Next, get a red bandana.  Johnny Depp has popularized the image of a pirate with a red bandana or scarf tied over their head.  Since an appropriate hat may be hard to come by, a bandana is a much easier add to your costume.  Furthermore, very few people will look at someone wearing an eye patch and a red bandana and not immediately guess what you are supposed to be.   Next you need a shipwreck shirt.  Pirates are usually depicted as wearing frilly white shirts, much like the gentlemen of the day.  Men wear the shirt open until about midway down the chest.  A few stains and rips don't hurt, either.

Make sure you get tall boots.  The right kind of boots will probably be easier to find for ladies' pirate costumes then for men's but boots are vital to a good costume.  Tall, black, well-shined boots are an important part of the pirate look, thanks to writers like Robert Louis Stevenson and J.M. Barrie, and movies like Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean. In reality, pirates probably didn't wear boots much, as they would have been impractical at sea.  Don't forget that pirates were also sailors, and boots would have been treacherously slippery when walking a wet deck or climbing the riggings.  Like other sailors, pirates probably spent a lot of time barefoot while on their ships.  But perhaps because of the stereotype of the swashbuckling pirate captain, boots have become an integral part of a recognizable costume.

Finally you need a sword, knife, or pistol.  No pirate would be caught dead without his weapon!  A sword is by far the best choice for your costume, and you should be able to find one in a costume store or even in a toy store.  At the very least, be sure to tuck a knife and perhaps even an old-fashioned pistol into your belt.

Pirate costumes are pretty popular, and you are sure to see plenty of them around Halloween or at any other type of costume event.  Although the nature of the costume does allow you a lot of freedom in how you decide to create your look, it is important to be sure not to leave out the most recognizable parts of a good pirate costume.