A tunic is a simple kind of long shirt, reaching down to the legs and tied around the waist with a belt. It was the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Ancient Greek tunics were a development of a garment called a chiton. In Ancient Greece, the tunic was decorated along the hem to show which city the wearer came from. Many tunics were dyed with bright colours like red, purple or green.

The Romans adopted the Greek tunic because it was so practical. Citizens wore it under the toga on formal occasions. The tunic length, the way it was decorated, and other features all told the world how important the wearer was. Roman senators had broad purple stripes. Soldiers, slaves and workers had tunics that finished a little above the knee. More important people had tunics that finished closer to the ankle. Woman might wear the tunic down to the ankles over another skirt.