Some might remember me from many months back as being in the market for a "super-budget" Captain Jack Sparrow costume. I started off with one of Magnoli's screen-accurate bandannas, and decided I would make the rest of it with thrift-store discoveries.
Boy, was I wrong. :rolleyes
It turned into a mild obsession for many months (I started in February, and I was trying my hardest to get it at least fairly accurate for the release of the third movie in May), and it strayed way out of my original budget, and it's not 100% accurate...but I'm pretty damn happy with it. Here are some pictures (taken at various different times, so forgive me for getting the beads mixed around once in a while!).
(this one was supposed to be a dramatic looking-into-the-distance pose, but it didn't really work...in retrospect, perhaps I should have gone for the "got a little Captain in you?" knee-raise)
The total cost came to US$387, by my count. Not quite as super-budget as I had originally planned (college be damned!), but I'm pretty sure it's cheaper than many of the other, more accurate Sparrow costumes 'round here. And you know what? I'm okay with that!
And now, for those who are at all interested (since I know I want to show off my beginner's handiwork, and some people like seeing a bit of the process of things), some detail pictures and info. If you're not interested in any of that, you can stop reading now.
:
-The shirt, which didn't seem interesting enough to take an individual picture of, is the least-accurate part of the costume. That said, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. Started life a large white men's button-down thrift-store shirt; I removed the breast pocket, got rid of some stitches in the cuffs (to make the sleeves "poofier"), sewed halfway up the front and removed the buttons, so now it looks pretty far removed from its origins.
-The bandanna and beads are the only parts of the costume that I used more-or-less unaltered from when I purchased them (I re-strung one of the bead strands onto leather).
-The flintlock I filled to add weight, and re-painted, though it doesn't show up terribly different on camera, so I didn't bother.
-Vest I made myself from a slightly-modified Simplicity pattern (and though you can't tell in the picture, the lining/back fabric is indeed pinstriped):
-Frock coat, also made by myself from a slightly-modified Simplicity pattern (note the open cuffs). I am also extremely proud of the fabric I found for it. It cost $24 for six yards, so it's a whole lot cheaper than the screen-accurate fabric, but it's got a decently convincing roughness to it as well as a perfect blend of blue/brown/green in the coloring:
-Breeches I made based off a pair of gray thrift-store pants. I shortened the legs, tightened the legs (more form-fitting), added buttons along the side seam near the leghole, and made a velcro-open-and-close flap to cover the fly. All in all, they look pretty convincing!
-The boots I made myself from fake suede and a pair of thrift-store shoes, using Toby's fantastic tutorial. The edges ain't perfect, and the glue shows a little, but hey - I'm happy!
-The accurate-ish buckle is a hand-repainted toy from the Jack Sparrow Gear set, attached to a new, longer belt. The inaccurate one is actually an electrical socket cover that I thought looked nice and ornate, so I threaded a belt through it! The sash was made by taking another thrift-store shirt, cutting it into strips, and sewing them together.
-The compass was also part of the Sparrow toy set. I filled it to add some weight, then re-painted the entire thing.
-And last but not least, the sailor's glove and wrist wrap. I made the glove myself from scrap leather, thread, glue, and shoe polish. I cut the wrist wrap from a good rough-looking plaid-ish thrift store skirt.
Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed it! I know it has inaccuracies, and it could use some more details (like the belt buckle, baldric, mermaid/bone/chicken foot trinket, and such).....but it was the first time I've ever gone quote-unquote "all out" on a costume, accuracy-wise, and I could hardly be happier with the final product!
Boy, was I wrong. :rolleyes
It turned into a mild obsession for many months (I started in February, and I was trying my hardest to get it at least fairly accurate for the release of the third movie in May), and it strayed way out of my original budget, and it's not 100% accurate...but I'm pretty damn happy with it. Here are some pictures (taken at various different times, so forgive me for getting the beads mixed around once in a while!).
(this one was supposed to be a dramatic looking-into-the-distance pose, but it didn't really work...in retrospect, perhaps I should have gone for the "got a little Captain in you?" knee-raise)
The total cost came to US$387, by my count. Not quite as super-budget as I had originally planned (college be damned!), but I'm pretty sure it's cheaper than many of the other, more accurate Sparrow costumes 'round here. And you know what? I'm okay with that!
And now, for those who are at all interested (since I know I want to show off my beginner's handiwork, and some people like seeing a bit of the process of things), some detail pictures and info. If you're not interested in any of that, you can stop reading now.
:-The shirt, which didn't seem interesting enough to take an individual picture of, is the least-accurate part of the costume. That said, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. Started life a large white men's button-down thrift-store shirt; I removed the breast pocket, got rid of some stitches in the cuffs (to make the sleeves "poofier"), sewed halfway up the front and removed the buttons, so now it looks pretty far removed from its origins.
-The bandanna and beads are the only parts of the costume that I used more-or-less unaltered from when I purchased them (I re-strung one of the bead strands onto leather).
-The flintlock I filled to add weight, and re-painted, though it doesn't show up terribly different on camera, so I didn't bother.
-Vest I made myself from a slightly-modified Simplicity pattern (and though you can't tell in the picture, the lining/back fabric is indeed pinstriped):
-Frock coat, also made by myself from a slightly-modified Simplicity pattern (note the open cuffs). I am also extremely proud of the fabric I found for it. It cost $24 for six yards, so it's a whole lot cheaper than the screen-accurate fabric, but it's got a decently convincing roughness to it as well as a perfect blend of blue/brown/green in the coloring:
-Breeches I made based off a pair of gray thrift-store pants. I shortened the legs, tightened the legs (more form-fitting), added buttons along the side seam near the leghole, and made a velcro-open-and-close flap to cover the fly. All in all, they look pretty convincing!
-The boots I made myself from fake suede and a pair of thrift-store shoes, using Toby's fantastic tutorial. The edges ain't perfect, and the glue shows a little, but hey - I'm happy!
-The accurate-ish buckle is a hand-repainted toy from the Jack Sparrow Gear set, attached to a new, longer belt. The inaccurate one is actually an electrical socket cover that I thought looked nice and ornate, so I threaded a belt through it! The sash was made by taking another thrift-store shirt, cutting it into strips, and sewing them together.
-The compass was also part of the Sparrow toy set. I filled it to add some weight, then re-painted the entire thing.
-And last but not least, the sailor's glove and wrist wrap. I made the glove myself from scrap leather, thread, glue, and shoe polish. I cut the wrist wrap from a good rough-looking plaid-ish thrift store skirt.
Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed it! I know it has inaccuracies, and it could use some more details (like the belt buckle, baldric, mermaid/bone/chicken foot trinket, and such).....but it was the first time I've ever gone quote-unquote "all out" on a costume, accuracy-wise, and I could hardly be happier with the final product!
