|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact: ![zenseeker [at] hotmail [dot] com](EmailImage.gif)
Pirate Clothing
Pirate Clothing
To play the part of a pirate, ye must dress the part! Make sure that you provide guests with locations where costumes can be purchased and ideas that come from the closet so that they will show up dress appropriately.
Gentlemen of Fortune sailorskit.htm
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
reconstructinghistory.com/blog/getting-dressed-guide-for-pirates-and-seamen-1680s-1720s
Hat/Headdress
Tricorne Hat
An iconic tricorne hat can be pretty easy to make if you would like to give it a try.
They came in many styles and you can even put your own spin on it and not be totally out there...except for the fact that dressing up as a pirate is already out there.
bilgemunky.com/category/pirate-reviews/clothing/page/2
gentlemenoffortune.com tricorne
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger tricorne
Cavalier Hat
Predating the Tricorne Hat was the cavalier hat. This felt hat had a wide circular brim and trimmed with an ostrich plume. The brim was pinned to the side of the crown of the hat like a Slouch Hat. It was a common hat style for the aristocracy all throughout Europe during the 17th century, until it was later replaced in fashion by the Tricorne.
They were named after the supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War known as cavaliers. And besides wearing these fashionable hats, cavaliers also wore extravagant clothing which was also popular by some pirates.
Monmouth Cap (Bewdley cap)
A woollen cap made at Monmouth and Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. Everyone over the age of 6 (except the upper class) were required by law to wear something like this on Sundays and holidays per the 1571 Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws.
personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/jennifer/Monmouth.htm
isca-morrismen.com/monmouth.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger monmouth-cap
Bandana
This could be used to kept the sweat out of a pirate's eyes and is very popular in pirate fiction. It is not clear if pirates ever wore such headdress, but it would be practical in some of the hot and sweaty environments that pirates operated in.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger bandanna
Montero Cap
The montero cap was worn from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries and issued to the Oxford Army in 1643. This was a peaked cap with side flaps which was in use for travelling, for mountain wear and for extreme cold. The flaps could be let down over the ears to protect the traveler in cold environments.
Most people have not idea what a montero cap is and probably would not associate its use by a pirate, but it would be a practical and time appropriate headdress for one.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger montero-cap
thegoodwyfe.blogspot.com/2011/01/montero-cap.html
Weapon
What's a pirate without a weapon? These were worn for use as well as a fashion statement and symbol of status.
See our Pirate Weapons Page for more information.
Shirt
It is important to note that during the age of piracy, a shirt was considered an undergarment to be covered by a jacket and coat. A shirt would have been covered by a waistcoat and scarf when outdoors. And only a laborer (such as a seaman or pirate) would disregard this.
Colors of shirts varied, but most often included blue checkers or narrow stripes. Fancy dress shirts with ruffles is not something a working sailor would wear onboard ship or with a landing party.
Slop Shirt
The shirt of this period is best made from linen, hemp, fustian or cotton. The reenactment enthusiasts recommend blue and white checkered linen per the Admiralty Slop Contract of 1706 & 1717, or light to medium weight plain linen.
It is believed the the shirt design used for the mid to late 17th Century through the mid 18th Century remained basically the same throughout this period. They had a square front and square back panel, gussets under the arms, and a stand up collar. Some feel that seaman shirts also had a support piece that reinforces the shoulder line known as a yoke and also allowed for a fold down collar.
Gathers at the wrist and neck can be made with linen tape going through a button hole and then tied.
The puffed sleeves were suited to pirate clothing on land.
gentlemenoffortune basic_kit.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger shirt
Shirt Patterns and Instructions:
esotericcreations.com/index.php?goto=content&showarticle=12&mn=ht
Doublet
A term applied to both an undergarment and an outergarment worn by men in Europe from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 17th century. Doublets had sleeves and were fastened in front, first by thongs and later by buttons.
