What is a Steampunk hairstyle? How to do Steampunk hairstyles and make accessories
What is a Steampunk hairstyle?
Steampunk hairstyles focus on looking authentically Victorian and are generally similar to the hairstyles of the period – as such they have a timeless quality. Steampunk hairstyles are generally easy to do on a modern hairstyle with accessories of bespoke machinery, fantasy, and enlightenment.
The typical Victorian female hairstyle depicted in Steampunk culture features intricate coiffures, defined by elaborate Industrial Revolution elements, rustic colors, and extravagant fascinators. For ladies pocket watch accessory.
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Even men in Victorian steampunk hairstyle follow the trend during the enlightenment age where they include top hats and accessories to make them appear dapper than before. But, what’s fascinating is the inclusion of mustaches, beards, and sideburns. For mens pocket watch accessory.
If you choose to wear steampunk hairstyles, you will need some accessories to tie your hairdo together. If you plan on wearing a hat or other fascinator, you will need a matching hairpin or other accessories, depending on your preference.
The Victorian era was a huge turning point in fashion and hairdos – a style that is preserved today in movies and popular culture. Styling was intended to improve glamour while paying homage to the century that came before.
If you’re looking to style your hair reminiscent of the Victorian age, here’s a comprehensive guide for beginners.
Steampunk women hairstyles
The style of steampunk women’s hair had some modifications to the styles from the Victorian era. Before long hair was confined to the top of the head and neck; it was worn in bun, ringlet, or chignon styles. These styles were loose, rustic, and unadorned with hairpins.
Modern literature and subgenres in steampunk fiction introduced a new set of hairstyles for women. You can find razor-cut or shaved hair in many women akin to post-apocalyptic scenarios.
Long hairstyles
Hairstyles like waves and layers have been around for a while for steampunk lovers, and women have been flipping their mane for years. Also, the trend of low bangs or faux hawk has been around due to the advent of modern sci-fi fiction.
Messy topknots
Are you a steampunk girl too busy fixing your thingamabob? Maybe you’re tinkering with new scientific creations for the future? The messy top knot is a timeless hairstyle for female Steampunkers. It shows the productiveness in women, their empowerment, and perhaps, their oddities.
While most Victorian women of society held their hair buns tight like ballerinas, steampunk ladies have the messy topknot for their glorious mornings. The hairstyle breaks the status quo in society and is deemed unique and ideal for sci-fi the woman.
How to do a messy topknot:
Pull your long hair into a high ponytail. You don’t have to comb your hair sleekly – the idea is to achieve a messy and natural look.
Twist and spin the hair around the base until the hair bun is wrapped.
Tie with elastic band or secure with bobby pins.
Chignon
If you want a chic and elegant updo reminiscent of high Victorian society and attendance on formal occasions, a stylish French Chignon might be perfect for you. It’s a low bun usually sitting at the nape of your neck either twisted or rolled.
The chignon’s appeal stems from the fact that it works with all hair kinds and types. A chignon, similarly, may be incredibly stylish and elegant, excellent for any event. Think of it as a more sophisticated version of a simple ponytail.
How to do a chignon:
Section your hair down the middle.
Create a low ponytail.
Twist and roll hair while turning into a bun.
Secure bun with bobby pins.
Ponytail
Steampunk ladies wear ponytails on all kinds of occasions. The hairstyle is often associated with youth, hardworking, chic, adventure, and innovation. That’s because hair is tied up in environments shops and laboratories to secure the hair from any inventions and contraptions.
What’s unlikely was that it was unusual during the Industrial Period and Victorian society to have women wearing ponytails because it’s viewed as a man’s esteemed position. So, the ponytail is also a form of women empowerment then.
How to do a ponytail:
Comb your hair and bring it to a level (high or low) that you want.
Pull your hair up with your hand.
Warp and tie hair with a band.
Dutch braid
Dutch braids are similar to French braids – only that, it’s done under. Also known as “boxer braids” the Dutch braid is more akin to a cascading hairstyle with sections of hair tucked underneath as you go by the nape.
