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Pirate Costumes

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Buckle your swashes, or you'll walk the pirates' plank!

 

Pirates are bigger and better than ever. Even Rolling Stone Keith Richards agreed that the pirate's life was for him, when he rigged up to play Captain Jack Sparrow's father in Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End. Johnny Depp told interviewers after the first PotC movie that he had based some of his character's mannerisms on Keith Richards, so Richards' involvement in the final Pirates movie is a fitting culmination.

Hoist the colours me hearties! Join in the fun - buckle your sword belt, roll up your sleeves, and come privateering with us!

(Image above left: Boy's Captain Jack Sparrow pirate costume from Costume Craze.)

What will they find... At World's End? 

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 At World's End - Buy poster at Art.com

Swashbuckling adventure, pirate kings, and heartbreaking romance, the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, At World's End, has it all and doesn't disappoint. Some characters are back, some are lost, and some we'll only see every 10 years.


I heard rumours of a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but a check on the movie database doesn't indicate that anything's in production, which is not promising. Ah, well. We'll just have to make the most of it and have our own pirate show!


(Buy PotC poster from Art.com)

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $22.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

 

Yo, ho, haul together,
hoist the colours high.
Heave ho,
thieves and beggars,
never shall we die.

Captain Jack Sparrow 

Savvy?

Captain Jack Sparrow will be the most popular costume for adventure-loving men this Halloween... but don't let that put you off! Thanks to a subplot of At World's End, any party can have as many Captain Jack's as can fit through the door, and then some.

In the movie, the Black Pearl, stranded at "World's End", had an entire (hallucinated) crew of Jack Sparrows. So, why not make the multiple Jacks a theme of your party?

Captain Jack costume choices

Another bonus of the Captain Jack theme is the variety of costume options.

Captain Jack Sparrow costume (adult) from Costume Craze, or child - as pictured in the intro).

Jack's Headgear

- Jack is recognisable either with his beloved tri-corner hat (make your own pirate hat),

- or with a red bandana covering his trademark beaded dreadlocks

- or, in Dead Man's Chest, Jack takes time out to hold the position of king of a cannibal island, complete with an elaborate skull-adorned headpiece.

Jack's make-up and tattoos

Be adventurous. Go for the eyeliner!

Jack Sparrow Cannibal accessories kit from Costume Craze
Or, take it a step further. Remember the scene in Dead Man's Chest when Will and Elizabeth come across King Jack on the cannibal island? It appears as if Jack is staring right at them... until he opens his eyes.

To paint eyes on your eyelids, hold one eyelid down by the eyelashes. Use dampened white and blue eye-shadow as a base, and black or brown liquid eyeliner for the details - then use a finely sharpened kohl pencil to retrace the liner while it is still damp: this combination is fairly smudge-proof. Don't forget to place a tiny white dot to one side, joining the blue "iris" to the pupil - this sparkle will make the eye seem alive.

Captain Jack accessories set from Costume Craze
Jack has a sparrow tattoo on his wrist, and also a "P" branded below it.

Jack's jewellery and belts

Jack is a magpie. He picks up jewellery and wears as many belts as he can manage. Pile it on.

You can also get the replicas of Jack's emerald ring and compass, separately, from Amazon.

- - Jump to: Pictures of people who have dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow - -

(Image credits: "TopGirl" and Reto Kurmann)

Watch Johnny hamming it up as Jack Sparrow 

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Elizabeth Swann 

"I invoke the right of Parlay!"

Elizabeth Swann's character also has a range of costume choices, including the cream and gold period dress she wears before taking off to sea, and the red corseted dress Barbosa dresses her in after he kidnaps her.

long hair wigMost commonly, Elizabeth is known for dressing as one of the lads - even tying her hair back in a sailor's queue when she really needs to pass unnoticed when spying ashore. Likewise, in Singapore in At World's End, she dressed as a peasant boy in nondescript black and a broad conical hat to obscure her face.

Copy Elizabeth's long, wavy hair with this wig (above left).

Elizabeth Swann's Calypso costumeThe Elizabeth Swann costumes that are most popular this year are the two beautiful Singaporean gowns that she wears in At World's End.

