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I, for the past few years, have been watching EGL transform from never being seen in the streets of the US, to actually seeing one or two, more often at a convention in droves.

So I thought, hey. (This includes a foreign history lesson!)

Wa-loli is a mix of lolita plus old Japanese style, particularly a kimono.

There's also Qi-lolis, that incorporate the Chinese Quipao into lolita fashion.

A qipao, pronounced "chi-pow," is the type of dress typical of the modern image of Chinese women that has a stiff, short collar and slits in the side of the dress. It's actually pretty new, comparing its history of 300 years to the initial creation of the hanfu, which was documented at being created around 1000BC.

That's right. BC.

In China, there's a hanfu movement right now that has been going on since 2003. This relates because 1. I'm half Chinese and...
2. Japan's kimono, Korea's hanbok, and Vietnam's ao tu than are derivative of the hanfu, being all countries that actually originated from Chinese people.

Which brings me to my point.

Other people throw little things into Steampunk as well, but why not some crazy ethnic things? Sure, it'll be hard, but I think it's worth a shot. I'm sure someone has tried, maybe someone has been sucessful, but I'm going to do it my own way.

Of course, I should mention, I'm also a man. So using a hanfu with Steampunk would deplete some of my manliness, but...

When I really start coming up with ideas, you guys want to see some of the designs?

I should also note that most of the designs would of course include silk and brocades!

TLDR:

Lolita has Wa-loli and Qi-loli, a mix of lolita and traditional Japanese or Chinese clothing, respectively.

I'm going to try to mix Steampunk and the Chinese Hanfu.

Because the hanfu's principal is very different from western clothing, it should be a challenge.

ohhh, mkay

yea, eastern steam is really rare, and surprisingly so is Western

by western I meant cowboy stuff. and its rare compared to victorian XP

Honestly, I'd think the more widely recognizable Chinese changshan/qipao would mix better with Steampunk than a hanfu, as far as mere fashion and aesthetics are concerned, especially since it hits the general 18th to 19th century time zone that Steampunk most often occupies. EGL and pretty much all related forms of modern Gothic fashion have never appealed to me at all.

But I do like the idea of older traditional Chinese clothing mixed with Steampunk, hanfu or not, since half of the world's inventions originated in China in one form or another and it's not all that far-fetched to think, with the right political and economical conditions, that the Chinese might have taken advanced steam technology far sooner and much farther than Western cultures.

yea, thats a good point. But for fashion reasons I prefer doing my own thing. Kinda like a western steampunk style mixed with fantasy (like assassins, thieves and elves kind of fantasy) but only very slightly.

if that was directed at me then I never said there was a problem, just its rare xD