Dutch braids are a strong take on steampunk culture often connoting a warrior-type lass or adventurer. It’s perfect for those donning post-apocalyptic outfits r warrior class steampunk style.
How to do a Dutch braid:
Brush your hair back and gather a strand from the hairline.
Divide into three strands.
Do a regular braid – but do it under.
Add another section of the hair from the right before braiding under.
Do the process also from the left before braiding under.
Repeat.
Hime cut
Hime cut is usually a long, straight, or curly hairstyle coupled with fringe bangs and is popular with Victorian gothic Lolita culture during the Rococo era. Many steampunk women use this hairstyle to denote a doll-like figure and cuteness while appearing to be empowered.
Hime cut has its origins in Japanese culture during the Heian period. This was later adopted by the gothic Lolita community. Variants of the sidelocks may be lengthened or shortened depending on preference.
Short hairstyles
Short hair steampunk style is still a huge trend! Steampunkers have perfected their styles and most women can pull off a short hairstyle even without being able to straighten it or add hair extensions. If you have short hair you might want to consider doing a very natural, slightly pulled-back look. A small bunch of curls on the side or in the front works well for steampunk also.
Sleek pulled back hair
From pompadours to pixie cuts, there’s no actual way to say a certain sleep pulled back short hair. During Victorian times, short hair would mean an illness. For instance, Beatrix Potter trimmed her hair short when she suffered a systematic infection during her teenage years.
For steampunkers, though, short hair means female empowerment and a display of strength. Perhaps it’s also a good idea to trim your hair if you’re too busy with crafting new inventions, eh?
Pigtails
If you think pigtails are only for little girls in the playground – you’re wrong. Pigtails are gaining attraction in the steampunk community within themes of Gothic Lolita subculture, burlesque scenes, asylum-madness culture, superhero/supervillain themes (think Harley Quinn), and more.
Pigtails can either be straight or curly, but, whatever it is, it looks good added with a dash of lace or ribbons on it.
How to do a pigtail:
Comb your hair and part in the middle.
Pull one section of the hair and bring it to the desired level.
Twist and wrap the hair with an elastic band.
Do the same with the other section of the hair.
Tie in laces and ribbons.
Bob cut
A bob cut is a short-length style wherein the hair is cut approximately jaw level or above the shoulders and paired with a fringe at the front. It was fashionable during and after World War 1 and on the onset of the Prohibition Era.
The shingle bob was popular during the 1920s and the inverted bob became trending with the onset of sci-fi literature. The hairstyle is perfect for those steampunkers looking to don a scientist, post-apocalyptic, cyber-steampunk, or apothecaries-styled lab technician.
Razor-cut, shaved hair, and buzz cuts
Buzz cuts on women do nice and they look empowered! From undercuts to edgy razor cuts, it follows the punk and gothic subculture of steampunk. Add it with a couple of fringe falling on your temple and you’ll look hardcore!
For many steampunkers, a shaved hair is an exciting hairstyle where one experiments with a variety of updos as it grows out.
Asymmetric cut
An asymmetric cut is a hairstyle wherein one section of the hair is chopped or seems to be lengthier than the other part. This results in the hair being unbalanced or asymmetrical. It’s a multifaceted hairdo with several variants.
It’s usually a mix of two different styles, one on each side: one is a shorter cut or is partially or fully shaved.
Tophats and accessories
You can create your Victorian steampunk hairstyle with just some supplies you have at hand.
Statement piece hats
You can find our full article here.
What you need:
Cardboard
Scissors
Hot melt glue or stronger adhesive paste
Paint and paintbrush
Pencil or pen
Decorative cloth
Thread and needle
Gears, gadgets, and gizmos
Measuring tape
Instructions:
Measure your forehead back. Give it some ½ inch to 1-inch space for wearing the hat comfortably.
Next, we’ll be working with the brim of the hat. Get your cardboard and trace a circle for your head to fit. Afterward, draw another circle about 2.5 inches (or more if you want) away from the first circle.
Cut out the center and take away the 2.5-inch hollowed circle. That’ll be your brim.
