rivetting stuff, jolly good fun

You my dear are impressive

I like gears on my steampunk but I don't like them when it makes no sense for the owner to have/use them. I have a ringmaster character who has tiny watch gears for her sequence on her top. And since she flys around in an airship and deals with clockwork items it made sense to me to have her use broken gears to add some sparkle to her outfit. I really like your idea that it's a lower class fashion trend, but about the lace... What's to say your person did not pull it from a ruined shirt she found...or two.