Not least amongst those ideas is gender equality. Steampunk women can kick just as much butt as their male counterparts and the costumes reflect that. Nobody messes with ladies in leather corsets. Unless that's what the ladies in question want, of course.
In the world of steampunk, strong women are sexy. They're equals or leaders. They certainly aren't stuck at home embroidering or reading romance novels, but that doesn't mean they can't wear good costumes too. The outfits you see here are modelled on the ideal steampunk heroine - practical but ornamented, tough but attractive. They're able to handle any adventure, from a horseback chase to a new love interest.
Hehehehe
Found this on a corsetry site describing their steampunk collection. The last line in paragraph one just makes me chuckle. But the others, yes! Hadn't thought about it before but "dainty" doesn't tend to go with steampunk much. Not that it doesn't have a spot, but bold femininity is definitely encouraged.