As an undergarment, the doublet was padded and was worn, along with hip-length hose, under armor. As an outergarment, the doublet, worn over an inner tunic, made its first appearance in the 13th century in Italy. (A jerkin, similar to the doublet but sleeveless, was sometimes worn over both the tunic and the doublet.) In Elizabethan times the doublet extended far below the waist. By the late 16th century, doublet sleeves were decorated with lacings, ribbons, and slashings and sometimes were puffed out at the shoulder. By the early 17th century, the doublet was gored and began to resemble the modern suit jacket. It was worn partly open in front to show the shirt, and the sleeves had fancy lace cuffs.
Main garment for upper part of man’s body worn from late 14th to mid 17th century, styled like a close-fitting jacket with various lengths of skirt showing trunk hose or breeches.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger doublet
Piratey Shirts
Highlander Shirt
Swashbuckler Shirt
Bilge Munky swashbuckler-shirt
Coat
Hermitage Museum Sailor's Costum of Peter I
Sailors' Short Jacket
Look through any period pictures of sailors during Pirate Age period and you will notice that just about every sailor/pirate wears some sort of short jacket. Some had pockets, some didn't. Most have a split style "mariners" cuff. Brass, pewter, or bronze buttons (with shank) are appropriate. Linen would make for a more comfortable fabric in the summer heat.
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
Gentlemen of Fortune sailor-coat.htm
Bilge Munky custom-sailors-short-jacket
pirates.missiledine.com/clothing.html
Doublet Coat
A doublet is a snug-fitting buttoned jacket (with or without sleeves) that was worn in western Europe from the middle ages through to the mid-17th century. Originally it was merely a stitched and quilted lining ("doubling"), worn under armor to prevent bruising and chafing. Then, like many other originally practical items in the history of men's wear, from the late 15th century onward it became elaborate enough to be seen on its own.
By the 17th century, doublets were short-waisted. A typical sleeve of this period was full and slashed to show the shirt beneath; a later style was full and paned or slashed to just below the elbow and snug below. Decorative ribbon points were pulled through eyelets on the breeches and the waist of the doublet to keep the breeches in place, and were tied in elaborate bows.
The doublet fell permanently out of fashion in the mid-17th century when Louis XIV of France and Charles II of England established a court costume for men consisting of a long coat, a waistcoat, a cravat, a wig, and breeches—the ancestor of the modern suit.
This is an expensive item of pirate clothing best suited for land. They tended to be decorated with ornate braids and fabrics.
thetudorswiki.com/page/The+Tudors+Costumes+%3A+Men's+Dress
thequartermastergeneral.com/?category=patterns_mens
Jerkin
A short velvet or leather jacket, usually sleeveless, similar to a vest/waistcoat, cut low to the waist in front to reveal the doublet beneath, with full skirts to the knee. From the 1530s, a narrower silhouette became popular under Spanish influence. Collars were higher and tighter. Shoulders lost their padding and developed a slight slope. Doublet sleeves became fuller rather than tight. Jerkins closed to the neck; their skirts were shorter and slightly flared rather than full, and they displayed more of the hose. Overall, the fashion was more rigid and restrained. It was worn 1450-1630.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger jerkin
Waistcoats
A waistcoat was a standard part of clothing available to seaman and pirates alike. They can be a plain or potentially flamboyant addition to pirate clothing.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger waistcoat
Bilge Munky cotton-pirate-waistcoat
Pirate Justacorps and Frock Coats
These can be knee length and quite ornate.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger coat
Gentlemen of Fortune Justaucorps.htm
Seamen Trousers
According to the pirate reenactors, the pictorial record of 1690-1720 show a predominance of trousers and breeches used to cover the legs. But also remember that historical pictures are like the Disney cinema of their day, and not always entirely accurate.
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger breeches
Slops (Skilts)
Slops are wide, puffy trousers with a knee band making them comfortable and easy to move around in on ship. They came into style in the late 16th century. The knee bands could be left open and later in the early 17th century, would be cut off.
The term slop if from the English "slop" system which was introduced inthe 17th century. The term slop would later be used for all maritime clothing sold by a Purser.
hmsrichmond.org/sailpatern.htm
Bilge Munky sailor-slop-breeches
Slop Lookalikes
There are several popular hose garments which were popular during the time of the slops and a often referred to as slops.
livingelizabethan.weebly.com/hose-and-breeches.html
Trunkhose (Paned Hose, Paneled Hose, Roundhose, Scaling Hose, Sliding Hose, Pumpkin Pants)
This hose system was worn no lower than mid thigh. They were rather bulky and could be globus or pear shape depending on the time period they were worn. They were gathered or pleated in and sometimes padded or stuffed with bombast, which could be wool, flax, or cotton fibers, hair, or bran. They may also have a additional layer of panes, or strips of fabric running from the waistband to the leg band.
