A good thing about opting for pirate costumes to turn up to a fancy dress or Halloween party in, is that they are genderless and ageless which means that anyone, any age will be able to pull it off. Pirate themed parties are also becoming increasingly popular amongst adults and children with party shops stocking pirate themed props from cups and plates to pinatas. Pirate's popularity has been further fueled by Disney's quirky take on pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy; The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest and At Worlds End, where millions of people in audiences around the world have admired Johnny Depp playing his part as the comical, witty Captain Jack Sparrow. I am going to tell you how to put together the perfect pirate costumes that will make you look the part from head to toe.

You could purchase pirate costumes which are a copy of an already famous pirate. This could be Captain Jack Sparrow which would be easy as Disney make replicas of costumes worn in the Pirates of the Caribbean films; this makes them both cheap and easy to get hold of from online or your local costume store. There is also Captain Hook from Peter Pan. This means that you get to act much more sinister and wear a more elegant costume.

Pirate costumes also have the benefit of you being able to inject your own personality into them as there are so many different costumes that you can team up with your own choice of accessories so there is plenty of room for originality. Costume stores stock different types of pirate's costumes but starting from basics, you should purchase an outfit which consists of baggy clothes in blacks and browns if you want to be a more deck-hand kind of pirate. An outfit in rich reds, purples, greens or blues is also a good idea if you want to lean towards a rich captain type of pirate, you could also a posh, tailored jacket to this type of look. Both are likely to wear long black boots. You then need to add to this by using different accessories. You could purchase swords, belts, an eye patch, jewelery, a fake parrot or even a hook for a hand if you want to go completely over the top.

Women can also follow the same rules but they also have the option for sexier versions of pirate costumes or versions that have been made specifically for women which are much more feminine and tend to include gypsy skirts, black high heels and more jewellery. These can generally be bought from online or from good costumes stores.

You should always try to act the part when you go to a fancy dress party too and dressing like a pirate means that you can swagger around and it also gives you an excuse to talk like a pirate and turn into a kid again, playing sword fights. So when that invitation arrives, think pirate costumes because you'll be instantly recognisable and you'll get to have fun.