Finding buried treasures and conquering islands are things that pirates do best. Pirates are so interesting that even their pirate attire is the talk of the town. If you’re planning to dress up as a pirate for a costume party and you don’t know how to dress like a pirate with regular clothes, we can help you.
You’ve probably seen pirates in movies and plays. However, do they look as similar as the real-life ones? Find out here. Discover the clothes that pirates wear and more.
What’s the Influence Behind the Pirate Wear of Captains?
Would you believe that pirate clothes are influenced by what gentlemen wore in the 1700s? The combination often includes a vest, a suit, a shirt, and a coat. Pirates also wore these with tight and short pants. Pirates wore baggier clothes back then compared to modern garments. Pirates use cloth tied around their neck and tucked in front of their vest, similar to neckties today.
They also wore black and wide hats to protect them from the sun’s heat, similar to men in the middle class from the 1700s. It also became the pirate attire of captains. Over time, common sailors could upgrade their pirate wear by stealing clothes from ships they conquered.
What’s the Pirate Attire of Common Sailors?
You can distinguish a common sailor from a pirate captain through how they look. Common sailors dress more casually than pirate captains. Not only because they cannot afford to have better clothing, but it also makes it difficult to do their chores. Common sailors are responsible for lifting heavy cargo boxes and hauling lines to adjust the ship’s sails. Vests and tight shorts limit their movement.
Common sailors resorted to wearing long and loose trousers. They also wore hats and left the necks of their tops open. This loose material and headgear is to protect their necks and faces from the heat of the sun. You may not know this, but their belts have layers to keep them cool and absorb sweat.
Jewelry: Is it for Captains Only?
Pirate captains only wear jewelry, specifically gold earrings, gold rings, and gold chains. They wear jewelry to keep it safe when it is on their person. They can also bring it with them anywhere.
Common sailors usually resort to wearing only one gold hoop earring. Back then, they believed that having a funeral would be their key to going to heaven. The life expectancy of a pirate is shorter because their lifestyle is risky. Common sailors use that one gold earring as payment for their funeral.
How Do They Repair Their Clothes?
Pirates don’t have much time to have their clothes laundered or even repaired by a seamstress. They spend most of their time at sea. Pirates and sailors have to use whatever resources and tools they have on the ship to do repairs. If they’re lucky, the ships they took over may have silks and fabrics. They also wash their clothes using seawater. This process can cause discoloration to their clothes.
What Are Other Pirate Clothes?
Pirates wore bandannas to protect their eyes from sweat trickling down their foreheads. Some pirates had to use eye patches to cover up any eye injuries. Others who lost their hand in battle sometimes use wooden hooks as replacements. These hooks are similar to what Captain Hook wore in Peter Pan’s story when the crocodile severed his hand. Pirate captains also wore boots, but common sailors often went barefoot to make it easier for them to navigate the ship.
Now that you know what completes a pirate’s attire, you can kick off any costume party, even Halloween, with a costume worthy of the sea. If you or your family wants to do something new to celebrate a birthday, or a reunion, Sunshine Scenic Tours offers a premium pirate cruise in St. Pete Beach, FL.
You can give your newfound knowledge about pirate clothes a try. You’ll stand out from the crowd. At SST, we can customize the cruise for you and your loved ones! Visit our website or give us a call to learn more. We can’t wait to have you aboard our ship!