The first is a blue and red gown that she is dressed in by Pirate Captain Sao Feng when he mistakes her for the goddess Calypso.

The second is the black and gold tunic-style outfit she dons when she becomes Captain Swann, and as Pirate King.

I'm not very fond of the replicas that have been made of the "Calypso" costume. I find the colours too bright, so you might want to "dirty" this costume a little for authenticity.

Elizabeth Swann's Calypso costume

Since much more of Elizabeth Swann's action in the movie takes place in the black and gold tunic costume, and many of the publicity posters feature her in this costume, I can't understand why (so far) a replica was only made of the blue and red Calypso costume, and not of the black costume.

So, I've come up with the following options for imitating the black and gold Captain Swann/King Elizabeth costume:

Long chinese gown with long, wide sleeves. Wear this over black trousers or tights.

Leather corset or

Stretch corset cinch belt or

Broad black belt





Suede flat boots or

Ladies leather pirate boots

Aaarrrr! Me hearties! 

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

Pirates have been sailing our seas since around 1200 BCE. The adventures and exploits of pirates of old fascinate us because of the codes of honour among thieves - bad as pirates could be, there were always stories of friendship, bravery, and even possibilities for romance. And, of course, treasure.

The Golden Age of Piracy took place in the 1700s CE, most notably around the Caribbean region where ships carrying goods from Europe and Africa were docking. Around this time, Britain laid off a great proportion of its naval seamen following the signing of peace treaties that made their employment redundant. Many of them had training in military tactics and sabotage, and these men turned their skills to profiteering.

Clothing for wannabe pirates 

Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 - Buy poster at Art.comThe basics of a pirate costume you will need...
Natural cotton pirate shirt
  • White oversized linen shirt, add ruffles to the cuffs if you wish
  • Loose drawstring trousers in brown or beige
  • Long-length tunic waistcoat
    Or a corset worn over the linen shirt
    Or a well-worn leather jacket
    Or find a worn military-style or other long-length coat in a vintage store or opportunity shop (add some gold trim if you like)
  • Wide leather belt to belt over your tunic, waistcoat, or shirt
  • The quickest and easiest pirate headgear is a red bandana tied around your head.
    Or you can make a traditional tri-corner (tri-corn) hat.

Pirate jewellery and accessories 

Replica pieces from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies

Pirates of the Caribbean Elizabeth Swann Necklace Replica

Elizabeth Swann "pinched" this necklace from Will Turner, and then the silly girl decided to call herself "Elizabeth Turner" - all of which got her into hot water when Captain Barbosa believed she was Bootstrap Bill Turner's heir...

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Pirates of the Caribbean Davy Jones Key Replica

Remember Will Turner painstakingly removing this key on a chain from the neck of a sleeping Davy Jones, each tentacle held in position with a pencil?

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow Ring Replica

Apparently Johnny Depp picked this ring up in a market somewhere and decided it was Jack Sparrow's ring. It had to be replicated for the second movie because all the costumes from the first movie were removed after shooting. Little did they know they would need all that stuff again!

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Master Replicas Jack Sparrow Compass

While just a silly gimmick in Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack's compass plays a major role in the second movie. "It doesn't even point north," says Norrington - Ha! Who wants to go North?!

Amazon Price: $199.00 (as of 07/25/2008)

Pirates of the Carribean Tia Dalma Necklace

The enigmatic Voodoo priestess Tia Dalma is the only one who knows how to find Jack Sparrow.

Amazon Price: $6.24 (as of 07/25/2008)

Make a Tri-Corner Pirate Hat 

Child-size tri-corner pirate hat available from Costume CrazeA tri-corner pirate hat is easy to make out of felt. Cut out a circle of felt larger than your head (the bowl of the hat) and cut a second circle (the brim) about twice the size of the first.

Cut a "dough-nut" out of the centre of the brim that is smaller than the bowl circle.

Place the bowl circle on your head and pull the brim over the bowl, then remove carefully without losing the shape and glue or sew together, and neaten up the edges.

Make a "corner" at each of three points on the brim, stitching if you need to keep the shape, and sew or glue the sides to the bowl of the hat using a cross stitch.

