What to Wear to Gasparilla: Tampa’s Pirate Festival
Wondering what to wear to Gasparilla in Tampa? Well, the short answer is to dress like a pirate!
Almost everyone dresses up for Gasparilla whether that means wearing a full fledge authentic pirate costume or doing a DIY pirate inspired outfit.
As a local that has attended Gaspy several times, I’ve written this guide on what to wear to Gasparilla to help you come up with the perfect pirate attire! 🏴☠️
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👉 Looking for somewhere to stay for Gasparilla? Check out my post on the best areas to stay in Tampa!
What to Wear to to Gasparilla in 2026
Gasparilla is Tampa’s biggest festival (and one of the things the city is famous for)! People go all out for this festival so if you’re attending Gasparilla, make sure to dress like a pirate!
For men, Gasparilla outfits include things like Captain’s jacket’s, tri-corner hats, and puffy shirts while women typically wear blouses, corsets, leather pants, or skirts. Also don’t forget to bring your beads!
Below you’ll find a list of ideas for what to wear to Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival.
Women’s Gasparilla Outfits
Here are a few ideas for Gasparilla outfits for women. Simply mix and match from these ideas to create your ideal pirate outfit.
🏴☠️ Blouse (usually white, red, or black)
🦜 Belly shirt with sweetheart neckline
☠️ Leather cinch belt
🏴☠️ Corset
🦜 Beaded hip scarf
☠️ Black leather pants
🏴☠️ Red or black skirt
🦜 Black fringe dress
☠️ Jewelry
🏴☠️ Black boots or buckle shoes
🦜 Pirate bandana
☠️ Pirate hat
🏴☠️ Beads!!
Men’s Gasparilla Outfits
Here are a few ideas for Gasparilla outfits for men:
🏴☠️ Pirate shirt (ruffled, rugged, or puffy style)
🦜 Vest (waistcoat or jerkin style)
☠️ Buccaneer pants or black trousers
🏴☠️ Captains jacket
🦜 Sailor coat
☠️ Leather belt
🏴☠️ Waist baldric
🦜 Leather boots
☠️ Tri corner pirate hat
🏴☠️ Beads, beads, and more beads
🦜 Funny pirate t-shirt (for guys that don’t love dressing up)
Where to Buy your Gasparilla Pirate Costume + Gear
Here are some of the best places to buy your Pirate costume + gear in Tampa:
Pirate Fashions
📍 Located at: 4006 W Cayuga St, Tampa, FL
Pirate Fashions is the BEST place to buy an authentic pirate costume in Tampa. This isn’t your typical cheap costume store – these pirate costumes are high quality and will last you for years. Due to this, the pirate gear here can be on the more expensive side, but its worth it for quality costumes.
Pirate Fashions has truly authentic pirate costumes, and they have even created pirate costumes for a number of hit shows like Black Sails, Crossbones, Turn, and more.
We personally bought our pirate gear here and it was a great experience. The staff is super helpful in making sure you find all the right gear to transform you into a pirate. Just make sure to go in advance (not the day before Gasparilla).
La France
📍 Located at: 1612 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL
La France is a vintage boutique shop in Tampa’s historic Ybor neighborhood. The shop has lots of unique vintage items, including pirate gear. The best part is that you can usually find some great deals here too. So if you are looking for a budget-friendly place to get some pirate gear definitely check this place out!
South Tampa Trading Co.
📍 Located at: 1916 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL
South Tampa Trading Co. is a one stop shop for all your pirate gear which makes it a great option for where to buy a Gasparilla pirate costume.
This shop has it all – from pirate outfits, jewelry, hats, and of course plenty of beads. They even have seamstresses that can help you create a custom pirate outfit!
5 Tips on What to Wear to Gasparilla
As a local, I’ve attended Gaspy a few different times over the years. Based on this personal experience here are a few tips on what to bring to Gasparilla and how to dress:
1. You Should Dress like a Pirate!
If you are wondering whether people actually dress like pirates at Gasparilla – I can assure you that they do. I’d say a majority of people wear some kind of pirate costume or attire. So don’t be shy, go ahead and dress up like a pirate!
2. Bring a Cooler Backpack
Getting drinks at Gasparilla is expensive and the lines can be super long. So, a little trick is to have someone in your group bring a cooler backpack and fill it with drinks.
Our group does this every year, and usually the guys take turns carrying the cooler backpack. It can be heavy at first, but the more you drink the lighter it gets.
If you do bring your own drinks, please keep it to cans and no glass! Also, just note that backpacks are subject to search and you are only allowed to drink alcohol in the designated wet zones during Gasparilla.
3. Get Decked Out in Beads
Similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Gasparilla is all about the beads. You can either bring your own beads or catch some during the Pirate Invasion Parade, as almost all the floats will be throwing beads (aka pirate treasures).
4. Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Get your Costume
One of the biggest pieces of advice I have for Gasparilla is to get your pirate costume EARLY. I recommend having everything ready to go atleast a week before the event.
Why? Because over 300,000 people come to Tampa to dress like pirates and so all the best stuff will sell out close to the event.
Also, if you are going to one of the authentic pirate costume stores (like pirate fashions) they may require you to make a purchase (usually at least $50) if you come the day before Gasparilla. This is because the line to get in the store is so long and its a madhouse. If you go even a week before you can easily try on pirate costumes with no commitment. So go early!
5. Check the Weather
Before heading to Gaspy, make sure to check the weather! Most years, Gasparilla is warm & sunny with average temps around 70° F during the day.
However, this can vary and may impact what you want to wear, so make sure to check the weather forecast beforehand. One year I attended Gasparilla it actually got fairly cold (at least for us Floridians) and I was super happy I brought a leather jacket with me.
FAQ: What to Wear to Gasparilla in Tampa
People dress like pirates for Gasparilla! For men, this includes items like oversized shirts, trousers, Captain’s jackets, leather belts, and tri-corner pirate hats. Women tend to wear blouses with corsets or cinch waist belts paired with a skirt or leather pants. Of course you can’t forget to wear your pirate beads!
Backpacks are allowed at Gasparilla, as well as cooler backpacks and purses. Keep in mind that you may not be able to bring a backpack or cooler into a bar or restaurant.
Yes, alcohol is permitted in the designated “wet zones” during the Gasparilla Festival. You still need to be 21 or over to drink alcohol and you can’t have open containers in the neighborhoods that are outside of the designated event areas.
The Wrap-Up: Planning your Tampa Gasparilla Outfit
The biggest thing to keep in mind for planning what to wear to Gasparilla is to go with a pirate themed outfit.
If you want to go all out – I highly recommend checking out one of the authentic pirate costume stores like Pirate Fashion, as they can get you decked out in some awesome pirate gear.
However, you can also do a DIY pirate costume with pieces from a vintage or thrift store, Etsy, or even Amazon. Its up to you how much you want to put into your Gasparilla outfit!
