Lenora, Medieval Linen Tunic

The Perfect Base for Every Outfit: Lenora’s Medieval Linen Tunic

Medieval women’s fashion is fantastic for mixing and matching different looks. This linen tunic is a great example of a dress that is incredibly versatile, making it a great choice to include in an outfit. The cut and style are relatively simple and elegant, so this is a tunic that works best when building a complete costume.

The dress has a wide, round neckline, which lends it a graceful appeal and allows for a great deal of versatility. The sleeves are long and comfortably sized, not overly tight or impractically loose. The dress is long, with the skirt falling in a gentle A-line shape.

As the name suggests, this dress is made with a linen blend, with cotton making up 50% of the mix. These materials are both cool and sturdy, as well as being comfortable to wear. The dress is available in four colours, making it even more versatile for the wearer.

Speaking of versatility, who would wear this dress and how? Well, pretty much any medieval character could reasonably wear a dress like this, especially when paired with appropriate accessories or other clothing.

If you choose to wear this dress as is, it will work nicely for a common medieval woman. When paired with a belt to cinch in the waist, this makes a fantastic dress for a hot summer’s day. You can get on with your day-to-day activities without getting overheated.

However, this dress is designed to be an ideal underdress, or chemise. It can be paired with a sleeveless tunic or apron, which will add more layers and personality to the outfit. This will also provide an extra layer of warmth if you need it on cooler days. If you’re going for the outfit of a noble woman in all her finery, you’ll definitely appreciate this comfortable and cool medieval linen tunic underneath.

Medieval Undergarments: Smocks and Chemises

From what we know, medieval men wore shirts and braies (similar to shorts), and medieval women wore what were known as smocks or chemises underneath other layers of dresses. Some sources suggest that medieval people also slept in these undergarments.

Women’s chemises were basically tunic dresses that were worn underneath a medieval woman’s other clothing. They were worn to protect the other clothing from the wearer’s sweat and to absorb bodily odours, meaning that it would have been washed more often than other clothes.

These simple tunics would be made with linen, if the medieval woman in question could afford it. Flax took time and effort to process into workable linen, so it was pricier than other materials. Poorer women may have worn cheaper wool or flax, which would have been less comfortable against the skin.

Apparently, some very rich women had the luxury of a silken chemise, which would be very comfortable and very expensive. Because they were designed as undergarments and usually not visible, chemises were usually undyed. Even the very wealthy probably didn’t see the point in the expense of dying the chemise.

Tech Specs

The technical specifications of the medieval linen tunic are as follows:

•         Materials: Blend of 50% linen and 50% cotton
•         Colour: Copper, moss green, ochre, white
•         Care Instructions: Handwashing recommended. Do not dry in the dryer. Do not use bleach. Iron on a low setting.

The medieval linen tunic is available in sizes ranging from small to XX-Large. Because of the handmade nature of this item, these measurements are approximate:

•         Small: 38 inches chest, 55 inches length, 20.5 inches arm length, 6.75 inches upper arm width
•         Medium: 40 inches chest, 55 inches length, 20.5 inches arm length, 7 inches upper arm width
•         Large: 42 inches chest, 57 inches length, 20.5 inches arm length, 7.5 inches upper arm width
•         X-Large: 44 inches chest, 57.5 inches length, 21 inches arm length, 8 inches upper arm width
•         XX-Large: 44 inches chest, 57.5 inches length, 21.75 inches arm length, 8.5 inches upper arm width