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A tunic is a clothing for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name derives from the Latin tunica, the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome, which in turn was based on earlier Ancient Greece garments that covered wearers' waists.
The term is likely borrowed from a Semitic word * kittan with metathesis. The word khiton () is of the same origin.
The length of the garment, the presence or lack of stripes, as well as their width and ornamentation, would indicate the wearer's status in Roman society. Roman senators, for example, used the laticlavus, with broad purple stripes, and members of the equestrian class wore the Angusticlavia, with narrower stripes. Soldiers, slaves and manual workers generally had tunics to a little above the knee; those in more sedentary occupations to about the ankle (unless they were expecting to ride a horse, when a shorter one would be worn).
The tunic or chiton was worn as a shirt or gown by all genders among the ancient Romans. The body garment was loose-fitting for males, usually beginning at the neck and ending above the knee. A woman's garment could be either close fitting or loose, beginning at the neck and extending over a skirt or skirts.
There was also the sisúra (σισύρα), which according to Pollux was a tunic with sleeves of skins. According to the Suda, it was a type of inexpensive cloak, like a one-shoulder tunic. Suda, si.487 The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities mentions that it seems to have been more of a cloak than a tunic, and was worn for warmth or used to sleep in. According to the same source, late authors may use the term to mean a piece of cloth.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the long-sleeved Celto-Germanic tunic continued to be worn. The construction was more elaborate than the earlier Graeco-Roman garment, with a tight-fitting neck with a split down the front for pulling it over the head, and gusset under the arms and inserted around the lower half to give a flaring skirt. Being used by both Vikings and Normans, the garment continued as a general male garment into the Middle Ages, still being used in Norway as late as the 17th century.
Worn in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the tunic is usually referred to as kurta. An Asian tunic is typically adorned with delicate embroidery, bead-work or intricate threadwork as well. Embroidery or thread work on such tunics usually combines threads of many different colors.
In the 18th century, in an attempt to separate his domain from Tonkin ruled by his rival Trịnh clan and build an independent state, italic=no (reigned 1738–1765) forced his subjects to change their style of dress. The italic=no () replaced by a robe with fasteners, which was buttoned in the front, and had an upright collar, the skirt was also replaced by trousers. This new style of dress became the prototype of the italic=no; it was a form of italic=no which was invented by italic=no; the italic=no also had 5 flaps instead of 4 (the 5th flap was small and was found under the front garment) and 5 buttons. Under the rule of italic=no, two new forms of italic=no were created from the italic=no regulated by italic=no: the italic=no () and the italic=no-style italic=no which was created with five flaps. The italic=no-style italic=no represented royal court culture of the italic=no and later developed influenced the modern italic=no.
Beyond the reduced empire, the tunic continued to be worn with varying sleeve and hem lengths throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. Often reaching the knees or ankles, it was usually worn over underclothes consisting of a shirt (usually hip-length or longer) and drawers (usually knee- or ankle-length pants related to braccae). It may be accompanied by hose."Dress and Adornment", 488–489. Wool and linen were common fabrics used, though the wealthy sometimes wore fancy silk tunics or a lesser fabric with silk trim. In English the garment was referred to as a sark, and this word survives in some northern UK dialects to mean a shirt or chemise.
Tunics worn during the Early Middle Ages often featured decorative embroidery or tablet weaving along the neck, hem and wrists."Dress and Adornment", 489.Owen-Crocker, Gale R., Dress in Anglo-Saxon England, revised edition, Boydell Press, 2004, This was the case, for instance, with tunics worn by both rich and poor Anglo-Saxons before the Norman Conquest.Bradfield, Nancy. Historical Costumes of England: 1066–1968. 3rd Edition. 1970. p. 13
During the Crimean War in the 1850s, it was realized that the waist length jackets which had been worn by British soldiers since Napoleonic times were unsuitable for fighting in winter conditions. A new longer jacket was introduced which reached down to the mid thigh and this was named the 'tunic' after the 'tunica' of the intrepid ancient Roman soldier. This type of jacket soon became standard for most armies.Nicholson, J. (1974). The British Army of the Crimea. Osprey.
In Western culture, its use continues primarily in a religious and uniform context. It is the primary garment worn by the clergy and members of . The religious tunic reaches to the feet and was the source of the clerical cassock, as well as, in its liturgy form, the alb, after the long tunic worn by Roman citizens.Pocknee, C. E. (1960). Liturgical Vesture: Its Origins and Development 'Tunic' is also the name often given to the high-collar uniform coat worn by military and police personnel. Light feminine garments, especially for sports or exercise, usually only coming down to mid-thigh, are also called tunics.
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