Scoop: Steam Punks
Full steam ahead with Seattle
By Seattle Mag December 31, 1969
Category: Shopping + Fashion Articles
What do you get when you blend science fiction, Victoriana and a whole lot of ingenuity? Steampunk. It’s a fashion movement spawned by a fiction genre—novels set in the steam-engine era with a futuristic twist (think H.G. Wells and Jules Verne). Some Seattle steampunks call themselves “steamrats” (seattlesteamrats.com), and they’re bringing their distinctive style to our city. Unlike punk or goth attire, which tends to push onlookers away, steamrat counterculture fashion invites people in—and attracts all ages. “Steam Vents,” casual discussion groups at Greenwood’s Wayward Coffeehouse, are open to all comers (Mondays, 7–10 p.m. 8570 Greenwood Ave. N). Goggles not required.