Medieval and viking tunics are the layer that carries a LARP character. Chow's range runs from woven medieval tunics with suede-effect panels to linen-cotton viking tunics, button-down styles, and fur-trim barbarian tunics. Pick the tunic, build the rest of the kit around it.
What is a medieval tunic?
A medieval tunic is a long, loose-cut top worn from the shoulders to between the hip and knee, laced or buttoned at the neck. In a LARP kit it sits over a shirt and under a cloak or armour, and it is the piece that reads a character's role at a distance. Chows Emporium makes tunics in cotton, linen-cotton mixes, wool, and fur trim.
Which tunic for your character
The cut and trim decide the character more than the colour does. Woven medieval tunics with contrast panels suit a trader, a noble, or a townsperson. Viking tunics with a banded hem and contrast sleeves read as a warrior or a raider. Fur-trim tunics carry a barbarian or northern build on their own. Lighter textured-cotton tunics work for a mage, a ranger, or anyone who wants a plainer base. The same tunic shifts character depending on what you belt, layer, and pair it with.
Tunic or shirt: which do you need
The two words get used for the same thing, so it helps to split them. A shirt is the light base layer worn against the skin, usually cotton or linen. A tunic is longer and heavier, worn over the shirt, and it carries the look. This page is the tunics. For the lighter poet-style and round-neck shirts, including hooded medieval shirts, see the LARP shirts collection. Most kits use one of each: a shirt underneath, a tunic on top.
Built for LARP, not strict reenactment
Historical tunics are cut to a period pattern for judged reenactment. These are not that. Chow designs them for LARP, cosplay, and Renaissance Faire wear, where the look has to read across a field and the tunic has to survive a full weekend being worn, sat in, and packed away wet. The cuts borrow from medieval and viking dress without tying you to one century, so a single tunic works for a warrior, a trader, or a mage depending on what you layer over it. Chows Emporium has designed this way since 1994.
The range
Medieval tunics come woven in two tones with suede-effect panels and cuffs, in lighter textured-cotton styles and heavier woven ones. Viking tunics run in linen-cotton mixes, some button-down, some in wool, with a contrast band at the hem. Barbarian tunics carry faux fur trim over wool for a heavier, layered look. For studded faux leather tunics, those sit in the LARP leather armour collection rather than here. Colours run across the range, and colour is the last thing to pick, not the first.
Layering guide
Order matters. A shirt goes on first, against the skin. A tunic goes over it. A gambeson can sit between the two for padding, or over the tunic under armour. Leather armour or a waistcoat straps over that, and a cloak or hood finishes the top. Fur-trim tunics break the order and work on their own as a statement piece for viking and barbarian builds. Browse the LARP shirts for the base layer, the LARP gambesons for padding, the LARP leather armour that goes over the top, and the LARP cloaks and robes and LARP hoods and mantles that finish a build.
Sizing
All Chows Emporium products are one size. Measurements are listed in each individual product description. If you have a question about measurements before buying, message us and we will help.
For a full character build with the tunic already matched to the rest of the kit, browse the LARP outfit sets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tunic and a shirt?
A shirt is the light base layer, usually cotton or linen, worn against the skin. A tunic is longer and heavier, worn over the shirt, and it carries most of the character's look. This collection is the tunics. For shirts, including hooded medieval shirts, see the LARP shirts collection.
What do you wear under and over a tunic?
A shirt goes underneath. Over the top you can add a gambeson for padding, leather armour or a waistcoat, then a cloak or hood. A tunic sits in the middle of that stack, or on its own for a simpler look.
Do you sell leather tunics?
The tunics in this collection are cloth: cotton, linen-cotton, wool, and fur trim. For studded faux leather tunics, look in the LARP leather armour collection, where the leather pieces sit.
Are these tunics historically accurate?
They borrow from medieval and viking dress but are designed for LARP, cosplay, and Renaissance Faire wear rather than strict period reproduction. If you need exact accuracy for judged reenactment, these are not cut to a single period pattern.
What are the tunics made from?
Woven medieval tunics use cotton with suede-effect panels. Viking tunics are usually a linen-cotton mix, some in wool. Barbarian tunics use faux fur over wool. The material for each tunic is listed on its product page.
Can women wear these tunics?
Yes. The cuts are worn by anyone. All Chows Emporium products are one size, with measurements on each product page so you can check the fit before buying.