Making Jack Sparrow costume
Sometimes you need to do things just for fun. I like to make costumes, because when making them you can use creativity in many refreshing ways.
Our school had first of May celebration costume party. I decided to surprise my students by being in a totally different role than normally. During the long winter I was thinking what character I could dress up. Then I realised that I had already most of the things needed for Captain Jack Sparrow costume. Rest of the pieces would be easy to make or get. This costume is not identical to movie costume, but close enough to right impression. There is lots of websites about original and reproduction Jack Sparrow costumes, where you can get detailed information if you want to make identical costume.
For this costume I bought these things:
From flea market nearby: pants (1€), shirt (3€) and black leather coat (1€). Kanekalon artificial hair (5€), Jack Sparrow bandana identical to movie prop (7€). I got free old winter coat that had good big buttons I took from it.
Dread locks: I liked most the dread lock style in movie 4, where Jack Sparrow has lighter and slightly longer wig. I used three differently coloured kanekalon hair for the dread locks. Tips are slightly lighter than roots. Upper part of hairstyle is my own hair. Kanekalon is too shiny fibre and thus unrealistic. I sprayed thin layer of reddish brown acrylic paint over finished dread locks and after that they looked more realistic. Lots of small items like, coins, stings, feathers, teeth, and beads are tied in to the locks.
Bandana: Red beautiful bandana looked also too new. I kept it in the sun for few weeks and it also got paint wash in the end.
Makeup and facial hair: I think makeup is the most important part of the Jack Sparrow costume. Without makeup and facial hair this costume would not work at all. It is difficould to get makeup strong enough. When you think it is ready, double the amout of makeup! This makeup was done with mineral makeup powders that you can paint on your face. Facial hair is glued on skin. Ready made moustache have visible background piece. Look will be more natural if you cut hairs of and glue them directly on your skin.
Vest: I had old high school time made jacket that was suitable for this project. I took sleeves of and lowered pocket flaps. Button flaps were also turned sideways and new decorative buttons added. Vest looked too new and pristine so I sanded some parts of it, tor it with surgical blade, I kept it outside for couple of weeks and finally it god muddy bath in field ditch.
Rings and other stuff in hands: I had enough big rings, so I did not buy any more. Another hand has strip of fabric around it and another protective leather piece that I cut from old leather skirt.
Shirt and sash: I used this female shirt and piece of cotton as painting towel. All suitable coloured exes paint was cleaned with it. Surface were torn with knifes and abrasive paper. I will make new better sash when I find suitable material for it.
Belts and sword: Sword is actually only scabbard, guard and grip. Scabbard part is wood covered with aged leather, guard is made of piece of steel and grip is large nail covered with leather. Old belts riveted together form baldric.
Pants: Ordinary women’s pants got same treatment as shirt did.
Boots: Lower parts of boots are ordinary Ecco ankle boots that did not get any treatment. Spats were actually sleeves of the leather coat I bought. I just had to sew skirt part that I cut from back of the jacket. I will need boot straps since spats roll down too easy.
I don’t have tricorn hat yet. Hopefully I will one day find from flea market ladies felt floppy hat that can be transformed in to pirate hat.
Pirate theme was part of lessons too. In chemistry we studied “pirate chemistry”. For example how iron was made in 1700 century, how flint lock weapons worked, how leather was tanned and what tar was and how tar produced in Finland was part of the world of the pirates. We found out that knowledge of chemistry have been very important already during 1700.
It was also interesting to see how the look of the teacher affects behaviour of students.
Seascape was photographed 2003 in Kap Verde.