Pirate Clothes
Pirates who sailed the seas during the golden age of piracy set the standard for what we think of when we think of pirate clothing. What was the historical reality and what was created for the movies? When we think of pirate clothing we think of the stereotypical view of pirates. Think Captain Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook. Both are very different style of pirates, but they are both instantly recognizable as a Pirate. The typical pirate clothing was made out of necessity and helped fit the lifestyle of a seafaring pirate.
Slops
A large share of pirates were
recruited from the unemployed seamen. During a war there was plenty
of work for a seafaring man, but in times of peace jobs were scares
so many people turned to the more steady work of a pirate. At one
point the British Admiralty created clothing to be worn by men who
had been press-ganged into service. These clothes were called
Slops. The Slops were a canvas doublet, breeches, knitted caps
(Monmouth caps), cotton waistcoats and drawers, stockings, linen
shirts and shoes. Being press-ganged into service, these men were
highly likely to turn pirate when given the opportunity. The
clothes they wore went with them and became a common pirate
clothing.
Pirate Clothing
The woolen cap called the
Monmouth Cap showed up in the 1500’s. In 1571 the
Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws were passed. They stated that
everyone over the age of six to wear a woolen cap on Sundays and
holidays. The point was to boost sales and help England’s wool
trade. This law only applied to the lower classes.
Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws also controlled the color, materials and fabrics in the clothing for each social level. These laws dictated what a person could wear as far as clothing goes. It was meant to make it easier to tell which social class a person was in just by looking at them. Successful pirates often dressed in the exact opposite of these laws, being a lawless type. A pirate could be found in fine velvet, or silk. Clothing that was banned from use from anyone not in the upper classes.
The Motley Crew
The clothing a pirate wore
often came from whatever they could steal from other ships. If you
were lucky you could find something that fit. This wasn’t often the
case. The word Motley is derived from the multi colored woolen
fabric of mixed threads. It was common during the 14th
to the 17th century in England. Pirates, having a
limited selection of clothing, were often multi-colored as well.
This created the term “Motley-Crew”. The tasks a sailor
performed were quite taxing and dangerous. This often times
caused their clothing to tear. It was more appropriate to wear tight
fitting clothes when performing more dangerous tasks, like climbing
the rigging. The clothing the captain wore did not need to
meet these precautions. Also, when a pirate when
ashore, they tended to dress up a little bit more.
Fabrics and Materials
The fabrics pirate clothing was made from came from what ever they could afford, or steel. They disregarded the laws regarding fabric set in England. The most common fabrics included canvass, leather, wool, linen, cotton and sheepskin. The captain tended to wear more elaborate fabrics as well as the crew when the went ashore. These would include velvet, silk, damask, sarcanet, camlet and taffeta. Some times exotic feathers were also used to add a bit more flare.
Colors
Anything really goes here. They tended to favor the colors the government had banned for them to wear. You would often see reds and purples. The colors signifying the upper class.
Pirate Captain
The
clothing of a pirate captain is what people think of when they think
of elaborate pirate clothing. A description of the clothing worn
by Bartholomew Roberts describes him as a flamboyant
dresser. His bright crimson waistcoat and breeches were made of fine
velvet. He wore an exotic bird feather in his hat. An
elaborate satin and leather sash ran across the front of his coat.
And a sash was tied around his waist. His clothing was often
decorated with gold and jewelry.
Here is a list of common pirate clothing.
Motley clothing - bright mismatched color fabrics.
Bandana - A typical bandana still found today. Kept the sweat of of the eyes.
Tri-cornered hat - Made often of felt and leather.
Doublet or coat - and elaborate and expensive item of pirate clothing. Often worn only when on land. Decorated with ornate braids and fabrics
Breeches - trousers were generally only worn by English pirates
Knitted caps - called Monmouth caps
Waistcoats - Often times worn by the upper class. These were worn by flamboyant pirate captains.
Drawers - tight fitting to allow for the difficult tasks of a pirate
Stockings - Woolen stockings for practical apparel and silk for land use
Shirts - The puffed sleeves were suited to pirate clothing on land
Accessories
The famous accessories of pirate clothing!
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!
Bracelets, chains, pins and pendants - Gold, silver, precious jewels and pearls
Sash - Also called a baldric made of fine fabrics, sometimes overlaid with a leather sash to take the weight of pirate weapons
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 Boots - Ranged from boot covers, to Bucket boots up to thigh-high boots, Pirate seamen often went barefoot - a practical decision when a task might include 'swabbing the deck'
Pirate belts - these wide belts were worn around the waist and diagonally across the shoulder in order to take the weight of pirate weapons
Buckles - Ornate buckles were used to adorn pirate belts and shoes
Fancy buttons - a decorative addition to pirate clothing
Scarves - a flamboyant addition to pirate clothing
Wigs - stolen or purpose made - favored by Pirate captains
Pirate of the Month
The Pirate of the Month is Sir Henry Morgan
Sir Henry Morgan wasn't an Actual Pirate at all. He was a Welsh privateer, who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of buccaneers. He was among England's most notorious and successful privateers.