So thanks to Tory Burch (and a small army of stylists, wardrobe consultants, and less successful designers before her) the women’s tunic is a known and needed staple in any woman’s wardrobe. But how and why did it get to be so needed?
According to Wikipedia, a Tunic is:
“A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles. The name derives from the Latin tunica commonly worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome, which in turn is based on earlier Greek garments. The Roman tunica was worn by citizens and non-citizens alike; citizens, though, might wear it under the toga, 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. 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).”
So I guess Tory wasn’t responsible for the invention, merely the popularity of this ancient garment into modern times. Tunics are still found today in uniforms and among religious groups but why are they so popular now? It appears to me that women’s tunics became popular right around the same time that skinny jeans and leggings started to regain popularity. Tunics allow real women a reasonable option to pair with both skinny jeans and leggings as well as a fashionable top that is less restrictive and revealing as knit tops can be.
Shape
a. Shape is always the most important piece to evaluate when choosing a tunic top or any top for that matter. Know what works for you best and follow these basic guidelines: i. Apple- Undefined waist
1. You look great in: Tops and jackets with structured shoulders and/or shoulder pads, monochromatic outfits, tops with ornamental detail at the neckline, straight pants and skirts. 2. You should avoid: highly tailored clothing, high necklines, tapered pants and skirts, belts or anything attracting attention to the waist such as tucked in blouses, and large patterned fabrics. ii. Inverted Triangle – Top heavy with broad shoulders, large bust, and narrow hips
1. You look great in: lower necklines, a- line skirts and dresses, bracelet length sleeves, and flowing fabric.
2. You should avoid: Big collars and high necklines, tops or dresses emphazing the shoulders.
iii. Hourglass – Hips and shoulders are about the same width and a well defined waist.
1. You look great in: well tailored clothing with defined waists, lower necklines, and straight or slightly flared pants, skirts and dresses. 2. You should avoid: Baggy or classic cut clothing, and tapered pants for the most part.
iv. Pear – Narrower shoulders and wider hips.
1. You look great in: tops with ornamentation, structured shoulders or shoulder pads, and a hemline that is shorter than the widest part of your hips, high necklines, clothing with a well defined waist, skirts and dresses that are straight or slightly flared, and straight or slightly boot cut pants.
2. You should avoid: longer shirts that fall to your body’s widest point, baggy garments, tapered pants
v. Straight and Narrow – bust and hips are about the same and an undefined waist with slim legs and arms.
2. You should avoid: The extremes – super tailored clothing and baggy clothing.
Fabric
Blouses with stretch wrinkle less and fit better.
Find a blouse that has stretch in it. I would advise keeping the other 1+ natural fibers for a nicer hand and a better wear/look to the blouse. Our light weight stretch fabric that makes up our Violet Women’s Tunic is 68% cotton, 28% nylon, and 4% spandex and has a great hand (soft not polyester feeling), comes in amazing colors (nylon holds dye the best of all fabrications), and best of all can be laundered at home in your washing machine and line dried with minimal wrinkling. Fabric that has stretch has give and is far more comfortable even if it’s worn a little tight to the body and wrinkles less then anything that is 100% fiber. Length
Length is a size, shape, location, and age appropriate question. As a general rule, tunics should be longer when paired with tighter fitting bottoms and can be shorter when paired with looser fitting bottoms, a shorter tunic can be appropriate depending on shape and size. If you are choosing to wear a tunic with skinny jeans or leggings, we recommend the tunic length coming to at least your finger tips when standing with arms by your sides.
Accessorize
Making sure that your tunic is able to look different and be dressed up or down with jewelry or shoes is very important and should be considered when making the purchase. In order to make your tunic top as versatile as possible, ask yourself: Can I change the look and feel of the tunic with jewelry? How about a belt?
Although they are popular and for good reason, a well thought out purchase that is shape, length, and age appropriate in the right fabric and is easily accessorized will yield a perfect purchase, happy wearer, and a great cost per wear ratio (total cost of the item/estimated days worn = cost per wear)
Example our Violet Tunic is $249.00 if you wear it 1 time every 3 weeks for 3 years, the cost per wear is $4.88 per wear. Pretty affordable especially when considering our construction, fabric quality, and design aesthetic will last much longer than 3 years.
Happy Shopping!
Kate
