How to Come Up With Jewelry for a Girl's Pirate Costume

Pirate costumes are loads of fun, for girls as much as for boys, and female pirates are more than just fanciful. Real-life "swashbuckeresses" like Anne Bonney and Mary Read plied their trade on the seven seas just like their male counterparts. A girl's pirate costume for Halloween can be fairly easy to make--just a white blouse and a striped skirt is all you really need--but the accessories truly make it sing. Jewelry, along with a cutlass, hat and black leather boots, can put the final touches on the outfit. Come up with the right kind, and your costume will be the hit of the party.

Instructions

1. Focus primarily on gold or silver jewelry, something with more metal than gems in it. Pirates wore jewelry because it constituted easily portable wealth. Gold and silver could be melted down and retain their value, while gems really couldn't. While it's perfectly OK to use jewelry with stones--the gaudier, the better in some cases--make them the garnish rather than the centerpiece.

2. Look for jewelry in older styles befitting the 17th or 18th century. They can be elaborate, but a historic sort of elaborate. Avoid jewelry that spells out your name or involves similar modern flourishes. They detract from the overall impression of the costume. Beware of jewelry that features the Jolly Roger or similar pirate imagery. Though they may be evocative, they weren't seen during the Golden Age of piracy--no one thought to lionize such imagery by putting them in a necklace or bracelet. (Though ships and sails were another matter entirely.)

3. Focus on gold or silver hoops for earrings. They match the pirate image very closely and tend to go well with tri-corner hats and eye patches.

4. Go overboard with the amount of jewels if you wish: especially with bracelets, necklaces and rings. Remember, jewelry equals portable wealth, and a pirate lass who has just raided the treasure trove will focus on the wearables first. That way, she can sprint back to the ship with ease, instead of having to lug a heavy treasure chest loaded with coins.

5. Consider jewels and jewelry integrated with the rest of your costume. The hilt of your sword, for example, could be encrusted with gems, while boot buckles and belt buckles can be as flashy as you wish. If you're going for a naturalistic look, it may be over the top--pirates would never wear such gear on the high seas--but it works quite well if you want to add a little more dazzle.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid purchasing jewelry at a costume shop. They're often overpriced and rarely worth the money. Instead, look for cheap brass or plastic jewelry in thrift stores, drug stores or pawn shops. If your friends don't mind, you may want to raid their collection for good pieces as well. It won't cost you anything (provided you give them back unharmed when you're done) and can provide that little bit extra that says, "The treasure be ours, matey!"