How to Make a Pirate Shirt

Co-authored by Young Kim

Last Updated: September 23, 2024

Need a pirate shirt for a costume? All you need is a trip to the thrift store, a pair of scissors, and spare shoelaces. Once you have your shirt and vest ready, toss on a scarf and an eyepatch and you're ready to sail the seas.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Laced Up Pirate Shirt

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Start with a white shirt about two sizes too big. You're going for a loose blouse look, but you can also use a night shirt or a regular button down shirt.
These holes should be one inch (2.5 cm) apart, and big enough to put a shoelace through. This way, the cuff can act as a casing for the shoelace in the next step.

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Cut an old brown or white shoelace in half. Push the shoelace through the holes in the cuff, in and out of the sleeves. Tie the ends in a knot on the inside of your wrist, and pull to give yourself puffy sleeves.
Punch holes in line with the top buttons of the shirt (or down the center of the blouse), about two inches (5 cm) apart. Stop at the second or third button hole, depending on how much chest you want exposed.
Using another white or brown shoelace, make a loose criss-cross pattern through the chest holes, ending with a knot.
For a dirty pirate look, stain the shirt by wetting it with coffee or tea. Leave it overnight, rinse out the liquid, and wash the shirt.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Ragged Pirate Vest

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1
Buy an oversized dark shirt. Look in thrift stores for a good selection of shirts that you won't mind cutting up. Old shirts you have after losing a lot of weight are also good for this project. Dark brown shirts or stripes work particularly well.
- You can wear this on its own, but it works best if you wear it over the laced up shirt described above.
Be careful not to cut off any parts of the sleeves – you're just aiming for one to three rips or tears on each sleeve. Try to balance the rips at different levels on each arm so that it's more interesting to look at.
Cut a few tears here and there to expand on the ragged effect. Optionally, cut off about 1 inch (2.5 cm) to remove the machined hem and make the vest look more worn.
Cut through the base of the collar and make a slit down the upper chest. Continue cutting all the way to the bottom of the vest, so that it hangs open.
For extra flair, sew or iron on a patch showing a skull, King Neptune, or another nautical image. If you're feeling ambitious, you can embroider your own design.

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Tips

You may want to cut the collar off the shirt as well.

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For a lady pirate costume, you could wear a corset instead of a vest. Consider cutting holes in the shoulders as well.

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Look for thrift store ideas the clothing that you'll be able to use.

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