Review: Sailor Slop Breeches

Rating: ★★★★☆
Flying Canoe Traders
www.flyingcanoetraders.com/

Never before have I tried a piece of pirate clothing that seemed more “ready for duty” than the pirate slops from Flying Canoe Traders. It’s easy to imagine these heavyweight canvas breeches serving aboard a sailing vessel hundreds of years ago, and they could surely perform just as admirably today. A row of seven metal buttons adorn the crotch, while a piece of cord in the back can be used to fine-tune the size – just like the old days. The extra wide legs will allow plenty of summertime ventilation while maintaining that swabbylike appearance that only a good pair of slops can provide.

Straight from the box these slops seem durable and ready for action – the only thing they lack is a good bit of scruff to give them that “broken in” feel. I’m looking forward to remedying this come summer, when they’re sure to be worn aplenty!

Review: Drawstring Pirate Breeches, Sash, Bandana

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Center Stage Costumes
www.centerstagecostumes.com

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve window shopped at the Center Stage website – they have probably the best variety of your pirate “basics” around – several styles of breeches and slops, along with a whole line of pirate sashes and socks. And that says nothing of their absolutely gorgeous hat collection.

The first thing (aside from their online catalogue) that impressed me about Center Stage was their willingness to answer customer questions. I know that sounds like a gimme, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve emailed a vendor basic questions (Do you have more photos of that product? Can you give me a better description of the size of that item? etc.) only to have it fall on deaf ears – or to receive a reply that only addresses half my questions. No such concerns with Center Stage, they were more than happy to answer my questions, both via email and by phone.

What I ordered was the start of a basic pirate outfit – a pair of drawstring breeches, a sash, and a bandana. All arrived in a very timely manner, and all seemed very well made. Continue reading