Pirate News

How to Dress Like a Pirate

Whether ye be a seasonedpirate, or a first-time adventurer. Allarrr Adventurers should learn about Arrr Pirate Fashions Tier System!

The first Tier befer First Time Pirates n' Wenches! Itbe an affordable outfit n' a good foundationfer yarpiratey endeavors! Both male n' female variations come with the basics: a top, a bottom n' a midriff piece such as a bodice or sash! These outfits run from $100-$200 typically.

The second Tier be an intermediate outfit! Ferarrr pirates n' wenches lookin'fer an upgrade from the first Tier ye will find awaist coat,footgear, leather goods, skirts, hats n' basic weapons. Thisbe the Officer Tier when ye begin to establishyar clout as an adventurer, n' it typically runs at $200-$600.

The third n' final Tier befer the Captains o' the Ship! This be the tierfer elaborate Frock Coats, Corsets, Boots n' a greater stash o' weapons! Though itbe an advanced tier, there be no reason ye can't add ontoyar Officer's Outfit! Sailors spend between $400-$1200 on a Captain's Outfit.

To make it even easierfer ye to find the outfit ye be lookin'fer we have two distinctive styles. A Gentleman can be Fancyfer a day ashore or Rough like the seas! Both fit neatly into the Tier System but establish a distinct aesthetic. Ye could have a Poor Rough Captain n' a Fancy Seaman.

Fer Arrr Ladies o' Fortune we have a Proper Look or a Sexy Lookfer Tavern Hopping or attendin' the Governor's Ball! Regardless ye will be drawing the attention of many a rogue, friend or foe! Pickin' a style will help ye find what ye are lookin'fer more quickly in an easy to understand manner.

Usin' the Categories n' Style System ye are well onyar way toyar first pirate outfit or upgradin' yourself for a new adventure!

What ye see here isarrr "outfits" and not costumes. Instead of going with a cheap Halloween costume for one night ye have chosen the garb of a movie star or a high seasadventurerhttp://bit.ly/2jm8FuP

Continue reading

The Irish Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley

 

Happy St. Paddy's Day to all Arrr Irish Mates out there! In honor o' St. Patrick's Day we be ready to tell ye about a Legendary Irish Pirate, Grace O'Malley!

Grace O'Malley was a wildly successful Irish Clan Chieftain n' Pirate Captain. In some history books she be known as the Sea Queen of Connacht. Grace inherited both her penchant for Piracy n' her Chieftain status from her father upon his death. Her family held a swath o' territory on the west coast of Ireland, n' they were able to build several castles to protect their shores n' the fishermen that they taxed.

O'er time she also had several husbands n' lovers, most of whom met their end in battle. Grace was a warrior herself howe'er. She fell for a shipwrecked sailor who was 15 years younger than her after her first husband was killed. When another clan killed her new man, she went to their abode at Doona Castle during "Blacksod May" n' killed the guilty party. After the attack, people called her the "Dark Lady of Doona'. She had four legitimate children o'er her lifetime, though rumor suggests there was at least one out of wedlock.

Grace's piratical career frequently revolved around "taxing" merchants for protection, n' resistance was met with violence n' murder. She was able to do this by commandin' the loyalty of her clan as well as her first husband's clan upon his death. Additionally she was able to recruit Irish n' Scottish Mercenaries to raid the West Coast o' Scotland. All of her piratical pursuits were accomplished while supporting Ireland in its many rebellions against the English Royalty. 


She was infamous enough that she got an audience with Queen Elizabeth I to negotiate the release of her sons, though she would not kneel. Both made promises during the negotiation, but broke them all later. Including that Grace would cease pirate activities!

Among Pirates, Grace was a rarity in that she was able to retire n' die peacefully around 1603, the same year as Elizabeth I. 

Continue reading

The History of Port Royal



The History of Port Royal!

Contrary to what ye may have seen in Pirates of the Caribbean, Port Royal, Jamaica was a very hospitable town to Pirates. Being slightly more like what ye saw in the movie's Tortuga! It was fairly normal for port towns in the 17th Century n' very early 18th Century to welcome pirates for the simple reason that they had lots o' money to spend from their latest raid on a Spanish Treasure Fleet or Merchant Vessel.

From the Community's perspective the pirates were a driving force in Port Royal's economy, they would go ashore with a fortune n' spend most of their earnins on food, drink n' luxury goods. In the 1660's there was One Drinking House per Ten 10 Residents because of the effect the sailors had. Barter n' Trade was still fairly normal in this time period among common folk, but allegedly Port Royal ran on the exchange of coinage it had done so well.