Create the cylinder part of the hat. We usually measure starting from 9 inches lengthwise. However, you decide on how tall your hat will be. Its width should fit your brim and head.
Glue the cylinder to the hole of your brim hat. At this stage, you can start forming the cylinder to the desired shape, like whether you need it narrower in the middle.
Remember the hole you cut out earlier? Glue it to the cylinder to cover the hat.
Decorations:
You can either paint the hat or cover it with textile found in most thrift stores. We usually cover our hats with striped clothes we bought downtown for around $0.50. Some lace material we’ve found costs only $0.30 and less.
First, we arc the brim at the sides to make its Victorian shape.
We start covering from the top of the hat first and down to the head section. You can style the cloth to make it more ruffled or shambolic when spiraling down. Use glue if necessary to steady its flow and shape. Afterward, you cover the brim and bring the extra cloth inside the hat.
Add any decorations you’d like to include such as gears, cogs, flowers, cards, timepieces, cards, feathers, etc.
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Materials spent: Barely $3 for the cardboard, glue sticks, and cloth. Most of the gizmos and decors are old items in the house.
Lace or ribbon
Lace and ribbons make great statement pieces on your hair. This is especially true when you’re wearing a pigtail or ponytail for that matter. You can even glue a steampunk element piece on the ribbon to add some Victorian and Industrial Flair. Here’s a good idea of what to glue on your lace and ribbons:
Victorian pendants
Dried flowers
Small watch face
Elements like automaton, octopus, airship, etc.
Icon sets of masks, cards, adventure packs, etc.
Clips and Hairpins
Hairpins seem to have stood the test of time. And no, we’re not talking about the regular bobby pin. We’re talking about hairpins that have some style. You can even customize your steampunk flair by gluing steampunk elements to it like a watch face, cog, and wheels.
Fascinator
The fascinator started in 16-century of Europe and its fashion has never waived ever since the late Renaissance era of the 16th century. If Queen Marie Antoinette can make it popular using ostrich feathers as a headdress, you can do, too with steampunk elements.
Steampunk men’s hairstyles
Steampunk men’s hairstyles are the aforementioned men’s haircuts that resemble an idealized version of how Victorian gentlemen wore their hair. Steampunk hairstyles are less about the hair itself than they are about the styles that men choose to wear on the hair itself. Some of the hairstyles include bangs, curly hair, quiffs, and retro hairstyles.
Long-hair styles
Did you know in the past, men who have long hair are more respected? Of course, it’s a different thing now, but, cultures and sub-genres always have high regard for men with longer hair.
As the world of men’s hairstyles has moved away from the razor-blade to the gel, many men have turned to shorter and layered “stack” cuts, a style dominated by the pages of GQ Magazine and the local barbershop.
Man bun
What’s a man bun? Let’s just say it’s a top know for men. Man buns are the craze these days, but, did you know that this hairstyle is over 2,000 years old? Man buns come in a variety of styles like half-buns, low buns, and braided buns. They’re piled lower or higher, and they’re frequently accompanied with facial hair like sideburns, goatees, etc.
Here’s a great style variation of the man bun:
Full bun – all hair wrapped up into a bun.
Half-bun – just the upper portion of the hair tied into a bun.
Low-bun – tying the hair around the nape.
Messy-bun – effortless and casual type of tying the hair.
Afro/braided bun – afro-braided hair twisted or rolled up in a knot.
Men’s braid
If you think braids are for girls, you’re wrong. It’s an awesome steampunk hairstyle option for guys with long hair. Long braids are suited for any event steampunkers may find themselves in. There are tons of braid styles men can have and this includes but not limited to:
Box braids
casual braids where you divide the hair into multiple sections and braid the hair normally. You finish the braid by dipping the knits in hot water.
Dutch braids – you can find our how-tos in the steampunk female hairstyles. It’s pretty much the same even in men’s hairstyles!
Braided undercuts – this is a warrior-like braided hairstyle where it’s a combination of buzz cuts and French or Dutch braids.
Low, loose braid – these are simple and casual braids done in low-ponytail or loose hair.
