Of Hats and Britches

….well it seems I have, as usual, been over-excited about my return to college. Not that it isn’t a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the second and I’m already bored out of my mind. Now some of you readers are probably wondering why the Steampunk Aristocrat doesn’t get off her ass and do something, and here’s my reply: It’s too bloody hot! Oh yes, summer heat is a killer, as per usual, so I have spent this day alternately sprawled in bed with nothing on or else contemplating how much food I would have to displace and how many bones I would have to break so I could fit myself into the fridge. But for now all I can hope for is that the weather goes abruptly polar and I can actually go back to wearing my typical three layers of clothing without fear of heatstroke.

In other news, however, I’d like to introduce you all to my hat – yes, my hat, you read that right, your processor is not failing you. That picture below is said hat,

and it is the crown jewel of my hat collection, a collection I’d begun years before I became a Steampunk. Said collection also includes a tricorn hat, a floppy purple corduroy

hat purchased in Stratford, Canada from the awesome and now defunct shop Elizagoth, the headdress of a Balinese dancer, a black felt hat that looks like the bastard offspring of a topper and a bowler, a mini-top hat made of black satin, and two full top hats, one made of blue velvet with black satin stripes and the other constructed of brown canvas so as to look like a pith helmet. But none of them hold a candle to this beauty, my de facto ‘sweet hat’, a hat that may appear in other important pictures later on and therefore a hat you should know. It is constructed of black leather (it smells terrific), with a golden buckle bolted to the front, a couple of useless but pretty magnifying lenses attached to the brim, and, of course, the gorgeous spray of feathers pinned to the hat band. I also have a dark green ribbon cockade that I pin on in place of the plumes when a less ostentatious look is called for.

In other news I’m apparently going to be made to mentor a freshman in my dorm. Of this I’m less than pleased, as probability states that she’s not going to want anything to do with yours truly, and I, quite frankly, want nothing to do with her. What is it about dorm life that dictates that everyone become buddy-buddy with everyone else? When I was a fresh(wo)man I just wanted to be left alone to study in peace. *bangs head on table* But then that’s my inner mad scientist talking, who’s an antisocial bastard.

I’m also assembling a rather frilly ‘Steampunk travelling outfit’ for myself. I currently have just the boots and blouse (brown leather boots with buttons up the side and a loose blouse with lots of frothy lace), but I have pants on order (see picture below).

Now I’m just looking for a high waisted brown leather jacket. If anyone can advise me of where to find such a thing, I would be most thankful. If you want a more detailed idea of what I’m looking for, my general mental design is similar to that of Jareth’s from Labyrinth, but sans the pauldrons.

If you’d like to contact me, my email is countesscrow@gmail.com. Feel free to drop me a line about any such leather jacket, or if you have questions or advice for me, or just for the hell of it.

Safe flying, airship pilots!