Last year there were a handful of really cool looking pirate costumes available for Halloween, but this year the pirate booty has gotten even better. In addition to the usual inexpensive costumes there are now some very creative and impressive Deluxe and Elite pirate costumes (some featured above). These are the costumes you should pick if you want to enter any costume contests, attend multiple parties, or just generally want to have the best costume in the room. They cost more and are worth every penny due to their detailed and quality construction.

DIY Pirate Costume Tips:

With a little creativity, you can also make your own Halloween pirate costume, or just augment a pre-made costume.

• Anything with stripes or solid colors in black, red, and white, is a good start.
• Use large, gold colored jewelry like hoop earrings or gaudy rings, and make a head scarf from a scrap of fabric.
• An eye patch can make a good pirate accessory, but it does greatly impede your depth perception and can make you feel wobbly: not practical for an entire night of trick-or-treating, or for those who will be drinking lots of rum punch.
• Pirates are an adventurous lot and jagged edges on your clothing will help convey that. Take a pair of scissors and sort of haphazardly snip across the bottom hem of sleeves or bottoms. Just be sure to do a test area to ensure that the fabric won’t unravel too quickly.
• Jack Sparrow seemed to be the only pirate who used eye liner, but any lady who saw that film will attest to how smashing it looked! Put a thick layer across the base of the upper and lower eyelashes and use an eye shadow brush to lightly smudge it until you have the desired appearance.
• Boys, don’t shave for at least a couple days to get that slightly shaggy look.
• Black tooth wax and gold teeth are also good finishing touches. Pirates are way too busy chasing horizons to find a good dentist.

Enjoy the Halloween night of pillaging and plundering, me hearties!

 

Other Resources: learn to talk like a pirate, what’s your pirate name?, Pirate Soul museum