What goes with this coat?
January 20, 2018 2:29 PM   Subscribe

I'm into this coat, which Amazon describes as a "Men's Velvet Goth Steampunk Victorian Frock Coat," as something I'd like to wear to a costume-ish party. My question is, what might go with it, in terms of shirt, tie, vest (?), pants, shoes, hat, and any other accessories? Thanks for any ideas! (And a bonus if your suggestions are available on Amazon Prime.)
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
That coat DEMANDS a puffy shirt!
posted by briank at 2:36 PM on January 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: I should add, the event I'm going to is a pretty formal affair, so I'd prefer to stay away from easily mockable Seinfeld-inspired gear!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 2:41 PM on January 20, 2018


Consider a shirt with a high collar, like this, possibly paired with a cravat. Below, you need pants with a fancy button arrangement, like these, alone or tucked into riding boots, like these.
posted by carmicha at 2:50 PM on January 20, 2018 [4 favorites]


I'd go with a wing collared tuxedo shirt with a black silk tie, tied in a full Windsor knot. The tie should have some sort of subtle brocade pattern as well. Black straight leg slacks. Boots. Riding boots if you got 'em. Oh, and FANGS.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 2:52 PM on January 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


Damn, Carmicha, we got the psychic bond going for sure.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 2:52 PM on January 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


Is it in cream? It's stunning. (Also I am assuming you are wearing men's clothing. Same style goes for women's clothing except you can do skirts.)

I would do brown or burgundy with the cream color, possibly blue or navy. You could also get away with silver if you're so bold. I think pulling in the warmer tones will compliment the creamy off-white as opposed to black which may feel too cold in comparison to the soft patterning.

I think the best option would be doing a 3 piece suit and using the vest and pants from it. A bit of a classic pattern like tweed or pinstripe.

This pinstripe is great and comes in coffee which is my pick and a bunch of other colors including gray and red. Great vintage vibes.

This comes in lots including brown, gray, and I LOVE the blue with the brown stripes.

This comes in brown and red.

Here's a silver one.

This colored stripe is very bold but has good colors - I'd have to see them together though.


You definitely don't have to have an exact match on the pants and vest (like this for example) but that would be my personal preference.
Here's a brown or deep brownish burgundy vest.
Here's a layered vest.
Here and Here are some good pants options.

For an accessory I would totally do a pocket watch.
Tophat is pretty much classic steampunk but it's up to you if you want to deal with a hat all night.
Shoes will depend on how the pants fit and how styled you want to be. Classic wingtips in brown (if you're wearing warm colors.) Or you can do riding boots if you have tighter pants that can tuck in.


Here's a Pinterest search for Men's Steampunk and one for Mens Victorian which has TONS of inspiration. You can see a lot of full costume style that you can pick and choose from. I definitely love victorian and steampunk and have been wanting to do it more in my fashion. I have some (women's) stuff in my instagram.
posted by Crystalinne at 3:24 PM on January 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Yes, cream! And yes, wearing men's clothing.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:29 PM on January 20, 2018


The cream color may be tougher to coordinate than other colors, but you'll definitely want some old-school high-rise trousers. (Modern hip-hugging pants always look out of place in historical/pseudo-historical/steampunky outfits, and look terrible when your shirt pokes out between your pants and vest.) Historical Emporium can hook you up with trousers, a waistcoat, and pretty much anything else you need. They don't ship Prime unfortunately (though they are on Amazon) but I can personally vouch for their timeliness and customer service when ordering direct.
posted by Funeral march of an old jawbone at 3:40 PM on January 20, 2018


Needs a waistcoat. Especially as it's a formal affair and that coat would naturally hang open, no gentleman would be caught in company without a waistcoat. A shirt is practically an undergarment. (This is what makes the "puffy shirt" risque/romantic.)

I like the idea of a high collared shirt and form fitting trousers. You want to flash some shapely leg. Since the coat's lightly colored consider a vest in a jewel tone with a necktie to match or coordinate, and trousers to match. That coat is sort of 1700s colonial/pirate era so my suggestion is to pick a "personality" from that century you like and roll with it as much as will fit your budget. Here's a pretty good rundown of the many different components you could include. For shoes, consider a velvet slip on loafer. It'll read as more formal than riding boots.
posted by Mizu at 3:43 PM on January 20, 2018


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