Add a bit of flair by attaching a flourishing feather to your tri-corner hat, as in this example from Costume Craze.

Or go for a battered Jack Sparrow replica pirate hat.

Dress up and play the Pirate Game! 

Do you dare walk the plank?

Sababa / Front Porch Dread Pirate Old Century Edition*

This is a beautifully made game that comes presented in a treasure chest that is stylish enough to grace your coffee table. The game is played on a treasure map and players win pirate gold in little velvet pouches. A gorgeous gift.

Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Sababa / Front Porch Dread Pirate Bookshelf Edition*

The bookshelf edition is a cheaper version, but is also beautifully presented in a vintage book that looks stunning on a bookshelf or coffee table.

Amazon Price: $41.50 (as of 07/25/2008)

Make your own pirate boots 

Ladies rustic pirate costume from Amazon.com, including boot gaitersIf you don't have a suitable pair of long boots, select a pair of your own shoes that could pass as the "feet" of a pair of boots, and make your own boot extensions.

Measure around the widest part of your calf and measure the desired length from ankle to knee or thigh. Note the amount of fake leather you will need, and try to match the colour of your shoes.

Cut your "boot-legs" out of the fake leather, making sure that you have enough extra along the back to glue the leg into a tube-shape, while still being able to fit your foot and leg into the tube.

Slip on your gaiters before you put on your shoes and tuck your trousers into your boot-legs, or just wear a long-length tunic and show a bit of thigh!

(The image here is the Rustic Lady Pirate costume from Amazon.)

Sexy pirate boot options 

Sexy lace-up heeled pirate boots with skull and cross-bones detail on the side.

Ladies high-heeled pirate boot (right) with buckle detail.

High-heeled pirate boot, with red ribbon-laced cuff detail.

Velvet knee-high boot-look tights

Pirate gear for the ladies 

Rustic lady pirate
Rustic Lady Pirate costume (left) from Costume Craze or from Amazon.com -
includes a gold trimmed vinyl corset vest, gauze blouse, pants, bandana, gold trimmed boot tops and hat. (Pairs with the Men's Rustic Pirate costume).

See details of Elizabeth Swann's "Calypso" costume above. Elizabeth Swann is mistaken for the goddess Calypso and dressed in style by Pirate Captain Sao Feng.

Elizabeth Swann Pirate Costume -Elizabeth also disguised herself as a boy in tunic and breeches.

Gorgeous long-haired wig (right)

Female Pirate Captain costume - Fitted long cutaway jacket with lace trim and pantaloon-style pants.

Women's Sexy Marauder Pirate costume - Bell Bottom Pants, Lace-Up Waist Cincher with Buckles, Top, Hat, Sword and Eye Patch included.

Adult Pirate Wench Costume - includes pirate corset, blouse, and skirt.

Adult Sally Swashbuckler Pirate Costume - includes head scarf, shirt with attached vest, belt and velvet pants.

Ladies - make your own pirate costume 

Halloween Costume Ideas, Pirate Costume, Halloweeny Wednesda

YARRRR!!! Take to the high DIY seas with Corinne as she transforms an old pair of leather pants and work shirt into and entire pirate costume. All for under 10 swashbucklin bucks.

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Pirate gear for the guys 

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest - Poster at Art.comAdult Caribbean Pirate Costume
Caribbean Pirate Costume, shown left, includes jacket with attached vest and shirt. Hat, sash and the boot tops are also included.


Adult Premier Pirate costume from Costume Craze
Pirate Costume for Men includes the gauze shirt, embossed vinyl trimmed vest, boot tops, sash, scarf bandana, belt, eyepatch & earring.

Military-style pirate costume

Uni-sex pirate/renaissance linen drawstring shirt

Pirate boot gaiters

Pirate make-up kit - includes techniques and make-up for creating stubble, scars, and bruises.

Fake pirate moustache and beard kit

Jack Sparrow's pirate headscarf and dreadlock beaded hair piece

Child pirates 

Shipwrecked girl pirate costume (left)
Shipwrecked Pirate costume includes shirt with vinyl cuffs, skirt with printed skull, waist sash, and vinyl skull medallion.

