Each year, we take our kids to the Pirate Festival.  While some complain it is spendy, I contend that any place for that price that has 3 stages of entertainment going on, activities setup for the kids , access to 3 ginormous bounce houses, and gives a reason for the kids to get dressed up all for no additional charge is a good deal. Especially when you compare it to the cost of the zoo, or children’s museum, or even a movie these days.

But I digress.

This year, unlike past years, I have noticed one thing – when did dressing like a pirate mean dressing so provocatively?  I was reminded of the line from Mean Girls: “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”  Was that the philosophy this year?  Except, this is the one time where you can wear your fetish wear in public and around your kids and not have it be considered wearing fetish wear.

I thought it was just me until we ran into a parent and friend at the fair with her family.  She said the same thing.  Toss in the fact the leather booths were selling cats of nine tail, whips (for boatswain of course), and leather cuffs for tying the bad pirates down(?) – and the Pirate Fest was really the fetish fest in a cleaver disguish. 

Then there were the “costumes”….

While she had the legs to pull off the fishnets, I don’t see a pirate wearing them.  Not very practical. Also made me wonder what her role was on the ship.  The woman was hot. I’ll give her that.  Just found it an interesting choice a a pirate for the day.

Or this woman….

While I like her goth look – a pirate she was not.  Then there is the woman behind her.  I have no idea.

I tried to get some more pictures of various “pirate costumes” but could not do it discretely. 

What I found ironic was the fact they were trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records of largest number of pirates assembled.  They gave instructions on what a pirate costume must consist of in order for you to be counted as a pirate.  You guessed it – none of my examples would have been feasible. 

Oh, well…it made for an interesting trip.

And, I know I picked up a little something for non-pirate festival play…..but that’s for a later post and maybe an HNT…. 😉