 | |
| Type | clothing reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles |
|---|---|
| Material | fabric |
Atunic is agarment for thetorso, 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 theLatintunica, the basic garment worn by both men and women inAncient Rome, which in turn was based on earlierGreek garments that covered wearers' waists.
The term is likely borrowed from aSemitic word *kittan withmetathesis. The wordkhiton (Ancient Greek:χῐτών) is of the same origin.[1]
TheRomantunica was adopted by Roman citizens in the3rd century BC. It was often worn byRoman citizens and by non-citizens alike.[2] However, citizens might wear it under thetoga, especially at formal occasions.
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 thelaticlavus, with broad purple stripes, and members of the equestrian class wore theAngusticlavia, 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).[3]
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.
Tunics were also worn inancient Greece, whence the Roman version was adopted. Later Greek and Roman tunics were an evolution from the very similarchiton,chitoniskos, andexomis, each of which can be considered versions of the garment. In ancient Greece, a person's tunic was decorated at the hemline to represent thepolis (city-state) in which he lived. Tunics might be dyed with bright colours like red, purple, or green.
There was also thesisúra (σισύρα), which according to Pollux was a tunic with sleeves of skins.[4] According to theSuda, it was a type of inexpensivecloak, like a one-shoulder tunic.[5] TheDictionary 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.[4] According to the same source, late authors may use the term to mean a piece of cloth.[4]
Tunics worn by theCelts were documented by the Greek historianDiodorus Siculus:
[T]he way they dress is astonishing: they wear brightly coloured and embroidered shirts, with trousers calledbraccae and cloaks fastened at the shoulder with abrooch, heavy in winter, light in summer. These cloaks are striped or checkered in design, with the separate checks close together and in various colours.[6][7]
The variousCeltic andGermanic peoples living in the colder Middle and Northern Europe wore long-sleeved tunics from as long back as pictorial evidence goes. Such tunics are often found depicted on the various Roman monuments depicting victories over these peoples and show the tunic as a simple pull-over construction reaching to the mid-thighs or the knees. Similar tunics were eventually taken up by the Romans and continued to be used into theByzantine period.
After the fall of theWestern 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, andgusset under the arms and inserted around the lower half to give a flaring skirt. Being used by bothVikings andNormans, the garment continued as a general male garment into theMiddle Ages, still being used in Norway as late as the 17th century.
Indus valley civilization figurines depict both women and men wearing a tunic-like garment. Aterracotta model called Lady of the Spiked Throne depicts two standingturban-wearing men wearing what appears to be a conicalgown marked by a dense series of thin vertical incisions that might suggest stiffened cloth. A similar gold disc in the al-Sabah Collection from theKuwait National Museum appears to be from the Indus Valley civilization and depicts similar conical tunic-wearing men holding two bulls by their tails under apipal tree shown in an Indus-like mirror symmetry.[8] A mother goddess figurine from theNational Museum, New Delhi, shows a female wearing a short tight tunic.[9]
Worn in theIndian subcontinent, includingIndia,Pakistan andBangladesh, the tunic is usually referred to askurta. 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.[10]
Vietnamese tunics are calledáo dài (lit. 'long shirt'),[11][12] is a traditional garment worn by both men and women, it was derived fromáo ngũ thân (lit. 'five-piece shirt').[13]It is similar to thekurta of theIndian subcontinent countries because they are both forms of clothing consisting of a long split tunic worn over trousers.[14]
In the 18th century, in an attempt to separate his domain fromTonkin ruled by his rivalTrịnh clan and build an independent state,Nguyễn Phúc Khoát (reigned 1738–1765) forced his subjects to change their style of dress.[15] Theáo giao lĩnh (lit. 'cross-collar robe') replaced by a robe with fasteners, which was buttoned in the front, and had an upright collar,[16] the skirt was also replaced by trousers.[17][18] This new style of dress became the prototype of theáo dài; it was a form ofáo ngũ thân which was invented byNguyễn Phúc Khoát; theáo ngũ thân also had 5 flaps instead of 4 (the 5th flap was small and was found under the front garment) and 5 buttons.[19] Under the rule ofMinh Mạng, two new forms ofáo dài were created from theáo ngũ thân regulated byNguyễn Phúc Khoát: theáo tứ thân (lit. 'four-piece shirt') and theHuế-styleáo dài which was created with five flaps. TheHuế-styleáo dài represented royal court culture of theHuế and later developed influenced the modernáo dài.[20]
The tunic continued to be the basic garment of theByzantine Romans of both sexes throughout the medieval period. The upper classes wore other garments atop the basic tunic, such as thedalmatica, a heavier and shorter type of tunic, again, worn by both sexes, or thescaramangion, a riding-coat of Persian origin. Except for the military or riding dress, men and women of higher status wore tunics that came down to the ankles, or nearly so. Tunics were often dyed or richly embroidered, although the plainer ones could be used when layering different types.
Beyond the reduced empire, the tunic continued to be worn with varying sleeve and hem lengths throughout Europe during theMiddle 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 byhose.[21]Wool andlinen were common fabrics used, though the wealthy sometimes wore fancysilk tunics or a lesser fabric with silk trim. In English the garment was referred to as asark, and this word survives in some northern UK dialects to mean a shirt or chemise.[22]
Tunics worn during theEarly Middle Ages often featured decorativeembroidery ortablet-woven braids along the neck, hem and wrists.[23][24] This was the case, for instance, with tunics worn by both rich and poorAnglo-Saxons before theNorman Conquest.[24][25]
Around1830, small boys began to be dressed in sashed orbelted tunics over trousers, a fashion which replaced the earlierskeleton suit.
During theCrimean 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.[26]
In Western culture, its use continues primarily in areligious anduniform context. It is the primary garment worn by theclergy and members ofreligious orders. The religious tunic reaches to the feet and was the source of the clericalcassock, as well as, in itsliturgical form, thealb, after the long tunic worn by Roman citizens.[27] 'Tunic' is also the name often given to the high-collar uniformcoat worn bymilitary andpolice personnel. Light feminine garments, especially for sports or exercise, usually only coming down to mid-thigh, are also called tunics.
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