how to become a pirate

If you love the pirate look and want to show off your swagger, then being a pirate girl might be for you. Whether you're part of the New Pirate subculture, playing a pirate, or just want to have fun, being a pirate girl can be a swashbuckling adventure. If you want to be a pirate girl, you'll need to get the look, talk like a pirate, show off your swagger, and live your pirate life.

1
Decide if you want to be a feminine pirate or dress as a male. Traditionally, girl pirates had to choose between posing as a male or working on a crew that accepted female pirates, which was sometimes an all-girl crew. What kind of pirate you want to be is up to you. There's no wrong answer!
- Girl pirates may wear traditional loose-fitting pirate trousers or long skirts, while boy pirates always wore pants.^[1]
2
Opt for a loose-fitting shirt for a boyish look. Choose a shirt that's billowy and a size or two too big. Your shirt can be either a pullover or a button-down, and ruffles are optional. White and beige are great color options for a pirate ensemble.^[2]
- You can top your shirt with a waistcoat or vest for a fancier pirate look.
- You can also wear a scarf around your waist.
3

Lace up a corset for a feminine look. You can wear your corset or waistcoat over a billowy white shirt or alone, depending on the design you choose. Corsets look great with either pants or a skirt. As for color, go for a black or red corset. You can usually buy them at costume shops.^[3]
4
Choose loose-fitting capris, harem pants, or long pants. Black, khaki, and beige pants are all great options.^[4]
- If you wear boots, tuck your pants into them.
- You can also wear a long skirt with a poofy or uneven hem.^[5]
5

Go barefoot or wear boots. Pirates often went barefoot because it made it easier to climb the ship's rigging.^[6] If you want or need to wear shoes, black or brown boots are your best choice. Choose slip-on boots with a foldover flap at the top. Don't wear a brand new pair of boots! A pirate's boots look weatherworn and rough.^[7]
6
Keep your hair messy or in braids. Dreadlocks and multiple braids are both great looks for pirate girls. You can also wear your hair messy, or braid just a few sections of hair.
- Aside from braiding, keep your hair as natural as possible.
- You can also add hair jewelry like beads, charms, and colored thread.
7
Wrap a scarf or bandana around your head. Bandanas are a traditional pirate accessory and are great for controlling your wild pirate hair style.^[8]
- Red and black are the most popular pirate bandana colors. You could also choose one with a skull and crossbones print.
8
Top it all off with a 3-pointed hat. Your look will be complete with a traditional pirate hat, which has 3 points and a large brim. You can choose a simple black 3-pointed hat, or you could adorn it with ribbons, patches, or feathers.
- You can find 3-pointed hats at most costume stores and online.
9
Add gold jewelry and an eye patch. Gold jewelry makes a great accessory because it looks like pirate booty. Jewelry made out of coins or circle charms makes a fun accessory for your pirate look. Gold hoop earrings are also a great option and can be worn in one or both ears. Eye patches are a typical pirate accessory, but don't wear one often as it will weaken your eye.^[9]
- If you don't have pierced ears, wear clip-on earrings.
- You can find black eye patches at a costume store or online.
- You may also want to carry a fake weapon. Pirates traditionally carried weapons, such as a cutlass and a flintlock pistol.^[10] Never carry a real weapon. You can find fake weapons online or in costume shops.
10
Apply your makeup in a messy, artistic manner. Back in the heyday of pirates, they didn't have the same kinds of makeup and tools that we have today. Makeup, if worn, would have been improvised and applied with hands or crude tools. Since makeup is a great complement to the pirate look, get creative with what you have. Rub color on your eyes and cheeks, add heavy kohl pencil liner, darken your eyebrows, and coat your lips in a dark lipstick.
- For your eyes and cheeks, earth tones best fit the pirate look.
- Think about how Jack Sparrow's makeup looks in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

1
Speak in a low, raspy voice. If you want to talk like a pirate, then you need to be intimidating. After all, the high seas are a dangerous place. Pirates growl when they talk, so use a gravely voice.^[11]
- Try lifting one side of your mouth as you speak.
- Practice by saying "Argh."
2
Learn pirate lingo. Pirates have their own way of speaking. Instead of modern slang, use pirate slang. Words to use include:^[12]
- Ahoy - hello
- Avast - stop
- Aye - yes
- Booty - treasure
- Buccaneer - a fellow pirate
- Doubloons - pieces of gold
- Grog - drink
- Jolly Roger - the skull and crossbones
- Landlubber - land folk
- Lily-livered - cowardly
- Matey - friend
- Pieces o' eight - money
- Scallywag - bad person
- Scurvy dog - an insult
3

Stop saying the letters "g" and "v." Pirates don't worry about good grammar. Drop the letter g and turn "eating" into "eatin," "sailing" into "sailin," and "swashbuckling" into "swashbucklin." In words like "ever" or "never," drop the "v" to make it "e'er" and "ne'er."^[13]
4
Use "me" instead of "my." Pirates are very possessive of their loot, so you'll need to know how to tell someone when they're messing with your stuff. Whenever you talk about something you own, use "me."^[14]
- For example, "Get yer hands off me loot," or "Me hat be dirty."
5

Say "ye" and "yer." Pirates don't say "you" or "your." Instead, they say "ye" and "yer." For example, "Ye get yer boots off me table!"^[15]
6
Replace the words "am" and "are" with "be." Pirates don't worry about rules, even when it comes to language. Whenever you need to say "am" or "are," just say "be" instead.
- Say, "We be pirates," and "Where be yer treasure?"^[16]

