Captain Jack Sparrow Costumes, pt 2

Ideas for sewing or buying your pirate costume

Is this a photo of the REAL Captain Jack Sparrow? Actually, it's not---it's a wax figure of Captain Jack at the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada! In honor of Pirates of the Caribbean 3, this famous wax museum (at the Venetian Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip) added the figures of Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. The museum did an absolutely WONDERFUL job of replicating these two beloved movie characters---it was hard to tell that they were not real!

The Jack Sparrow display has ended, but now you can see a "regular" Johnny Dep statue! It's the same wax figure, but the pirate clothing has been changed for a suit. You can actually walk up to the wax Johnny Depp and take your picture with him! The figure is so realistic, your friends will probably think that you've got a photograph of yourself with Johnny Depp!

(If you'd like to plan a trip to Las Vegas to see the Pirates of the Caribbean display at the wax museum, you'll find the details for planning such an excursion on the "Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas page of the www.HaveFunInTheSouthwest.com website---a new "sister site" to this one.)

On this page, we'll talk about sewing your Jack Sparrow costume from scratch, or buying your pirate outfit from a costume shop.

If you missed seeing "Jack Sparrow Costumes, part 1" (about assembling a costume from your own clothing,) you can use the following link to view the 1st page of the Jack Sparrow costume tips article. Or, if you need a kid's pirate outfit, you may want to visit the Children's Pirate Costumes page.

*Did you know?: Characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies...including Captain Jack Sparrow!...have been added to the Pirates of the Caribbean rides at Disneyland! To see photos and find out about these new updates to this much-loved Disneyland ride, you may use the following link to view the "Jack Sparrow Additions" page of this website.

Jack Sparrow Costumes -- Should you Assemble, Sew, or Buy them?

There are advantages and disadvantages to each option.

One huge advantage of assembling your pirate outfit from clothing you already own is that it's going to be expensive to either buy OR sew a Captain Jack Sparrow costume!

SEWING the costume gives you the advantage of being able to customize your costume to the fullest possible extent. Unlike using clothing you own or a costume that you buy, you can pick the fabrics for your Jack Sparrow costume individually. NO ONE will have a costume EXACTLY like yours! You can make a deluxe outfit of high-quality fabrics which will last you through several Halloween parties with no signs of wear and tear...and, indeed, you can get several YEARS of use from your costume if you choose quality materials.


On the other hand, you're equally free to choose bottom-of-the-line fabrics...especially if the costume only needs to last one night. If you, your wife, your girlfriend, etc. already knows how to sew (saving you from paying a seamstress to sew it), then this option could end up cheaper for you than purchasing a pre-made costume.


The advantage of BUYING the Jack Sparrow costume is obvious---you'll save TIME over having it sewn. And, if you would have to pay for a seamstress, you would save money comparted to that option, as well.

The DISadvantage to purchasing your pirate costume is that there aren't too many out there to choose from. (Despite a zillion costume shops existing on-line, they're often selling the very same products from one store to the other.) You just might end up meeting yourself at the costume party you'll be attending!

Jack Sparrow Costumes -- What's available to buy

There is only ONE officially licensed Captain Jack Sparrow costume for sale; or, rather, one men's outfit, and one for boys. Despite being officially licensed Jack Sparrow costumes, they look nothing like the real Jack Sparrow outfit in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies! Furthermore, when you see the "official" photo of the licensed costume, you'll actually be looking at MORE than you'll be getting. If you read the details, you'll discover that the bandanna, hat, hairpiece, beard, mustache and pants ARE NOT INCLUDED in the outfit---despite being pictured! So, whatever money you spend for the official outfit (which only includes the shirt with non-detachable vest, the boot covers, the sash and 2 belts), you'll HAVE to spend more later to complete the outfit. Because, all by itself, the officially licensed outfit is only half an outfit!

With only one "officially licensed" Jack Sparrow costume available, you'll naturally want to think about using some OTHER pirate outfit. While there are more selections of non-official pirate outfits available, you'll still see the same pirate costumes cropping up again and again at various costume shops. You may use the next link to see a "typical" assortment of pirate costumes that are carried by on-line costume shops.

Trying to find costumes that look "different" from all the others is a bit trickier. If you're willing to spend just a bit more money, you can have a costume that's both higher in quality AND is not so run-of-the-mill. You may use the following link to view selections from a more-unique...but more expensive...online costume shop: more-unique...but more expensive...online costume shop. Very cool!

Photo note: The picture of an elegant pirate captain's costume (to your right) was sent by reader Alexa from California. If you don't like the "scruffy" Jack Sparrow look, why not be a "gentleman" pirate, instead?