The pirates enjoyed Port Royal because it was strategically placed along multiple trading routes they could prey on. As long as they paid their dues to the local governors they also had a safe haven to fall back to, early British Governors would welcome successful pirate crews personally. Pirates could even compose the local garrison to defend the town against attacks. It was such a famous town among pirates that they would travel from as far as Madagascar to enjoy what had become the "Sodom of the New World."

Port Royal itself was ravaged by an earthquake in 1692, n' most of the region's economic activity was moved to nearby Kingston, Jamaica. Soon thereafter the British cracked down on piracy n' made the settlement the primary location to hang n' execute unsanctioned pirates! http://bit.ly/2mUb2aE

Continue reading

Captain Henry Morgan as a Pop Culture Icon

We have told ye the tale who the infamous Cap'n Morgan wasas a historical figure. Now we will detail some o' his exploits as a pop culture icon through the Ages! Pirates n' Swashbucklin' Legends have been the source of many stories, even the historians of the 17th n' 18th Centuries and their accounts may have been embellished for the purposes of entertainment.

 



Morgan was best known by the historical accounts of AlexandreExquemlin, a Franco-Dutch writer n' a sailor who wrote the "History of the Bouccaneers of America."Exquemlin was a barber-surgeon in Morgan's crew, perceived to have resented Morgan for his renegade nature n' his reputation for torture. He didn't speak favorably o' him in his accounts!

Henry Morgan would not appear in outright published fiction until 1922, in "Captain Blood," written by Rafael Sabatini. Even then he merely provided the inspiration for the eponymous hero, Peter Blood. Sabatini however, enjoyed basing his works of historical fiction very heavily on the history that inspires him. John Steinbeck's first novel, "The Cup of Gold" was also heavily inspired by the Legend himself!

 


13 Years after "Captain Blood" was written, a live action movie version was released with Erroll Flynn in his first starring Hollywood role! Itbe a much looser interpretation o' Henry Morgan, but it stillbe a fine testament to Pirates in Media. A foothold that Henry Morgan holds to this day, though entertainment may not even be the greatest part of his career!

In 1944, the Seagram Company created the first incarnation of Captain Morgan's Rum. O'er the rest of the 20th-century hotels in the Caribbean would pop up with names incorporatin' the name, "Captain Morgan" to woo tourists and hark to the tales of old. In 2001, Captain Morgan Rum was acquired by London-based Diageo.

 



Suffice it to say Morgan be a Legend among Pirates. He lived long enough to retire from the Life and even became a Governor! Which makes him a great all Gentlemen (and Ladies) o' Fortune!

Continue reading

Woodes Rogers! Scourge of Pirates!

Arrr Woodes Roger's Outfit be the perfect garb for privateers turned Governors! This outfit make colorful use of Calico,Red and Gold! Though itbe regal enough to command the respect of both Pirates AND the Royal Navy, we offer it to ye as an affordable outfit! 

Woodes Rogers himself was a famous (or infamous dependin' on yer point of view) English Privateer n' Pirate Hunter. As Governor of theBahamas he even suppressed the pirates of Nassau!

 


Bein' a privateer meant he had received a commission from the English Government to perform selective piratical acts against enemies of the crown. Inexchange privateers would send a percentage of wealth back to their employer.Additionally ye were allowed to carry a "Letter of Marque" to proveyar legal status, n' sometimes allowed ye to be treated fairly as a prisoner of war if captured.

After fightin' as a privateer against the Spanish, Woodes Rogers became a pirate hunter with great support from the English. Helead an expedition to Madagascar to deal with a sizable population of pirates. Rather than fight the pirates, he offered clemency from the English government. A Full Pardon was given to any willing pirates who wanted to retire.

 


It was so successful that he was appointed Governor of the Bahamas n' was tasked with pacifying the Pirate Republic of Nassau. Many pirates accepted the Full Pardon, n' some even turned on their Brethren by becomin' Pirate Hunters! http://bit.ly/2jtj3Ax

Continue reading

History of Captain Henry Morgan

Sir Henry Morgan best be known by his career with Captain Morgan Rum, o'er time this Legendary figure has been cultivated into one of the most widely recognized Pirates in Pop Culture. Most landlubbers may not know the story o' the original Cap'n Morgan who is in and of himself a Legendary Pirate!

