Dracula Clothing

Dracula Clothing is fast becoming a name in accessible, affordable steampunk attire. In fact my very first steampunk shoot involved wrapping up in their wares. While steampunk has as its ethos a DIY take on clothing, not everyone has the skills nor the time to fashion something up. And thus far affordable offthepeg fare has been limited. But these corsets will make a wonderful centerpiece to any steamy outfit. Their clothing range, being resellers of the fabulous Fanplusfriend Garden make fantastic accompaniments, even if slightly more expensive.

I took some time to speak to the proprietors of the shop, and here us what they had to say:

Could you start off by telling us what your personal style is?

We dress in a style we call Aristocrat goth, it is inspired by the Victorian style and Rococo style, but modernised with elements from other alternative styles to make it rougher. For instance we have made some special tail coats, male v-shapers formed as vests (male corsets) that will be sold in a few months.

The corset is the most feminine piece of clothing there is. It enhances what you want to show off, and hides what you want to hide. The corset looks beautiful on women of every size, and we will also be producing masculine “V shapers”, the male corset equivalent. By using a corset, women get an hourglass shape, and men get the much sought after V shape. The corset gives you posture, shape and even a bit of attitude! It just has an amazing effect!

How long have you been trading and what made you start up?

We started up two and a half years ago, because we were looking for clothes and didn’t find anything we liked. Everything was expensive or bad quality and we felt that we could make some cool designs ourselves. I had been in India a few years earlier, and made a tailor made suit that had the best quality I have ever seen, so I wanted to find some good tailors that could make quality alternative clothes at a much better price.

Could you tell me a bit about the construction of your corsets?

Our corsets are very durable, and made with quality materials. We use spiral steel boning, which allows for maximum movement and comfort, while at the same time giving you a serious hourglass shape. The busk consists of flat steel, which is extremely sturdy and can take a lot of pressure.

Our fabrics are soft and strong, and we have a wide selection of satin, PVC, leather, velvet and cotton.

Your clothing is made in Asia. Who is it made by and how do you manage that relationship?

We have our own tailors in several Asian countries, and manage this relationship by visiting and keeping in contact via phone, post and e-mail. We are avid travelers, and spend a lot of time searching for the perfect tailors, getting to know them and their factory.

Do they then ship directly to your customers or to you to ship yourselves?

Our tailors ship directly to the customers, thus eliminating extra costs and delays. It takes from 4-10 days to receive the corset, depending on your location and size of order.

Are all your corsets made to measure, and what measurements do you take?

We have regular size, as well as a “Made to measure” option. Our regular sizes range from 18-38. For a “Made to measure” option, we need your hip, waist and bust measurements.

Who comes up with the corset designs?

Most of the designs come from us, the two owners, but we also receive designs from our friends. By using designs from a lot of different people, we get a wide and varied range of corsets in our shop.

Which are your best selling styles and why do you think that is?

Longline cleavage overbust is our top seller right now, I think it is because it is an overbust that is designed for bustier women.

You have a few clothing items along with your corsets, are there any plans to stock any more?

We are currently working on new clothing designs, and are very excited! The clothing is made with the same “low price, great quality” attitude as our corsets.

You can find them here: DraculaClothing.com

Original interview Published in Alt Fashion

Final Image by The Alternative Image