda.T]

It's been awful quiet in here of late. What's everyone been up to?

Mainly sewing, sewing... and a bit more sewing!

Yours,
Miranda.

[J. Wilhelm]

Trying to get a second job, considering a move to a new place, dealing with a broken molar and trying to get a hold of a very elusive yet beautiful Fräulein whom I want to date... Busy.