Pirate girl costume for toddler (right)
Pirate costume dress with attached belt and bandanna.

Child Elizabeth Swann as Calypso costume (second left)

Child "Elizabeth disguised as boy" Pirate Costume

Caribbean Queen Pirate costume for girls and matching boy's Caribbean Pirate costume.

Matching Toddler and Infant Pirate costumes for boys

Notorious historical pirates of the Caribbean 

  • Blackbeard
  • Black Bart
  • Calico Jack
  • Anne Bonney
  • Mary Read

Build your own pirate ship! 

Build a cardboard pirate ship
Easy to follow plans for building your very own pirate ship on Mr McGroovy's website. This is meant to be a ship big enough for children to play in and on, but could probably be scaled down, too, to make toy boats to play with.
Pictures of completed pirate ships
... and castles too!

Pirate costumes and stuff on eBay 

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eBay

Every pirate needs a... weapon! (and a pet) 

Pirate sword
Pirate sword

Pirate pistol

Pirate dagger with gold-trimmed sheath (Arabian style)

Pirate dagger with skull detail

Pirate hand hook with skull detail

For more durable pirate weapons - from swords to axes - visit Knighthawk Armoury. These weapons are made from lightweight latex-covered foam and designed for active role playing game combat and theatrical use.

Pirate pet costume

Pirate Books and Movies 

When you need to do some pirate research - the fun way.

Treasure Island (Signet Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island (Signet Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson

My favourite pirate book, featuring the frightenin more...0 points

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Over the edge we go! Where we'll bob up, nobody kn more...0 points

More Halloween ideas 

Make Halloween Witches' Hats
Make big witches' hats to wear and little ones to hold candy.
Make Harry Potter accessories
Make accessories for the Harry Potter fan in your family...
Make a Zathura-inspired boardgame
Looking for some ideas for Halloween party games? Why not invent a boardgame using the Zathura movies as inspiration?
Halloween Costumes and Ideas for Couples
Creating a matching theme this Halloween, in public, or in private!
Pet Costumes for Halloween
Dress your pet.
Ultimate Halloween Props
This lens is categorised R because it is not safe for very young eyeballs. I consider it PG-13, though, so parents might want to have a quick look before allowing little horror-movie fans inside.
Impersonating the dead at Halloween
Do you dare to dress as Anna Nicole this Halloween?
Colour themed Halloween ideas
A colour theme makes things easy for you and your guests, from those who really enjoy dressing up to those who are shy.

Lens of the Day 

Pirate costumes for Halloween was selected as Lens of the Day on 27 October 2006.

Thank you to everyone who voted for this lens at The Lens of the Year. Pirate Costumes reached the Top 50!

People who have dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow 

- - Jump back up to: Captain Jack Sparrow - -


Jack Sparrow in Hollywood, CA by Reto Kurmann

Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Sparrow on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA on Nove...

JACK SPARROW!` by Muran-hime

EVERYONE was raving about how awesome this guy was. We didn't even care that he ...

Jack Sparrow and Kevin by scarletkat

Jack Sparrow came for a visit today. He's so cute! They preschoolers came trick-...

Jack Sparrow by tiramisu_addict

This guy really looks like Jack Sparrow...maybe he is really Johnny Depp! :)

Jack sparrow portrait of a pirate by TopGirl!

Well lucky me got up close and personal with the man himself (johnny depp) jack ...

Jack Sparrow. by Anitaboo

Sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow. Eye make up by A Athi

Jack sparrow- Portrait of a Pirate by TopGirl!

Well lucky me got up close and personal with the man himself jack sparrow!...ok ...

 

Lens content copyright © Elsa Neal 2006-2008, All rights reserved.
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About daoine

In a former life, Daoine sailed the high seas on board a pirate vessel, trading rum and blows a plenty, and heeding the allure of the clash of sword blades. Ay, what a life that was!


Sadly, she didn't live to tell the tale, and is now forced to make things up to compensate.


Elle Neal is the Fiction Writing Editor for BellaOnline.com and the owner of hearwritenow.com


Elle lives in Melbourne, Australia, and completed her first novel in 2004 and second in 2007, and is currently working on a children's fantasy trilogy.


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