Adult Costume Ideas – the Perfect Pirate Accessories

No adult costume is complete without accessories, especially a pirate costume! In the case of pirates there are many to choose from, so here is a brief guide as to the history of each piece and how you can use them to full effect.

The Eye-Patch

This is commonly seen in adult costume shops, but what’s the history behind the eye-patch? They have been worn throughout history by sailors who frequently travelled above and below deck. By wearing an eye-patch, they could always ensure that one eye was ready for darkness – where moments wasted to adjust to light during battle were just far too precious!

Bandana

The main purpose of the bandana fits well with our unclean image of the pirate – it was used as a way to keep sweat away from the face!

Tricorne Hat

The three cornered hat is perhaps the most famous pirate accessory – but it was a style that only really became popular through the 17th and 18th centuries. Not only was it worn by pirates, but it was also taken on by civilians due to its practical nature, directing rainwater away from the shoulders.

Peg-Leg

This image of the pirate was made famous in the book Treasure Island by the character Long John Silver. Did you know that he didn’t really have a peg-leg, just walked on crutches? This is a case of Hollywood misrepresentation, but can still add an exciting quality to any adult costume and would have in fact been true in the case of many real-life pirates: unfortunately amputation was one of the limited options when it came to battle injuries.

Hook

A hook for a hand came from the story of Peter Pan and its infamous character Captain Hook. In real life, many pirates would have lost hands and may have attempted to replace them with common items around the ship, such as a hook.

The Parrot

Last of the pirate accessories is the living parrot. Again, this image was popularised by Treasure Island, though whether real-life pirates cared enough to keep pets is uncertain – not to mention the fact that having a parrot on your shoulder could end up messy!