Lady Pirate Costumes

You bet! They were most definitely in the minority but they were never the less there and very able. So don’t worry about sacrificing your well established credibility among your fellow renaissance faire friends when you buy a really cool and very authentic pirate costume…one you wanted bad, you wanted real bad! Rest assured you are in the right when you carry your own cutlass!

More later about who you can base you character on but first let’s get to that killer outfit designed with the essentials. Did I mention that this is also a costume that is not only renaissance faire appropriate but will wear well at that Halloween party where we adults get to dress up or down, your call.

Chemise

The chemise, the foundation for ALL renaissance era clothing or costumes is important. The fortunate thing about a pirates costume is that if they were a pirate and were caught they typically were executed. So flaunting the statuary laws by dressing above their station and risking a fine was not a major concern, know what I mean? All chemise styles, fabrics and colors, except purple of course are appropriate for your new festival garb. Stick to the full length version even though you are running with the guys.

Over dress

If you are going to base your costume on the pirate why not be the captain? Do you want to be climbing the rigging or swabbing the decks? Didn’t think so! You will however need to be armed. A loose fitting chemise and equally loose over dress can hide many weapons.

Boots

Thigh high boots, maybe for that Halloween party but not at the local renaissance faire. It would not be quite authentic and would most definitely be uncomfortable walking around in them at the fair all day. You will want them to be black leather and calf high. They will not be as fitted as most women wear today but loose and roll down a little at the top.

Lady Mary Killigrew

She was a daughter of a pirate and married to a pirate from Suffolk England. Her husband was appointed by Queen Elizabeth I to the rank of Vice-Admiral and was charged with suppressing piracy. When the good captain Sir Killigrew went to sea the Lady Mary “commandeered” her castle staff and went to sea herself. Her luck finally ran out in 1570 when she captured a German merchant carrying freight and sailed it to Ireland to see what she could get for her pirates work.

One problem the owner of the vessel she pirated was a friend of Queen Elizabeth, this is not a good thing. There are multiple versions of what took place next but the outcome was that she quit the pirating business…and took up fencing stolen goods! What a gal!

Want to learn more about the Renaissance Faire and the appropriate costumes to wear? Stop by my Renaissance Faire Costumes blog and learn more about the clothes of the Nobles, Peasants and Court of Renaissance Europe. Lady Mary was a pirate but lets not forget she was also a Noble Lady so she may have also worn a beautiful Avon Jupon gown of velvet with a satin chemise. One costume is never enough!

You’d be forgiven for thinking that men were the only pirates, but you’d be wrong. Throughout history there have been lady pirates sailing the high seas in search of booty to plunder. If you relish the idea of brandishing a cutlass and swaggering around on your own pirate ship this Halloween, then why not wear a ravishing lady pirate costume?

When thinking about famous pirates who comes to mind? You might think about some of the fictional pirates such as Long John Silver, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow. Or indeed, some real pirates such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack and Captain Kidd. When it comes to female pirates, it’s a different matter.

First of all, although there were female pirates, they were very few in number. Why was this? It was mainly because women were forbidden to sail on pirate ships, probably because of the fear that they would cause a riot amongst the men. Also, we mustn’t forget that life for a pirate was extremely harsh. It wasn’t holiday cruise and most women wouldn’t be able to stand it.

However, two lady pirates who did make a name for themselves on the high seas were Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Anne Bonny was born Anne Cormac in Cork, Ireland around 1697 to a lawyer father and his servant. When the affair was found out he left with Anne and the servant and fled to South Carolina. Even though her father became a wealthy plantation owner, Anne had a fiery temper and a taste for adventure and married a pirate called James Bonny. She eventually met Jack Rackham, famously known as Calico Jack and they soon fell in love. She left her husband and joined Calico Jack and started a life as a pirate, mainly in the Caribbean. While on board she dressed as a man and she was said to be as good at stealing and fighting as the rest of the crew. It was during this time that she met another sailor who turned out to be an English woman, Mary Read.

Mary Read, like Anne Bonny was a child of an affair and her mother dressed Mary up as a boy in order to receive money from her family. In fact, Mary spent most of her life dressed as a boy, serving as a footboy to a wealthy family and then on board a warship. She did marry and act as a woman for a while, but when her husband died she went back to sea and her ship was captured by Calico Jack. This is when she became friends with Anne Bonny.

So, if you have set your heart on following in Anne and Mary’s footsteps, then wear a lady pirate costume this Halloween or indeed any fancy dress party. Dressing as a man may not be your thing, but I can tell you that there are some pretty sexy and ravishing costumes for women. For example, my favorite is the Royal Lady Pirate Costume with its dress which looks like a waistcoat and short skirt and matching pirate hat. Just add a pair of long black boots and a sword and you’ll be ready to send the men to pirate heaven!

If you want to find a stunning lady pirate costume, visit our Caribbean Pirate Costume website.

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