1
Strut around like you own the place. Pirates are cocky and command respect, so you should be bold. When something is challenging, don't back down. Prove to everyone that you are strong and capable.^[17]
- Show that you're a confident and independent woman.
- For example, volunteer to be the leader when you're working in a group, work toward a challenging goal that's important to you, and try again after you've failed at something.
2
Adopt an intimidating facial expression and body language. Pirates needed to be intimidating on the high seas, so show everyone that you're a tough cookie. Stand up for yourself and those you care about.^[18]
- Practice scowling and staring people down in the mirror.
- Keep your body open like you aren't afraid, and clench your fists when you need to show someone you're tough.^[19]
- When someone insults you or someone you love, tell them to keep their thoughts to themselves. You could say, "Your insults say more about you than they do about me."
3
Accept all who want to join into your crew. Pirates often ran their ships as a democracy, with leaders being elected by popular vote - with the exception of a few notorious pirates. They also accepted anyone into their ranks without discrimination, whether they were a former sailor, a former criminal, or a former slave.^[20]
- Be open to people who are different from you.
- Don't shut people out of the pirate ranks just because they express their pirate side differently from you.
4
Rebel against the status quo. Historic pirates often saw themselves as social reformers who were confronting the people in charge of a broken society. Find a rebel cause that you support and become part of the movement.^[21]
- Organize a peaceful protest for something you're passionate about.
- Create a blog to express your ideas, or contribute to a site that publishes content that shares your views.
- Question authority by asking why instead of just accepting rules. Be respectful, but expect them to respect you back. You could say, "Could you tell me why I can't carry my backpack in here?"
5
Gesture a lot when you talk. When pirates were sailing the high seas, it was often hard to communicate. They needed to use body language to convey what they were trying to say. Exaggerate your movements, gesturing more than you normally would. They're also bigger than life, so don't hold back on your gestures.
- Don't cross your arms. Instead, keep them wide and move them as you talk.
- Practice talking in the mirror so that you can watch how you move. Make a point to wave your arms around and use your hands to add to what you have to say.
- You can also film yourself to see how much you are gesturing so that you can increase your gestures.^[22]

1
Read about the pirate life. Books, magazines, and websites allow you to immerse yourself in pirate stories and get more ideas about how to live your pirate life. You can read more about the modern pirate subculture with publications like Mutiny Magazine.
- You can also look for websites and social media pages of individuals who are part of the pirate subculture.
2
Find a crew that shares your love of pirate culture. Look for friends who enjoy the pirate subculture. This will allow you to have more fun with your new look as you're better able to immerse yourself in the subculture. Your crew can hang out in private or go out together.
- Don't worry if it's hard to find friends who share your interest.
- Try meetup.com or social media to look for groups that meet near you. You could even try starting one yourself!
- Additionally, look for established pirate orders that take part in the subculture.
3
Engage in pirate hobbies. Pirates are known for their swordplay, looting, gambling, and unruly behavior. While you'll want to tone down your pirate behavior, you can still enjoy hobbies that are related to your pirate persona.^[23]
- Try your hand at fencing.
- Learn how to play dice.
- Learn to pick locks, but don't actually steal from people.
- Attend parties and events with your friends.
4
Get a parrot, whether it's real or fake. Fake parrots are much easier to take care of than real parrots. If you like the look of a talking parrot on your shoulder, a fake parrot is cheaper and easier to maintain than a real parrot. You can find a fake parrot online. Real parrots are very expensive, live long lives, and require a lot of time and attention.
- If you get a real parrot, you can teach it to talk. However, remember that birds are very demanding pets.^[24]
5
Find or build your own pirate hangout. Since most pirate girls don't have a real pirate ship, consider creating a pirate hangout instead. In real life, pirates usually had a land-based hangout that they could retreat to when they weren't sailing the high seas. Often, this started out as a cave or make-shift shack and eventually became a small city where the whole crew could live.^[25]
- Your pirate hangout could be part of your room, a place in nature, or something like a treehouse. If you're older, you and your friends may be able to arrange a public hangout.
- If you do have your own boat or ship - even if it's stuck on land - you can make that your pirate hangout. Make sure to fly the Jolly Roger!^[26]
6

Drink rum if you're old enough. Pirates were known for their love of rum, so choose a hearty brew if you're of legal drinking age. Drink it from the bottle or from a wooden or metal mug.^[27]

Add New Question

Question

What if I don't have my ears pierced?

You can buy clip-on earrings, or just forget the earrings altogether if it's too inconvenient.
Question

Do pirate girls need to wear makeup?

No, not at all, but you can if you want to!
Question

Is there a tutorial on fencing?

Check YouTube. There are tutorials on just about everything. If you're serious about it, you can also look into taking fencing lessons in your area.
Question

How can I do this if I am ten years old and live in an apartment building, and am the only pirate among my friends?

Try looking online for some fellow pirate friends, or try and talk to others outside your normal friend group.
Question

Would it be possible to make a virtual hangout if a regular one isn't available?

Absolutely! You could make a group chat on social media of some sort with all your other pirate friends!

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Video

Pirate subculture can overlap with the Lolita and Gothic subcultures.^[28]

Beware the kind of crowd you show your pirate side to. Walking around the streets with that distinctive drunken swagger might provoke some raised eyebrows and concerned questions.
This isn't an accurate representation of actual pirates, but a guide to the modernized sub-culture of looking like a pirate girl.

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