Galligaskins (Gascon Hose)
Like slops, galligaskins were loose hose reaching just below the knee. And like trunkhose, these were fuller and perhaps stuffed.
Venetian Hose
These were very full at the waist where they would be gathered or cartridge pleated into the waistband, and tapered down to the knee where they would have no leg band. They had button flies.
Petticoat Breeches
These were voluminously wide, pleated pants, reminiscent of a skirt, worn by men in Western Europe during the 1650s and early 1660s. The very full loose breeches were usually decorated with loops of ribbons on the waist and around the knee. They were so loose and wide that they became known as petticoat breeches. They give very much the impression of very baggy loose shorts since they are not gathered at the knee.
They replaced Spanish breeches during the 1650s as the most popular leg wear of most of Western Europe. By the early 1660s, rhinegraves became very popular and soon replaced petticoat breeches
Rhinegraves
Rhinegraves are a form of breeches which were popular from the early 1660s until the mid 1670s in Western Europe. They are very full breeches gathered below the knee. Not unlike a divided skirt, they were sometimes called “petticoat breeches.” Usually an overskirt was worn over them which was decorated with ribbon loops around the waist and around the knee. Where the knee was gathered, a large frill of lace and stocking tops added further decoration.
Rhinegraves replaced the petticoat breeches in the early 1660s. During the 1670s as the longer coat and long waistcoat became popular, these very full breeches became less full and by the late 1670s and early 1680s they were replaced by more tight fitting breeches with the stockings worn over them.
Breeches
Breeches can be made of wool, linen or leather. Breaches of the 1770's had a "fall front" or a flap in the front, which buttons near the waistline, covered by the waistcoat. An earlier style was the "fly front", which buttoned up in the middle of the front and would have been hidden by the longer waistcoats of the 1750 - 60's. The legs end about one or two inches below the knee and close with five horn, wooden, or white metal buttons or four buttons and either a buckle or drawstring. Breeches should be well fitted, rather than tight in the legs and waist with an excess in the seat.
Trousers
Trousers are made of a coarse unbleached linen with a straight-leg and looser than breeches. They vary in length from above the ankle to one inch above the ground and are not cuffed.
Trousers were generally only worn by English pirates
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger sloppes
Drawers
One can get too serious about pirate clothing. It is thought that these were tight fitting to allow for the difficult tasks of a pirate. Lets just end it with that.
Belts
Belts
Something to stick your pistols in.
Sword Belts
A belt for your sword
Baldrics
A Baldric simply carries your weapon
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger baldric
Bandoliers
A bandolier is similar to a baldric, but will have a way to carry accessories. It may have pockets, bullet loops, or other ways to attach extra stuff.
Dagger and Sword Frogges
These wrap around you scabbard and attach to your belt.
Neckerchief
These are seen on most of the sailors depicted in pictures of old. They also allow you to cover your shirt collars and top opening which is helpful in case you did a poor job of making a "historically correct" shirt. Silk was the preferred fabric, but cotton “Banda” handkerchiefs from India were also in wide use. They were generally 36 inches square with narrow rolled hems. Colors included black and red, as well as red or black with white polka dots, as well as red and yellow stripes.
These are very easy to make. You and simply make one from a 1 yard square piece of linen. Roll the edge and whip stitch around it to keep it from fraying, and you are done. Other fabric options include silk or block printed hand woven cotton calico.
These could easily be worn as a bandana.
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger cravat
Footwear
You my think that no one will notice your Nike running shoes, but they really don't go with good pirate look. In general, shoes for pirate diehards should be constructed from vegetable tanned leather, have timber or leather heels, a square or round toe, and be straight lasted (no right or left designation).
www.Gentlemen of Fortune footwear.htm
Bilge Munky pirate-buckle-shoes
Gentlemen of Fortune shoeproject.htm
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger shoes
Pirate Boots
Ranged from bootcovers, to Bucket boots up to thigh-high boots, Pirate seamen often went barefoot - a practical decision when a task might include 'swabbing the deck'
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger boots
Bilge Munky big-bell-swashbuckler-boots
Barefoot
Many sailors and pirates would go barefoot. The allowed for better traction on deck and allowed your feet to dry out faster once wet.