Ponytail braid – a hairstyle where men pull their hair up in a ponytail and braid the rest down.
Long-hair shag cuts
A shag cut is a tiered haircut with varying lengths. The top and sides of the layers are frequently feathered and fringed at the edges. Shag cuts are what other may call a laid-back edgy type of hairstyle. Here are shags cuts you might want to into:
Classic shag cuts
Fringe shag cuts
Undercut shag cuts
Liberty spikes and Mohawk
Liberty spikes are a hairstyle in which the hair is shaped into long and straight spikes. It was inspired by the Roman goddess Libertas and often linked with the punk and goth subculture.
Hair is shaped into spikes that shoot forth in any direction. They’re popular in exceptionally long hair because of their sturdiness. Hair tints can be used to accentuate the hairstyle.
Flippies
Also known as Mod Cut or Wings, in the skateboarding, artistic, and surfer community, the flippies hairdo, is a popular choice for those living a hippie steampunk lifestyle. The idea is to create lots of patterns and textures in the overall steampunk dress-up. The hairstyle is usually wavy and reaches halfway down the ears if or below the shoulders.
Short-hair styles
Men often seek short hairstyles because of styling options. Short hairstyles are offered for more style variety which gives men more room for texture. Whether we’re talking about buzz cuts, mop hair, or curtained hair, there’s something for every Steampunker looking to add more buzz to their hairstyle.
Buzzcut
A buzz cut refers to hairstyles made with electric hair clippers. Buzz cuts became widespread after Nikola Bizumi, a Serbian inventor, invented manual hair clippers in the late 1800s.
Barbers used these clippers a lot to cut hair quicker. Today, there are a variety of buzz-cut hairstyles.
Skin-fade buzz cut.
Since the edges are trimmed short capable of providing distinction for the buzz top, the skin fade is among the most popular buzz types. The hair on the sides and back of a skin fade haircut is tapered down to the skin.
Short buzz cut. A short buzz cut is what it is named for – a cut close to the head.
Undercut buzz cut. The undercut buzz cut consists of short cuts at the sides and back of the head while leaving the top of the head.
Curtained hair
The curtained hair is popular during the Edwardian era, where it served as a shorter variant of the hairstyle, parted in the center and held in place with hairspray. It’s more prominent from the 1840s and onwards.
Kinds of curtain hair gaining prominence in 2021:
Wavy-curly curtain hairstyle
Brush up curtain hairstyle
Classic curtain hairstyle with beards
Asian curtain hairstyle
Messy hair
If you’re looking for a casual, laid-back, and cool hairstyle, the messy hair won’t get you wrong. The unkempt style is appealing for many adventurer Steampunkers who are looking for a tavern or so before breaking into another discovery.
Low to bald fade
This consists of a layered and textured hairstyle with faded shaved hair on the bottom and having long cuts at the top. It’s usually considered a modern take to a pompadour. To get the long, thick hair to stand up on top, you’ll need to use a hairdryer. This is a terrific style for any hair type, but it looks best on shorter hair.
Textured hair and shaggy cut
A short textured hairstyle with an undercut has a lot of contoured layers. Men’s haircuts with texture are great because they provide you additional styling options. They may be groomed into a more sophisticated sloppy hairdo or kept tidy and tidy with a comb.
Conclusion
What are the best male and female hairstyles for steampunk to wear in 2021? Men usually wear a short, bardic style hairstyle with some hidden, or hidden hair at the front and back of the head, with a short beard and or mustache; often retaining the style of the ’30s and 40’s in the back.
Ladies usually wear a curly hairstyle with some hair at the front and back; shorter hair with a slightly fuller look to the hair at the front of the head, with the looser look of the ’20s and ’30s; a curlier hairstyle with a smaller fringe on the side.
Steampunk is a scene, art, or lifestyle that portrays a particular period in history from the 1830s to the 1900s. Steampunk combines the traditional elements of science fiction, like steam-powered machines, punk clothing, and hairstyles with more classic styles and looks. The style is often marked by its use of costume accessories and brooches, a mixture of creative accessories with bold traditional hairstyles.