If'n ye be a rich pirate...

[Atala Syrcuse]

Goin' to port to gather me up some more piratey coats. Seein' as ye likes to plunder me ship (and I likes to be plundered) I thought I'd get an opinion of what ye all likes.

An' I also like to give a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum to all ye scurvy dogs that placed yer bets on me last bit o' cargo.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

If'n I be a rich pirate, I would own a coat of every color. Black for sneaking in at night. Red for a bold frontal daylight attack. Blue for enchanting the lads at Tortuga and Green for St. Patty's day and Mardi Gras.

[BLACK SKOT]

All black of course!

[CaptJackSparrow]

Well, I'd have to say any color that is hard to produce in that time period like Purple. I don't know off hand what the difficult/costly ones were but I know that purple has been a royal color for 100's of years prior.

Jack

[Capt'n Corbin]

Given the choices above, I had to go with blue. But, if I were a rich pirate I would have to have one in black leather.

[King's Pyrate]

Why Blue...so's I could blend in with the King's Men.......aaaaaarrrrrrrrhhhhh

[Katarina Leigh]

Me, I'd say a deep blue (though I'd probably still stick with dark brown) for normal everyday wear, but methinks a wealthy pirate'd be more likely to choose something like red most of the time. (though a different color for different times is brilliant! or maybe even for different moods.. oh the possibilities..)

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

I went wif blue even though I might prefer black fer everyday wear! But I think that there may just be too MUCH black in me costume...

If'n I were a RICH pirate... I'd want a flashier color than black anyway. I wan' the other pirates ter spot me on board me ship and cry, "There be blue-coated Lady Wolf!" 'R a dark red may be nice as well. "Bloody Wolf"... I like it.

Captain Wolfy Wench

[Merrydeath]

In the Rennie world, medium blue was a cheap color; even the servants wore it. Tan or linen color was also cheap and used by commoners.

Gray was also cheap, but true black was expensive, since it faded so quick.

Purple was not that expensive to have, since its gotten from berries, shells, and flowers. The purple thing was mostly for theater, because the Romans and Greeks used it for Emperors. Its more just very identifable as a power color.

Red was also expensive, because it was hard to get and keep that color. White was also expensive, since it got dirty so fast.

from The Tangled Web clothing source:

Colors were muted to our modern eyes, comparatively deep or bright tones were taxed and expensive to purchase. Colors that might be expected are earth tones: browns, yellows, golds, bronze & orange. Greens and blues were also worn (remember muted-no electric blue!). The color blue obtained from woad (cheap) was often used to dye apprentices' clothing, so it was avoided by those with social pretensions. (Incidentally, the process of making woad dye involved fermentation so unpleasant to the nose that Elizabeth banned it in the city limits.)

Middle class olors would be deeper greens and blues, richer earth tones, crimson, wine reds, oranges, yellows and some black—more often as trim or stitchery. They would be able to have matching wardrobe pieces.

[Blackeye Susan]

I'll go with burgundy or green. They've always been my favorite colors anyway. Quite striking.

-Blackeye Susan

[Red Maria]

A true, colorfast, scarlet red was very expensive. It came from an insect called cochineal and it to hundreds of insects to produce the dye. It was, however, very colorfast. The other scarlet red dye that was madder. That is what the British redcoats were dyed with. It OTOH is not very colorfast and that 's the dye that fades easily.

Last year when the curator was clearing out the madder bed in the herb garden she gave it to the local Revolutionar War group so they could dye their coats authentically.

A cheap blue could be made with woad but a far more vibrant (and desired) hue could be made with indigo which was expensive till the late 18th c. Some shades of purple could be made cheaply but the royal purple came from a Mediterranean shellfish (forget the name) and was very expensive.

I'll have to look over my natural dye material but I htink there was a recipe for true black that wasn't that expensive.

[Captain Persephone]

If i be a rich pirate i'd wear a mix of black and red,Dangerous and sexy too actually i just really like that mix of colors

[Red Maria]

I'll go with burgundy or green. They've always been my favorite colors anyway. Quite striking.

-Blackeye Susan

Funny those are my costume colors! :)

[Rumba Rue]

Without a doubt, burgandy.

I finally finished my burgandy frock coat, minus two buttons still to be found. Sorry no pictures available at this time.

Rumba Rue

**Life is what you make it, so make it happy**

[LadyBarbossa]

:::looks at current frock coat:: Well, mine be black... black as the darkest night without the silvery moon. :: evil grinz:: Though... it be trimmed with silver/gold/blue lacing & antiqued fancy metal buttons.

I do plan to make m'self another frock coat, a bit fancier than m' black coat. It'll be scarlet or crimson red. ::evil grinz::

If any other coats or waistcoats... depends upon which material capture my eyes... & there be a few out there now that are rather nice. :) Even some material at the local Hancock fabrics to make a rather lovely sack back gown.

[Redd Oktober]

I'm not a rich pirate...but me coat I stole off of a French poet off the coast of Ol' Blighty! (And me hose I stole from a whore in Port Royale.. )

[John_Young]

Well I not be a rich pyrate, but I gots me many coats.

Me best coat that a darst not wear when combat is seen is a loverly royal blue velvet affair.

I also owns me 2 different brown coats, a black coat, and a burgundy one.

[LadyBarbossa]

Must be a mighty fine pair o' stockings there, Redd! The frock be one item, but t' have stockings! Oooooh, ye be a mighty one indeed! :) Do they have a fancy design upon the side of 'em? Hmm?

A good selection there, too, Mr. Young. :)

I love adornments as well. Jewelry, beads, fancy trim.... anyone wear such finery that only Kings & Queens wear? Hmm? Something fancy you may have stolen from a ship or bought with plunder?