Stockings (Socks if you prefer)
If you are inclined to wear these, it is important to note that you may not be able to find "authentic knitted stockings." That is because authentic stockings were shaped to fit the leg which required reductions if knitted by hand, or seamed that way if knitted on a frame. Stocking of today made from cotton/lyrca allow for stretching to accommodate the leg & foot. A good reproduction set of stockings should also have a seam up its back (frame knit) or a column of purl stitches to simulate a seam if hand knit.
The current recommendation is to use light wool or cotton for your stocking and to either color match it or soak them in a bit of tea water to tone down any bright white you may have.
If you are wearing breeches and want to keep with early 18th Century style, you should pull your stocking over your knee and over breeches.
Woolen stockings would be more for practical ship use, while silk may be worn on land.
Gentlemen of Fortune basic_kit.htm
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger socks
Accessories
Braids and ribbons
adorned various elements of pirate clothing but were also used to braid a pirate beard or hair. Blackbeard was famous for tying black braids to his beard and hair and famous for sticking lighted matches under his hat on either side of his face to terrify his enemies
Pirate belts
these wide belts were worn around the waist and diagonally across the shoulder in order to take the weight of pirate weapons
Band
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger band
Buckles
Ornate buckles were used to adorn pirate belts and shoes
Jabot
a fall of lace or cloth attached to the front of a neckband and worn especially by men in the 18th century. It is also a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman’s blouse or dress.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger jabot
Jewelry
Gold Hoop Earrings - A sign of wealth but also believed to serve a practical purpose in easing sea sickness by applying pressure to ear lobes! Others say that the use of hoop earrings by pirates are a fabrication of fiction.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger earrings
Bracelets, chains, pins and pendants - Gold, silver, precious jewels and pearls
Fancy buttons
a decorative addition to pirate clothing
Feathers
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries ostrich tips and plumes were worn in men’s hats, curling on or around the crown and brim. ... Feathers were also widely used in ladies’ dress during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for dress trimmings, boas and fans; the ostrich and marabou plumes were most usual for this purpose.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger feathers
Ruff
a wheel-shaped stiff collar worn by men and women of the late 16th and early 17th centuries
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger ruff
Ruffle
strip of fabric gathered or pleated on one edge
Sash
Also called a baldric made of fine fabrics, it was sometimes overlayed with a leather sash to take the weight of pirate weapons. A sash is a long, wide piece of fabric worn around either the waist or the hips. Sashes made of luxurious fabrics were used on the waists of ball gowns during the 19th century.
A long, wide piece of soft material, in the form of a band or scarf, bound around the waist, hips or slung across the torso and the ends generally tied. Sashes tied on the hip and crossing the body from the shoulder were fashionable wear for men in the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Men wore a broad waist sash in the first half of the seventeenth century and lower, to encircle the hips, on top of the justaucorps in the second half of the century. Sashes were intermittently fashionable on women’s dresses, marking the waist or hips, from the nineteenth century onwards.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger sash
Scarves
a flamboyant addition to pirate clothing
Stock
A stiffened neckcloth wrapped around the neck and fastened with a buckle or tie at the back. The stock was fashionable from about 1735, taking over from the cravat, until the 1840s, though it was occasionally worn later in the century. It continued in use with the riding habit of both men and women until well into the twentieth century. The stock was most often white but could be black or, rarely, colored. In the eighteenth century a solitaire was fashionable, worn on top of the stock; this was a black ribbon tied around the neck to finish in a bow at the throat or with the ends tucked into the shirt front. Most commonly the solitaire accompanied the wearing of a bag wig.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger stock
Wigs
stolen or purpose made - favored by Pirate captains
Fishtail
Not sure how one would get around the part with one of these. It's also not really piratey, perhaps a pirate may have a special fish tailed friend.
thepiratetradingco.com/mermaidswimtails.htm
Pirate Clothing Styles
Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws
In 1571 the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws were passed to regulate habits of consumption. These laws dictated what color and type of clothing, furs, fabrics, and trims were allowed to persons of various ranks or incomes. In the case of clothing, this was intended, amongst other reasons, to reduce spending on foreign textiles and to ensure that people did not dress "above their station."