If you plan to buy your costume at a Southern California costume store, the following pages of this website can help you find one that's conveniently located for your needs:

1.) Party City Stores/Los Angeles County; costumes are seasonal items here (Sept/Oct)
2.) Party City, part 2; Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura county Party City store locations
3.) Spirit Halloween Stores; seasonal
4.) Southern California's Year-round costume stores
5.) Party America stores; costume aisle is seasonal; not available in San Diego County

Jack Sparrow Costumes -- Patterns available if you choose to sew

Simplicity Pattern #4923 comes with the following pieces: the basic pirate shirt, vest (waistcoat) and pants; plus the optional cravat (tie) and frock coat (outer coat.) You could make quite the dressy pirate's costume from this pattern! Or, since you don't have to make all of the pieces, you could also choose to "keep it simple."

This pattern comes in sizes AA and BB. "Size AA" includes patterns for making extra-small, small and medium sized costumes. (Chest 30 inches to 40 inches, and hips 31 inches to 41 inches.) Size BB includes men's large and extra large sizes (chest 42 inches to 48 inches and hips 43 to 49 inches around.) Larger men shouldn't despair, however. The pattern can be "cut large" by an experienced seamstress. And, remember, the vest wasn't buttoned by Captain Jack in the movie, so it doesn't necessarily have to go all the way around you.

You may use the following link to view Simplicity pattern 4923, a very good pirate costume pattern.


Probably the easiest pattern to sew is the McCall's pattern for a pirate costume. It's not super-easy...but it does contain less pieces and a bit less detail. McCall's models make no attempt at looking like Captain Jack; in fact, the costumes as modeled on the pattern's package look rather cartoonish. However, the pieces are basically the same as with the Simplicity pattern, can can be made in colors and fabrics which would look more realistic. In addition, one advantage to choosing the McCall's pattern is that the same pattern comes in both adult's and kid's sizes...and for both men and women. So, if you'd like, you can make costumes for a whole family of pirates! You may use the following link to see the McCall's pirate costume pattern.

The third major pattern company offering a pirate's costume is Butterick. This costume is different yet from the other two; it's quite a bit fancier. You may use the following link to view the Butterick pirate costume.

Jack Sparrow Costumes -- The Tattoo

In real life, Johnny Depp has his own tattoos. In fact, some of them were purposely covered with smudges of fake "pirate dirt" so that they couldn't be seen during the filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!

If you're curious about Johnny Depp's "real" tattoos, you may use the following link to view an interesting article about Johnny Depp's tattoos.

Jack Sparrow Costumes--Makeup, Hair, Beard

Or...have you ever wondered how to apply the wildly-painted eye makeup from the "tribal" scenes of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2?" If so, you'll be glad to know that the www.beauty-and-the-bath.com website ALSO has another page which can tell you exactly how to achieve that look! Use the upcoming link to discover how to create Jack Sparrow tribal chief eyelids!

Now, about the Jack Sparrow beard & moustashe: If you've looked through costume shops (either via the internet or offline,) then you may have noticed that realistic-looking fake beards are hard to find. If you'd like to spice up your Jack Sparrow pirate costume by adding a beard, take your time to select the best one to fit your features.

Sure, false beards and mustaches always look OK in the movies...but that's a different story altogether. Movie production companies use the best hair pieces on the planet, and they have professional makeup artists on hand to help actors get the look just right. And anyway, if the beard doesn't look real "in person," who's going to know? The cameraman will shoot the scene so that the beard DOES look real in the finished film.

You, on the other hand, are going to be live & in-person at your costume party...and you WON'T have a profesional makeup artist to help you get ready for your grand entrance! The very LAST thing you want to do is show up with an unrealistic-looking fake beard...unless you're going for a "comical pirate" look.

If you can't find the type of artificial beard to complete your outfit that you think looks terrific, my suggestion would be to forget about it. For an adult's pirate costume, natural hair can often be the best-looking option. The beard doesn't have to be long to look good; just several days growth. Even a nice-looking "5 o'clock shadow" can look rugged & manly. An attractive 5 o'clock shadow is certainly better than a bad-looking artificial beard.

Jack Sparrows hairstyle: in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, you might notice that some of the "braids" on Jack's head are actually dreadlocks. Making dreadlocks is actually something that you CAN do with your hair, providing it's long enough. I know of a website that'll tell you how to get your dreadlocks started growing, if you choose to make your own (rather than buying some fake ones.) You may use the following link to view the interesting www.MyDreadlocks.com website.

Johnny Depp & Pirates of Caribbean Premiere Pictures

These Johnny Depp (and other) pictures come from the Flickr photo sharing website. These people simply like to take snapshots, then share them with the world! Looks like they had good luck, too; there are some really great pictures of the Pirates premiere among these shots.

Or, if you'd prefer to see a slide show of the Pirates movie premiere which has more Orlando Bloom pictures in it, you may visit the Costumes: Jack Sparrow Costumes, part 1 page of this website.

Cool Johnny Depp stuff on EBay

The EBay widget below can show you current auctions which are going on right NOW...at this very moment! The widget updates itself regularly...so that next time you visit this page, you'll see completely different Jack Sparrow merchandise up for sale!

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