Sempre da Corsara 永遠の女海盜

Although the majority of pirates in history have been men, there are around a hundred known examples of female pirates, about forty of whom were active in the Golden Age of Piracy. Some women have been pirate captains and some have commanded entire pirate fleets.

In addition to the few that were pirates themselves, women have also historically been more heavily involved in piracy through secondary roles, interacting with pirates through being smugglers, lenders of money, purchasers of stolen goods, tavern keepers and prostitutes, and through having been family members of both pirates and victims. Some women also married pirates and turned their homes or establishments into piratical safe havens. Through women in these secondary roles, pirates were strongly supported by the agency of women. Some influential women, including monarchs such as Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558–1603), have also acted as powerful patrons of pirates. Although they have received little academic attention, women still occupy these important secondary roles in contemporary piracy. Piracy off the coast of Somalia is for instance supported to a large extent by on-shore women who participate in transportation, housing and recruitment.

Historical fictional depictions of pirate women have often reflected stereotypes of their times concerning not only women but also women in power. Depictions of female pirates in A General History of the Pyrates (1724) for instance showcase a degree of unease. Illustrations in a Dutch 1725 edition of the book depict female pirates as unpleasant and bare-chested, trampling on figures representing justice and commerce. Pirate fiction grew increasingly popular in the mid-18th century and among the many tales written were novels starring female pirates. Several such narratives with women pirates and warriors were often highly formulaic, with the women going to sea or war in order to either win or regain the affection of a man. Some tales saw female pirates exceeding their male counterparts in courage, skill and virtue. Some works, such as Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain (1844), included great adventures but also ended with the central woman finding a man and settling down, perhaps an attempt to not conflict too much with traditional notions of femininity.

This is the new costume of my Italian friend Agnese. She says it's a female pirate from the 1700s. 18th-century fashion was characterized by elaborate styles, with French fashion setting the standard in Europe. Women's attire featured gowns, petticoats, and panniers (hoops for shaping the skirt), while men wore three-piece silk or wool suits. The century saw a progression from the late Baroque/Rococo style of the early 1700s to Neoclassical influences by the end of the century. 

Garments, especially for women, were adorned with lace, embroidery, and ribbons, often in luxurious fabrics like silk, satin, and brocade.

The early 18th century saw a focus on wide panniers and elaborate court dresses. The mid-century was marked by the height of Rococo, with floral-patterned silk gowns and serpentine trimmings. By the end of the century, Neoclassical styles, with their emphasis on Grecian and Roman influences, began to emerge. 

The emergence of fashion magazines, originally aimed at educated readers, became popular among all classes, reflecting the growing interest in fashion. 

This is also the Golden Age of Piracy - a period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Histories of piracy often subdivide the Golden Age of Piracy into three periods:

1. The buccaneering period (approximately 1650 to 1680), characterized by Anglo-French seamen based in Jamaica, Martinica and Tortuga attacking Spanish colonies, and shipping in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific to western Pacific.

2. The Pirate Round (1690s), associated with long-distance voyages from the Americas to rob East India Company targets in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

3. The post-Spanish Succession period (1715 to 1726), when English sailors and privateers left unemployed by the end of the War of the Spanish Succession turned en masse to piracy in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the North American eastern seaboard, and the West African coast.

Her costume is fun and looks like a runway piece from Commes des Garcons.

The Venice Carnevale is not solely about masks. Local Italians and an increasing number of foreign costumers now prefer historical costumes or painted faces. During Carnevale, the whole Venice becomes a real life theatrical stage, and many of these historical costumes carry deep perspectives...

And as usual, the portraits are just done on the busy streets of Venice and using natural lighting only...It is not an indoor photo studio, there is no artificial lighting, flash or reflectors...With my costumed friends, we just take our street portraiture to an all new level....