 

The real Henry Morgan was believed to have been born around 1635 in Wales. Details on who he was before he became a Privateer be scant. It is believed that he became a captain in a British privateer fleet n' routinely raided Spanish Cuba in the 1660s. The English Governor of Jamaica had been on the verge of restricting privateer activity until he was realized how much of the colony's revenue was based on piracy.

By 1668 he had been promoted to Admiral n' had his own fleet of ten ships with 500 men to attack "Spanish ships at sea." Later another 200 French pirates joined him from the Port o' Tortuga! Periodically Morgan would have to mediate between the French n' his predominantly English crews. As an Admiral, he maintained discipline in order to achieve his private goals of plunderin' Spanish towns.

 

Morgan began a piratical campaign by sacking Puerto Principe, about 50 Miles inland in Spanish Cuba. The buccaneers were then inspired to attack Porto Bello (modern Panama.) The city was the third richest settlement in the Spanish Main n' was well fortified. Not only did Morgan capture the city, he was also able to ransom it back to the governor for a Fortune.

Morgan had only been authorized to attack Spanish ships, so he was publicly scolded by the British Governor. Unofficially Morgan had become a National British Hero. Morgan's continued actions eventually led to him being Knighted and he became a Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica- frequently acting as the governor. He received orders to eradicate Jamaican piracy, but instead he welcome privateers as long as they paid him the appropriate bribes. 

Pirate Fashions has made an outfit worthy of whichever Captain Morgan ye be dressing as! http://bit.ly/2lCaB7B

 

Continue reading

Pirates in the Gulf and Tampa Bay

Piracy has had a profound impact on the culture of Tampa Bay. We have adopted them asarrr sports team mascot, we created the Legendary Jose Gaspar- around which the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival has arisen. Tampa also be home to Pirate Fashions- Home to the World's Largest Selection of Pirate Plunder n' Riches!


We want to elaborate on how n' why pirates have left such a strong impression on the Bay Area. In the early 19th Century there was a very influential pirate captain (later a privateer) named Jean Lafitte that operated in the Gulf of Mexico. Lafitte and his family mostly operated out of Louisiana Allegedly he had a subordinate Pirate Captain that operated out of the islands near Tampa Bay named Henry Ross. Lafitte n' his pirates ran a very successful smuggling ring in the Gulf o' Mexico. And if the stories are accurate he may have held sway in the Bay Area.


Jean Lafitte became a privateer during the War of 1812 when he helped Andrew Jackson fend off the British in the Battle of New Orleans, it is believed to be the final Battle of the War.


In Tampa's first public graveyard, visitors can also find thegrave stones of two men identified as Mid-19th Century Cuban Pirates. Jose "El Indio"Perfino and Captain Hubbard. Though their originsbe shrouded in mystery, the Tampa Locals are believed to have hung El Indio. It is unknown how Hubbard met his end.


Jose Gaspar is widely accepted as a Mythical figure, but we have been celebrating his legend annually with Gasparilla since 1904. It is believed that he is basedoff of a Portuguese Seaman n Teller of Tall Tales named John Gomez- who operated along the Gulf Coast in the late 19th Century. Myth suggests that Gomez was part of Gaspar's pirate crew.
Today of course, we celebrate Gasparilla witharrr own Legendary Pirate Invasion, as of 2015 it is the third largest parade in the United States. Strikeyar colors, drink some rum and revel in the Piratical Culture o' Tampa Bay! Learn more: http://bit.ly/2jzHFYG

Continue reading

Custom Tricorne Hats from the Brethren of Pirate Fashions!

Liquid error (snippets/article-item line 159): Could not find asset snippets/rimg.liquid

Get yarself a proper n' custom Tricorne Hat! The Quintessential piece of the Pirate Ensemble!

Tricorne hats also be known as Cocked Hats, n' they be a pillar in any pirate's wardrobe! All arrr custom hats be made with 100% Wool and come in 8 Sizes with numerous options for Trims, Edgings, Feathers, Pins n' Accessories!

Cocked hats began to appear in the Mid 17th Century within the Spanish Military. By the end of the 17th Century, however the style of hat quickly gained popularity in the rest of Europe in both civilian and military fashion.Throughout the 18th Century it was a popular style choice and o' course that includes pirates!

In terms of functionality Tricornes be ideal fer redirecting rainwater away from the wearer and guttering it over the shoulders. Arrr's do not come with a sweat band as they be designed to be worn over a bandana. These arrr the ideal hats for pirates, buccaneers, rogues, privateers and sea dogs! Everything ye need to customize yer hat is available on arrr website!http://bit.ly/2iT0plr

Continue reading

Search