Clichés to Avoid

. Note that the swords point upward, not downward, as in the Oakland Raiders logo. More importantly, though, the Jolly Roger flag belongs in one place only: a pirate ship’s mast – not your costume. Real pirates from history did not wear the Jolly Roger on their clothing, hat, bandana, jewelry, belt buckle or other accessories. In spite of the fact that the Jolly Roger can be seen worn on the costume of pirate actors quite frequently in motion pictures, television programs, operas, musicals, plays and at festivals, conventions and balls; my recommendation is: do not wear it unless you would rather look like a biker instead of a pirate (and then go to a biker event instead of a pirate event). This also applies to items which advertise an organization with the word “pirate” in it, e.g. a sport team, popular music ensemble, radio station, restaurant, company or product.

Wearing a t-shirt or baseball cap sporting a Jolly Roger in lieu of a pirate costume is roughly akin to attending a formal event wearing a t-shirt with a tuxedo printed on it – the guests who arrive properly attired will probably be offended and the clown in the t-shirt may be asked to leave. This joke is very old and will likely amuse only the patrons of a night club or fraternity party.

In large part, the public has become infatuated with skulls in general, making them very common clichés. Consequently skulls should be avoided altogether in a costume.

Tankard

This is not really a pirate cliché, per se, but many people attend a pirate event either carrying a mug in their hand or worse yet, dangling it from their waistbelt or baldric. Even if the beer really is free, keep the tankard hidden and especially out of photographs unless you would rather look like you are at an Oktoberfest celebration (and then go to an Oktoberfest celebration instead of a pirate event).

Popular character

This is not really a cliché either, but many people try to assume the look of a character from a film, television program, novel, play, musical, opera or even a cartoon. This would not be so bad if it were not done as frequently as it is today. I recommend that you create your own character and create your own personality: what would you look like (sound like, act like, etc.) if you were a pirate on a maritime vessel in the Golden Age of Piracy?

If you already have invested a significant amount of time, money and work to look exactly like Jack Sparrow from the Pirates Of The Caribbean film franchise, then by all means dress as that character. However, as stated above, if you have not already expended the effort, I recommend against it. I do not mean to say that you cannot dress as Jack Sparrow. I simply recommend against it, as there are so many Jack Sparrow look-alikes already. When you walk in the door, the first thing people will probably think is, “Oh no! Not another Jack Sparrow!”

Modern items

It would also be wise to hide any anachronisms, e.g. body piercings. If the ladies have tattoos or if the men have tattoos advertising something modern, they should be hidden. If sunglasses are necessary in bright sun, preferably obtain some that are vintage-looking. If you need to carry personal belongings in something, it would be best to carry them in a medieval leather bag or pouch that hangs across one shoulder or attaches to your waistbelt or baldric. If you wear a bandana, it should not contain advertising, jolly rogers or modern patterns, e.g. paisley. Real pirates don’t wear club emblems, fraternity pins, name tags, buttons with slogans, or blinking lights attached to their clothing or attached to their tricorne. Jewelry is okay as long as it looks like something from the seventeenth or eighteenth century (after all, pirates need to sport some of their stolen booty), but don’t wear a Rolex watch.