Looking for the best nautical Halloween costume ideas? You've come to the right place. First off, pirate costumes are just so 2003. That’s the year Capt. Jack Sparrow entered our lives with Pirates of the Caribbean, kicking off a multibillion-dollar film franchise and spawning an endless parade of pirate costumes every Halloween.
Now, sure, to be fair, most guys have been swaggering around on Halloween holding bottles of rum and pretending to be pirates since long before Johnny Depp topped his noggin in dreadlocks and lost control of his black eyeliner. It’s a fine costume if you can’t think of anything more creative—but, luckily for you, we’re here to help in that department.
Here are nine ideas for nautical-themed Halloween costumes that we guarantee nobody else will show up wearing at the dock party.
Nautical-Themed Halloween Costumes
Miami Vice Agent
Yacht Club Member
The Skipper
Zack Mayo
Olympic Sailor
Martin Brody
Steelpan Player
Fly-Fisherman
Poseidon
Miami Vice Agent
If you can arrive at the party aboard a go-fast high performance boat, then this one will make you a legend. The classic Sonny Crockett outfit from the 1980s smash-hit TV show is as simple as a white suit with a pastel T-shirt underneath. It doesn’t even have to be a good T-shirt; if the neck hangs a little low from a thousand washings or—even better—if it’s torn, then all the better for showing off some of your chest hair a la Don Johnson in his prime. A cheap-o pair of black sunglasses from the $3 rack at the drugstore completes the look, as does a little sugar in a plastic sandwich bag that you can plant on a friend for a “drug bust.” If you can’t put together the ensemble at home, then you can find decent imitations online for about $30. Start your shopping here.
Yacht Club Member
If you’re willing to invest some serious cash in this year’s costume, then head on over to the hottest jacket-maker in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood and dress yourself up like a yacht club member. Rowing Blazers is the talk of Vogue, GQ and the stylish set, pairing a hip streetwear vibe with the traditional style of blazers from crew clubs at Harvard and Yale universities. The blazers start at $295 for classic yacht-club navy, and if you’re willing to pony up more cash, you can have everything from seersucker to croquet stripe. A much more economical straw boater hat from Zappos will finish off the look.