tunic, basic garment worn by men and women in the ancient Mediterranean world. It was fashioned from two pieces of linen sewn up the sides and across the top, with holes left for the head and arms. It reached to the knees or lower, was with or without sleeves, belted at the waist, and held at the shoulders by clasps.

The medieval tunic was a garment usually simple in style that reached from the shoulders to an area between the hip and the knee. Tunics could have either long or short sleeves. When pulled over the head, tunics would sit snugly around the neck without the use of lacing or ties. A belt or girdle with a buckle was usually worn around it.

There were several traditional tunic designs that were popular in medieval times, including the cote, the cyclas, and the houppelande. The cote was a simple tunic with long sleeves and a loose fit that was worn by both men and women. The cyclas was a sleeveless tunic that was open at the sides, and it was often worn over a cote.

The tunic, or tunica, offered a popular mode of dress for men and women as far back as ancient Rome, Greece, and Mesopotamia. Stretching from the shoulder to knees or just below the knees, making a tunic requires either a single piece of cloth with a neck hole cut in it or two rectangular pieces of fabric joined together by sewing.