But there was something about the juxtaposition that underscored the marvelous regalia that was paraded in the halls and conference rooms. Damn fine attire; many miles of satin and corset lacing was sacrificed for the pleasure of these lasses (and lads).

I am pretty sure there were more laced-up lovelies at Steamcon than there were at SEAF! What I enjoyed especially is that each ensemble seemed unique–nothing much that was off-the-rack. And I saw many, many pieces which were exquisitely crafted.

I coveted a few things, including a sweet pair of hand-crocheted fingerless gloves with a leather buckle-up cuff, but I really wanted them in black rather than ivory and ivory was the only choice. So I left empty-handed (so to speak).

Someone on Twitter had groused about the prices of the merchandise, but I found most things to be much lower priced than I had expected. There was a vendor area with things ranging from corset stays to comic books (okay, okay, graphic novels, but I did like that little illeteration). There was also an art gallery, with a bit of a silent auction format. Here’s were I was especially struck by the low prices, with hand-crafted ray guns selling for less than fifty dollars.

Here and there, I posed for a few photographers, something I haven’t done for awhile, so that was charming.

Later, after getting home I saw on Facebook a link to a watch that is 21st century steampunk (if there can be such a thing). I think this creation is super sexy, for the fine craft and intelligence that has gone into constructing it, and for the story behind it.