Pirate costume try-on: see yourself as a swashbuckler

Classic pirate costumes borrow from 17th- and 18th-century seafaring dress: a long frock coat with brass buttons, a loose white shirt with billowing sleeves, a waistcoat or corset vest, a wide sash, striped or breeches-style trousers and tall boots. Colours are rich and worn-in – black, burgundy, brown and gold. It suits anyone who wants a fun, theatrical costume that’s easy to put together. It’s also an easy costume for couples and groups, since every crew member can wear a slightly different version of the look.

Try a captain’s frock coat with a tricorn hat, a ruffled shirt with a corset vest and skirt, a deckhand look with striped trousers and a bandana, a gold-trimmed admiral-style coat and a couple’s pirate set. Halloween is on October 31, so preview early and order in time. Screenshot any costume to try it instead of the preset. If you’re going as a group, mix captain and crew looks so the costumes read as a team in photos.

After the preset, try a few of your own finds side by side – keep the same photo of yourself so the comparison is fair. A sharp, well-lit, head-to-toe photo gives the most realistic result, and outfit pictures on a model or mannequin work better than tiny thumbnails or collages. Choose a costume photo that shows the coat, shirt and trousers together, rather than only the top half. Because only the clothes change, accessories like wigs, make-up and glasses need to be in your own photo if you want them in the result.