Is the high low skirt just an asymmetric skirt turned to the front, here we see a front and side view of the high low styled skirt favoured in the steampunk fashion but one could say the side view looks like an asymmetric skirt.

The high-low skirt has a full circle hem. However, the length varies from short in front to long in back. The style originates in Victorian era dresses and formal gowns, when the hem style became known as the "fishtail". During the 19th century, it became a trend in the mid-1870s, reappearing in the early 1880s, and later in women's formal gowns and evening dresses throughout the 20th century, particularly in the late 1920s and early 1930s, where lowering hemlines were a mask that would start off 1930s silhouettes.

The recent high-low skirt hem trend began in late 2011. The high-low skirt became a trend in Europe and America in late 2011, eventually becoming a worldwide fashion in Spring and Summer 2012. It has received fashion press coverage in India, such as in the fashion labels Namrata Joshipura and Myoho, being praised for its "playfulness". It received widespread visibility outside of fashion circles after The Voice contestant Devyn DeLoera wore a peach-coloured high-low skirt for her audition in summer 2012.

The skirt style has been given a variety of names by designers and the press, including asymmetrical and waterfall, with the most common and derisive term being "mullet skirt", used by Britain's Mirror newspaper in criticising a version worn by singer Cher Lloyd in April 2012, a mocking reference to the now unfashionable mullet hairstyle that was a brief men's fad in the 1980s. However, some high-low dress wearers have embraced the term, referring to their own dress as a mullet dress.

So what of steampunk fashion is a subgenre of the steampunk movement in science fiction. It is a mixture of the Victorian era's romantic view of science in literature and elements from the Industrial Revolution in Europe during the 1800s. Steampunk fashion consists of clothing, hairstyling, jewellery, body modification and make-up. More modern ideals of steampunk can include t-shirts with a variety of designs or the humble jeans being accessorised with belts and gun holsters.

The steampunk theme latched onto the tight bodices and or the corset cincher which complemented the high low style skirt and it was not long before it was all combined into a dress or full length dresses that could be hiked up once again show the legs, creating that high low look with special clips holding the front of the dress up..

So what is steampunk fashion, well it is a subgenre of the steampunk movement in science fiction. It is a mixture of the Victorian era's romantic view of science in literature and the industrialisation in most parts of Europe. The aesthetics of the fashion are designed with a post-apocalyptic era in mind. At the first steampunk convention, "SalonCon", in 2006, steampunk enthusiasts dressed up in costumes reflecting that era. The costumes included clothing, hairstyling, jewellery, body modification and make-up. Steampunk fashion has later gone on to include gadgets and contrasting accoutrements.

Showing a leg is not what all steampunks do or practice and that’s why some prefer the longer skirt or dress, that can, if required be hiked up they often feature built-in drawstrings, side ties, or metal D-ring mechanisms to hold the fabric at a shorter length, we note it is more popular with the crossdressers that are a big part of the steampunk movement.

During the 1980s and 1990s, steampunk fashion grew along with the goth and punk movements in fashion. Cyberpunk and dieselpunk fashion are variants of the steampunk fashion of the 1980s.

Just like its counterparts in other art forms, primarily literature, steampunk fashion is based on the aesthetic of an alternate history. Even though critics disagree about it being rooted in fantasy literature, there are elements that suggests that some part of its aesthetic is conceived from books and films that showcase alternate history using fantasy. Interest in steampunk aesthetics may also be due to an increased interest from the fashion industry in Victorian spiritualism, during the 2010s.

Within the steampunk fashion, there are a number of personas, or archetypes, such as the valiant explorer with pith helmet, brass telescope and binoculars; the debonair aviator with birdlike gadgets and devices, leather helmet, brass goggles and canvas coat; and the gentleman, with a lab coat over formal clothes and belts for all sorts of implements and instruments.

Steampunk fashion is a mixture of fashion trends from different historical periods. Steampunk clothing adds the looks of characters from the 19th century, explorers, soldiers, lords, countesses and harlots, to the punk, contemporary street fashion, burlesque, goth, fetishism, vampire and frills among others. Related to steampunk fashion is the Lolita fashion, which strand stands for a youthful expression of girlishness. Though they both take inspiration from the Victorian era, Lolita is more modest and focused on purchasing clothing from commercial vendors, as opposed to steampunk clothing, which is traditionally created from things bought in thrift stores.

The base of steampunk fashion is primarily influenced by the fashion of the mid-19th century. For women this fashion was often dominated by long, flowing dresses and regal jacket bodices. The latter extended over the hips and matched the skirt fabric only occasionally. In the beginning of the 1860s, the bodice ended at the waist.

New styles emerged and the Garibaldi blouse, made its appearance. During the early 1860s, the hoops of the skirts were also taking on an elliptical shape, with a much fuller back and a narrower front silhouette. The ensuing conical shaped skirts have also inspired the steampunk fashion. At the beginning of the 20th century, skirts that were flared at the hem became popular. Dresses for women were sometimes masculine tailored and made to look intimidating. Evening wear for women were decorated with sparkling beads, bangles and gaudy embroideries. The hobble skirt was also introduced at that time.

Steampunk fashion did originally not include much jewelry, but a few accoutrements have made their way into the style during the 2010s. In steampunk fashion, corsets are more of a clothing item than an undergarment. Being rather conspicuous, they have more or less become synonymous with the genre. Corsets in brocade or leather, with steel-boning are a form of steampunk clothing inspired by the Victorian era.

Brass goggles have become a trademark for steampunk fashion. Brass items are also a kind of official, standard steampunk accessory. Goggles with intricate patterns on large, round frames are the most commonly used ones. Hats in steampunk fashion may include all kinds of headgear like flight helmets, bowler hats, pith helmets and pirates' bandanas. The headgear in steampunk fashion is also inspired by Victorian era fashion styles.

Many of the skirt and dress styles worn in Steampunk fashion are derivative of Victorian era silhouettes (bell skirts, trumpet skirts, bustled skirts, etc.), but with a sexier, modern twist.

So there we have it, the high low skirt or dress front look set to stay, well in Steampunk anyway, click on the picture above for a closer look. In finishing we might also add that the community of the steampunks is a very accepting and friendly one with a wide selection of societies individuals.

Steampunk fashion has evolved into a culture of imaginative dressing, inspired by the aesthetics of the past. Modern-day fashion critics have actively sought to deconstruct steampunk as a term and as a philosophy in the context of fashion. Modern trends in steampunk fashion are grouped into historical recreationists and sci-fi cosplayers. Since the first steampunk convention in 2006, SalonCon, there have been a number of similar conventions where enthusiasts dress up as characters from steampunk culture. Modern steampunk clothing is based more on leather and metal as opposed to cotton or natural fabrics. More recently, steampunk has also been linked to fetishism, the genderqueer community and modern paganism.