Article 1: 6 Types of Pirate Costumes

Secrets of How to Dress Like a Pirate

Article 1

I’d be a cursed by Davy Jones, but out of the thousands of books about pyrates, but not a single book be penned about pyratical fashions. Thar be no articles written over two pages about the subject. The only thing that can be found on YouTube be a number of video that show how with a handy pair of scissor n’ stuff found around the house, ye too can become a true pirate (Not). How can this be?

Three major reasons fer this calamity:
1. There arrrrr no survivin’ examples of pirate clothin’.
2. Pyrates didn’t write many books about the subject. Most of what be written arrrr court trials, which focus on what they did, not how they be dressed.
3. Pyrates didn’t have skilled artists paint thar portraits. Aye, there be many old illustrations of pyrates but most be created by artists fer newspapers, where the artist did not actually see the pirates, they just created an image that would help sell more books n’ papers.

So how does one write a series of articles without these conventional sources of information? We make these assumptions: 

1. Generally, pyrates wore what everyone else wore at that time period n’ location.
2. Pyrates wore what sailors wore (not an easy task of finding out either), which allows them to climb the rigging n’ keep warm.
3. Pirates wore some of what they stole, means they wore a wider range of clothing, to include clothing of many nations n’ of richer as well as average or poor styles, cuts n’ textiles.
4. What we think of as real pirate clothing be heavily influenced by movies, books n’ pop culture.

Different Types of Pirate Costuming

So take this journey with me to transform yarself from a lubber to a real pyrate. Cause I know everyone want’s to be a PYRATE! But thar not be only one pyrate look. Let’s start by dividin’ how pirate dress into 6 distinct types. This helps clarify what I be focusin’ this article series on.

The focus be not on the first two, the Halloween Costume Pirate n’ the Thrift Store Pirate as they be the best-covered portion of the market. I NOT be coverin’ the Historic Accurate Pirate, as the Stich Nazi’s want proof of everything (the reason why my book be never finished). What’s the fun of dress up, if no one recognizes you as a pirate. Some historic facts will find there way in these articles.

I wish to share the secrets of my knowledge about the middle three types (with the Real Pirate Look being my true love) fer those adventure soul who wish to be part of the brotherhood, arrrrgh!

Mark my words, fer the next article be about the most hotly debated pyrate accessories, the Bandana n’ Sash.

XXX

About the Writer: Tiger Lee of the South China Sea started shootin’ pyrates with a Canon camera in 2007. He produced the Hot Pirate Babe Calendar series fer 6 years. Tiger also wrote a regular column in Pirates Magazine. He moved to St Augustine to start up Pirate Portraits N Treasures. The store dropped the old time photo studio, changed the name to Pirate Fashions n’ moved to Tampa, FL. The focus now be on creatin’ pyrate garb, accouterments n’ weapons.