A Practical Halloween – Steampunk Style

I LOVE fall! The cooler days and crisp nights, the changing leaves, cozy sweaters and jeans – these are all things I love. Not only that, my two favorite holidays take place in the fall: Thanksgiving and Halloween!

I have always loved to dress up for Halloween ever since I was little. My birthday falls close to Halloween, so I remember having Halloween parties instead of a birthday party growing up. I also may or may not go a little overboard with the decorations.

Since my son was born, I’ve concentrated on his costume every year, and haven’t dressed up myself in a long time. This year, I accepted the challenge of coming up with a “practical” Halloween costume–something made up of separates that could then be used for every day. One of the first things that popped into my mind was that I had always thought the pleated back version of the Sundance Jacket from Greenstyle Creations had a sort of “Victorian” look to it, so I thought I could use that to make myself a Steampunk outfit.

Now that I had the idea, time to come up with the rest of it. I thought a black skirt would pair nicely with the jacket and would definitely be something I would wear again and again. Choosing the fabric for the skirt was a no-brainer: the gorgeous Rayon Spandex in Black from Phee Fabrics was the perfect choice. For the skirt pattern, I chose the Women’s Maya Skirt from Petite Stitchery & Co.

For the Sundance Jacket, I wasn’t sure which fabric to use. The pattern says that Supplex is a good option, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted the regular Supplex or the Brushed Supplex, so I ordered both. Once they arrived, it was still a hard choice, as both fabrics are amazing, but I felt the Brushed Supplex was a better choice for a jacket. (And now I have the regular supplex to use for some leggings!)

I made my Sundance with the pleated back and stand-up collar so it would work not only for my costume, but would also be the perfect jacket for cooler weather biking and hiking.

And I was right to choose the Brushed Supplex! This jacket is so soft and warm! It has great stretch, but was still a dream to work with. The only thing I would do differently next time, would be to use a thinner fabric for my pockets to reduce the bulk a bit, but overall, I’m super pleased with how it turned out.

My skirt in the gorgeous Black Rayon Spandex also turned out just how I imagined. Flowy and soft, this will be the perfect skirt that can be dressed up or down depending on top and accessories. Here I’ve paired it with an oversized tee made from white RS.

Putting the skirt and jacket together with a few accessories, like the hat (Amazon) and wig (previous costume), I get my Steampunk outfit! I also used a bit of Ultra Wide Black Lace Trim that I tied around my neck. Once Halloween is over, I can use that to make some new “unmentionables”. 😉