Boston Tea Party Costume
Protest British taxes in classic 1773 American colonial style.
The Boston Tea Party is one of the most famous acts of protest in American history, where the Sons of Liberty dumped British tea into Boston Harbor. Dressing up for this theme means channeling 1773 American colonial style with period-accurate patriot attire. The look consists of a colonial frock coat, breeches, a tricorn hat, and a prop tea crate to bring the historical event to life.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- ~45 min
- Budget
- $40–120
Try it on
See yourself as Boston Tea Party
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What you need for a Boston Tea Party costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Boston Tea Party costume — one box instead of 7 pieces.
Colonial Frock Coat
A long-sleeved, knee-length colonial-style coat in navy blue, brown, or forest green with decorative brass buttons.
DIY: Use a long trench coat or blazer, pin back the lapels, and sew on gold plastic buttons.
White Ruffled Jabot and Cuffs
A white lace or ruffled neck collar and matching wrist cuffs to mimic 18th-century formal shirts.
DIY: Safety-pin pleated white coffee filters or lace trim to the collar and cuffs of a plain white button-down shirt.
Colonial Breeches
Knee-length trousers in black, brown, or tan, typically gathered at the knee.
DIY: Tuck a pair of dark sweatpants or dress pants into long white socks just below the knee.
Tricorn Hat
A black wool or felt three-cornered hat, trimmed with gold or white lace.
DIY: Take a wide-brimmed black sun hat and safety-pin or stitch three sides of the brim up to the crown.
White Knee-High Socks
Plain white, opaque knee-high socks or stockings.
Colonial Shoe Buckles
Gold or silver metallic buckles that slide onto the laces of black dress shoes.
DIY: Cut buckle shapes out of cardboard, wrap them in aluminum foil, and slide them onto your shoe laces.
Prop Tea Crate
A small wooden box or cardboard box painted brown, stenciled with 'EAST INDIA CO.' or 'TEA'.
DIY: Paint a small shipping box brown, write 'TEA' in bold black stencil letters, and attach a rope handle.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Boston Tea Party costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on a plain white button-down shirt and tuck it into your knee-length colonial breeches.
- 2
Pull the white knee-high socks up over your calves, securing the bottom of the breeches just below the knee.
- 3
Attach the ruffled white jabot around your neck and secure the matching ruffled cuffs to your wrists.
- 4
Slip on the colonial frock coat over the shirt, leaving it unbuttoned to display the jabot.
- 5
Put on black dress shoes and slide the metallic shoe buckles over the laces or tongues.
- 6
Place the tricorn hat securely on your head, adjusting it so one point faces directly forward.
- 7
Carry your prop tea crate under one arm as your signature historical accessory.
Makeup & hair
Keep makeup natural. For hair, tie long hair back into a low ponytail secured with a black ribbon, or wear a white colonial powder wig.
Boston Tea Party for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair up as a Son of Liberty and a colonial woman in a mob cap and long kirtle dress.
- group
- Gather a group dressed as colonial patriots, each carrying a stenciled tea crate to recreate the raid.
- kids
- A simplified version with a colonial vest, tricorn hat, and a small burlap sack labeled 'TEA'.
- Plus size
- Use an open-front colonial vest instead of a fitted frock coat for a more comfortable, adjustable fit.
- pet
- A small black tricorn hat with an elastic chin strap and a red colonial-style bandana.
Tips
- Carry a lightweight cardboard box for your tea crate prop so you don't get tired of holding it all night.
- If you wear a wig, use bobby pins to secure both the wig and the tricorn hat to your head so they don't slip off.
- Wear comfortable black loafers or dress shoes, as colonial shoe buckles can easily slide onto almost any flat black shoe.
- Add a rolled-up parchment paper scroll to represent the tax protests or the Declaration of Independence.
Boston Tea Party costume FAQ
- What did the protestors actually wear during the Boston Tea Party?
- While some protestors wore standard 18th-century colonial working-class clothes, others loosely disguised themselves as Mohawk Native Americans using blankets and soot to avoid recognition by British authorities.
- How do I make a cheap DIY Boston Tea Party crate?
- Take a small cardboard shipping box, tape it shut, paint it with brown acrylic paint to look like wood, and write 'TEA' or 'East India Co.' on the side with a black marker.
- Is a wig necessary for a colonial costume?
- No, a wig is optional. You can simply pull your natural hair back into a low ponytail with a black ribbon, which was very common for colonial working men.
Did you know? The protestors dumped 342 chests of tea—weighing over 92,000 pounds—into Boston Harbor, which would be worth over $1 million in today's money.