Festival Fancy Dress - Pirate Inspiration for Hogsozzle 2016

Following my mermaid and cosmic-space-explorer inspiration posts, I've got some swash-buckling swag for all you childhood dreamers who wished for a future on the high seas!

If anyone can pull off pirate chic, it's my friend Kelly - she's literally the person I know that can drink the most rum, for sure. Here's a little collage of me and her having rum-soaked times, she's a beaut, right?

So, we are thinking, black, skull & crossbones accessories, some sort of sword and some pieces of eight to scatter in her wake :) The web is awash with fabulous pirate dress-up bounty - below I've shared just some of the absolutely incredible steampunk corsets and accessories for sale on Etsy, all sources are linked below the image.

Pirate Wench Corset - Luluna

Off-the-shoulder top - Zootzugarb

Pirate Wench Dress - TimJan Design

Pirate Cat Corset - EmeraldAngel

Tricorn Pirate Hat - Blackpin

Black Brocade Corset - SilverLeafCostumes

Lace Up Arm Warmers - ZenandCoffee

Waist Cincher- Dredmorsplunder

Renaissance Corset - PeriodCorsets

Woman make the best pirates, obviously. At the end of the 17th century, pirating was primarily a male occupation. Women weren't allowed on long boat journeys in case the men fought over them (or, I imagine, with them) so if they wanted a life on the high seas, they had to pretend to be male. That makes it pretty hard to track down authentic female pirates in history, but I did find this diva, rocking some serious piratey garbs, about to get shot in the head.

Anne Bonney, apparently on the left although I think they both look quite feminine. She obviously dreamed hard about becoming a pirate, because after stabbing a servant girl with a table knife and marrying a small-time pirate, James Bonny, Anne was disowned by her father. She moved to New Providence in the Bahamas, where she met Jack Rackham, captain of the pirate ship Revenge, and became his mistress - what a life eh?

*edit- I just had mail from Sara at PeriodCorsets, who inform me that the second lady, on the left, is another famous female pirate called Mary Read. She also told me a hilarious pirate fact - the reason their breasts are shown in this picture is because during battle, while dressed as men, they would rip open their shirts revealing their breasts to distract those they were fighting. Thanks Sara! 

Here's what Tickled Pink Fancy Dress, the official fancy dress partner of Hogsozzle, have on offer along the pirate theme - I think my favourite thing about these is the snarling on the men's faces, I can just imagine being told to go "Aarrrrggggg!"

Check out their whole selection of festival fancy dress on their website here.

Below are some pirate-themed pieces from around the web to spend your dubloons on, I love the idea of wearing a cute but practical themed outfit as well as going all out with fabulous fancy dress :)

Striped Wellies - Joules

Skull & Crossbone Denim Shorts - WTFEmbroidery

White off-shoulder Top - Topshop

Headscarf - LittleKTM on Etsy

Coin Bag - ASOS

Fishbone necklace - Tatty Devine

Finally, what pirate would be ready to give someone a good keelhaul (that's scraping a traitor back and forth against the barnacle-crusted bottom of the boat, in case your pirate-language knowledge in't up to speed) without a bottle of the very best rum? We met the guys that make Pirates Grog last year at a little festival called Rumbellion and it's stayed my very favourite. Grab ye' self a bottle and get three sheets to the wind...here we are soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the grog :)

Have a great rest of the week! I'll be back tomorrow with that Turner Brother summer gig guide I've been promising and some last-minute fancy dress ideas - 8 days til we go festival fancy dress crazy at Hogsozzle, I'll share all our groups outfits after the weekend!:)

Katy x