Great Pirate Costume Ideas!
Pirate Party Games
Need pirate costume ideas? Pirates have been the costume of choice for many fancy dress parties. So, if you are looking for costume ideas, you have plenty of choices.
The biggest choice is whether to make your own, rent one or buy one. When you rent a costume just about everything you need to complete the outfit is included.
Buying Your Pirate Costume is Easiest
Buying a Pirate costume runs the gamut. Some come with everything, some are very basic. Either way, there are always a few extra accessories you may wish to add. After all, you don't want to look like every other pirate at the party.
Making your own takes a bit of imagination. How fancy do you want to go? Jack Sparrow has become the most famous fictional pirate since Captain Hook.
Re-creating the Jack Sparrow look could get a bit tricky. Of course, you don't have to go to the dentist to get gold plates put on your teeth the way Johnny Depp did, these fake gold teeth will do just fine.
Unless you are a female pirate, a beard and mustache are a must. Pirates are out at sea for months at a time. Many of them don't bother to shave too regularly. For authenticity, you need the long straggly hair and unkempt beard. Because, you know pirates are not famous for their personal hygiene.
There are plenty of pirate wigs and beards available at novelty shops and costume stores. Although some pirates were red-haired or blonde, the majority had black or very dark hair.
Pirate Newlywed Game @ Python Printable Games
When it comes to movie pirate look-alikes, Jack Sparrow and Captain Hook are not your only choices. Pirates have graced the big screen since movies were invented. Anthony Quinn, for example, has been in several pirate movies. None of his costumes where nearly as extravagant as Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook.
Another famous fictional pirate you may want to imitate is Long John Silver of Treasure Island fame. Or the infamous Blackbeard. Looking as scary as this pirate apparently looked will take quite a bit of make-up. But, one thing is for sure, no one will recognize you.
Blackbeard's distinguishing feature was his beard. It is said he tied his long straggly beard into ponytails with different colored ribbons. He was also famous for his sash full of pistols, tucked in and out of view.
Female Pirates
What about Pirate outfits for women? Geena Davis played a pirate in Cutthroat Island. Red and white striped leggings full of holes and a bulky white shirt is about all she wore. And a hat, of course.
Pin the Parrot on the Pirate party game at Python Printable Games
Pirate Costume Hats
One thing all pirates have in common is the Pirate hat or bandana on the head. This is also for practical reasons. You need to keep your straggly hair out of your face when you are working. And the captain needs a bigger hat to show he is the captain and to keep the sun and water reflection from burning his face too much.
Costume shops and even second hand stores are great resources to finding the clothes and accessories you need. Many people will buy a costume and only wear it once. Not needing it anymore, they ship it off to the second hand store.
Facebook Pirate Language game at Python Printable Games
On a Budget? Dress as a Crew Member
Most of the time when you think about pirate costume ideas, you think about the famous captains you see in the movies. All the deck hands are pirates, as well. They do not dress nearly as fancy as the captain. They have to work hard, and usually wear tight clothing that won't get caught up in the rigging.
Their outfits usually consist of nothing more than raggedy short pants and a tight shirt. And the Pirate bandana on the head. Making this costume is a snap. Unlike the captain, deck hands are usually bare footed. This made running around the ship and climbing the ropes easier, especially since good running shoes hadn't been invented yet. But, you probably don't want to show up at a fancy dress party in bare feet, so deck shoes would be fine.
Pirates from the old days didn't come up these special costumes to look different. Those were the clothes of the times. Being out at sea for such long stretches at a time made them look ragged. And since keeping up with the latest fashions was not on their list of priorities, their outfits became outdated, giving us a stereotypical pirate look.
Modern-Day Pirates Are Boring!
Modern day pirates dress the same as any other people. The main point of today's pirate is to look like an ordinary seafarer, otherwise they would get busted before they could hijack a ship. They also do not fly the scull and bones flag anymore. That is just a dead give away.
Nobody wants to go to a fancy dress party dressed like a modern day pirate. You want the fancy costume the pirates wore in the old days.
Pirate Costume Accessories
A Pirate eye patch is a very popular accessory. Seems like just about every pirate lost an eye in battle. Other body parts were lost, as well.
The wooden leg might a bit hard to pull off. You would have to strap a wooden leg to your knee and hold that leg up all night. With a little practice, you could get quite good at walking like this. Aside from your leg sticking out behind you, you would really look like you only had one leg.
A hook for your hand is pretty easy. Just get a shirt and coat with extra long sleeves and hold the hook in your hand. The sleeves would cover your real hand.
Pirate Weapons
You don't want to use a real hook. That would be too dangerous. The same is true for other accessories like a pistol or a cutlass. Fake ones are much more acceptable. Fake ones are cheaper, too. You can find them just about anywhere.
Even your local toy store will probably have a good selection of toy pistols, knives and cutlasses. But, for a real authentic look, get your accessories from a costume store. They will have the ones that look more like ones in the movies.
Pirate Shoulder Parrot
Parrots are another famous pirate accessory. Training a real parrot to sit on your shoulder could take months, or maybe even years.
A cute toy parrot will work much better, and you won't have to worry about a mess running down the back of your costume.
Pirate Costume Boots and Shoes
When thinking about pirate costume ideas, you might want to think about your Pirate footwear, as well. Getting a hold of authentic captain's boots will not be easy. If you have your mind set on being a truly authentic pirate of the olden days, you may have to do quite a bit of searching.
Since it is a party and you are not a real pirate, the other guests will probably forgive you if you don't have authentic pirate boots. If you are going as a regular pirate, not a captain, deck shoes will work fine. Just make sure they are older deck shoes. A brand new pair of sneakers with a raggedy costume will not go well together.
There are many pirate costume ideas to choose from. It is all a matter of what type of pirate you would like to be and how much money and effort you want to put into your costume.
More Pirate Party Reading
Prefer something a little more super? Check out these Superhero Costume Ideas and prepare to wear your underpants on the outside!
See One Stop Birthday Ideas for more Pirate birthday party inspiration.