Monmouth Cap
Part of these laws state "...all above the age of six years except some of
certain state and condition, shall wear upon the Sabbath and Holydays, one cap
of wool knit, thicked and dressed in England..." The "main" knit styles
for woolen hats included the Thrum, Monmouth, and Peter the Great. A wool
Monmouth Cap is a very appropriate hat for a real pirate.
personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/jennifer/Monmouth.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumptuary_law
Gentlemen of Fortune tricorne.htm
Flamboyant Pirate Clothing
In an age of Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws, only the upper class could wear whatever they chose. Because of this, pirates were known to flout these Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws. And anything went from fine velvets, silks and other fabrics which were only allowed by the upper class.
Slops
In 1628 the British Admiralty established sailor's clothing to be worn by men who had been press-ganged (drafted into the Navy). This type of clothing consisted of a canvas doublet and breeches, knitted caps called Monmouth caps, cotton waistcoats and drawers, stockings, linen shirts and shoes. As these were the only clothing available for purchase on ship and could be purchased on long credit, they were widely used by seamen.
As many seamen would end up working as pirates, many of these pirates would come equipped with this style of clothing.
Hermitage Museum Sailor's Costum of Peter I
st-george-squadron.com/sgs/wiki/index.php?title=Clothing
Gentlemen of Fortune sailorskit.htm
The Motley Crew
Pirate clothing depended on how wealthy a pirate was and what could be purchased or stolen on the high seas. In 14th to 17th century England, some of this clothing may have been made from multi-colored woollen fabric woven of mixed threads known as Motley. As pirates would have ill fitting, tattered and torn clothing made up of mismatched multi-colored pieces, they would be a sight to see and would be referred to as a 'Motley Crew'.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger motley
Cavalier Dress
The term cavalier was applied to the followers of the royalist cause of Charles I of England in the 1640s. The dress worn by the cavalier was the same as that of the aristocrat or well-to-do man in the remainder of western Europe, comprising, a gaily-colored silk, satin or velvet matching jacket and breeches decorated with braid; a lace falling-band, cuffs and boot hose tops; a cloak; plumed, swashbuckling hat; gloves; cane; and soft leather bucket-top boots with heels and butterfly surpieds. Hair was natural, worn long and in ringlets or curls. The shirt was of fine white silk or linen and visible on the chest with the open jacket, and on the sleeve.
Real Pirates don't wear the Jolly Roger cavalier-dress
Tight Fitting vs Loose Fitting Clothing
Pirates and seamen would be required to work aboard a ship, climb rigging and fight on ship. Loose fitting clothing could be dangerous and get one killed. Because of this, pirates may have worn more tight fitting clothing while at sea. While ashore, the captain and his men would wear whatever they chose.
Fabrics and Materials
Practical seaworthy fabrics of the day included canvass, cotton, linen, leather, wool, and sheepskin. But fabric choice would vary and depend on how wealthy a pirate was or what he was able to loot. While on shore, dress could get pretty flamboyant and be made from velvet, silk, damask, sarcanet, camlet and taffeta with exotic feathers.
Clothing - Colors
The colors of pirate clothing included the colors which had previously banned by the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws. Crimson, violet, purple and deep blue were typical of the colors which had previously banned for anyone other than the Upper Classes.
Pirate Captain
Pirate Captain Black Bart (Bartholomew Roberts) was know as a flamboyant dresser. His waistcoat and breeches were made of rich crimson colored velvet and his hat was decorated with a matching exotic red feather. He had an expensive satin and leather sash diagonally decorated the front of his coat and a sash was tied around his waist. And to finish his 'look', he wore gold jewelry and ornaments.
Please feel free to link to this site so that others can find it. It's easy to link to this site, just copy one of the texts below onto your web page:
Copyright © 2000-2010
