Easy Men’s Tunic for Renaissance Fair – FREE Tutorial
See how to make an easy men’s tunic for your next Renaissance Fair with this free tutorial.
In a lot of historical and fantasy sewing focuses on feminine clothes. There are a lot of corsets, petticoats, and flowing dresses. Masculine clothing can get overlooked in the historical costuming space, but there are so many masculine styles to explore.
When my brother asked me to make him a tunic for this year’s Renaissance fair, I jumped at the opportunity to make it. He helped me with design he wanted and I used my sewing skills to make it come to life.
When it comes to tunics, there isn’t much difference between a masculine or feminine one. So this general process can be used for a lot of different costumes. Previously, I’ve sewn this modern take on a tunic dress has a very similar design and construction as this one, if you want to see a more feminine style.
Skip Ahead
- Measurements
- Tools
- Materials
- Cutting Out Fabric
- Sewing Sleeves
- Sewing Shoulders
- Creating a Neckline
- Adding Sleeves
- Adding Side Gores
- Hemming the Tunic
Designing a Men’s Tunic
This men’s tunic is made to be worn to a Renaissance fair, so it is not necessarily historically accurate, but I did borrow heavily from historical sewing techniques.
Since this tunic was being made by request, I sat down with my brother and figured out what he was picturing. He wanted a simple tunic that reached to mid thigh, with short sleeves, and a keyhole neckline with some sort of decoration.
With the design all planned out, next I needed to gather everything I would need to make his tunic.
What You Need to Make a Tunic
Measurements
The first thing I did after we had a tunic game plan was to take a bunch of measurements. Since my brother lives in a different state than I do, we only see each other every few months. I wasn’t able to have him try things on as I was sewing, so I made sure to have all the measurements I would need before he went home.
The measurements needed for this style of tunic are as follows:
- Chest Circumference
- Desired Tunic Length from Shoulder
- Waist to Desired Tunic Hem
- Desired Sleeve Length from Shoulder Point
- Upper Arm Circumference
- Neck Width
- Desired Neckline Depth
You might notice most of these measurements are based on how you want the final tunic to look, and only a few are based on body measurements. It is easy to make to fit any body and adjust the details to your preference.
Tools
Something to Iron With
The first and last thing you do in any sewing project (and nearly every step in between) is iron! While you can sew without ironing, it will make such a difference in your sewing experience and final project. If you are going to be sewing, you’re really going to be ironing.
Something To Measure With
You’ll need something to measure with to sew any garment. You’ll want a flexible measuring tape to take body measurements. To measure your fabric, you can use a flexible measuring tape, but it might be easier to use a solid ruler or yard stick.
Something To Cut With
To get clean cuts in your fabric, you will need a very sharp pair of scissors. If you can, it’s great to have a designated pair of fabric scissors that are big and sharp and only for cutting fabric.
Something To Hold Things Together
While you are getting your fabric ready to sew, you’ll want some straight pins or quilting clips to hold your fabric together before you can sew it.
Something To Sew With
You can sew a men’s tunic with a simple needle and thread (which is what I did) or you can use a sewing machine, or even a combination of both! Use whatever you have and are comfortable with.
Materials
Fabric
You’ll need fabric to make a tunic. How much fabric you need will depend on the size of the tunic you want to make and the width of the fabric you want to use. In general, should need about 1-3 yards of fabric, but double check what size pieces you need to cut out before starting.
The type of fabric is up to you, but I recommend a woven fabric made out of natural fibers. I used linen to make my brother’s tunic so it wouldn’t be too hot to wear in summer. I found a great deal on linen fabric at fabrics-store.com.
Decorative Trim
The detail that makes this tunic special is the trim around the sleeves and neckline. I used a tablet woven band that I made myself. If you don’t want to weave your own, there are a ton trims available for purchase. Of course, this is a completely optional item.
Cutting Out Your Fabric
Before you cut out your fabric, you’ll need to use the measurements for your men’s tunic to find out what size pieces to cut.
Body Pieces
The body of this men’s tunic is made of 2 matching rectangular pieces, one for the front and one for the back.
The width of each piece should be as wide as half of the chest circumference measurement (A), plus a couple of inches (5-8 cm) for ease and an extra inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
The length of the pieces should be the desired length of the tunic from the shoulder (B), plus an inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
Side Gores
To give a bit of fullness to the hem, we’ll add a triangle of fabric onto each side of the bottom of the tunic.
The length of these triangles should be the length from the waist down to the desired hem (C), plus an inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
The bottom width of the triangle should be about 8 to 12 inches wide (20-30 cm), but it can be adjusted depended on how much fabric you have to use, and how much fullness you want at the hem of the tunic.
To save fabric, you can cut out a rectangle of fabric using the length and width as determined above. Cut your first triangle out of the middle of the rectangle. Then, using the two triangle leftovers, sew them together along the long edges. This will mean one of the gores has an extra seam line, but remember, piecing is period!
Sleeves
The tunic sleeves are made of two rectangles.
The length of the sleeves is the desired sleeve length (D) plus an inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
The width of the rectangles is the upper arm circumference (E) plus a couple of inches (5-8 cm) for ease and an extra inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
Underarm Gussets
The last things to cut out for a tunic are the underarm gussets. These are each a square about 5×5 inches (13 cm) to make it easier to move your arms when wearing the tunic.
Sewing it Together
Sleeve Assembly
I like to start with the sleeves and get as finished as I can before attaching them to the body. It’s easier to sew on a sleeve by itself than a sleeve attached to the rest of the tunic.
To construct a sleeve, line up one edge of an underarm gusset with the edge of a sleeve piece, along the length of the arm. Sew these two pieces together, leaving approximately ½ inch seam allowance, either using a straight stitch on a sewing machine or a back stitch by hand.
Then, line up the other long sleeve edge to the first, and the adjacent edge of the gusset. Then sew this seam, using the same method as above.
You should have created a tube for the sleeve with the underarm gusset piece at one end in a diamond orientation, with three seams that join together in a Y shape.
Repeat this process with the other sleeve and gusset piece.
Finishing Raw Edges
Next, you’ll need to finish the raw edges of the sleeves. My favorite way to make secure edges that look nice as well is to trim one side of the seam allowance by about half.
Then, wrap the longer side of the seam allowance over the shorter side, and secure it down with a whip stitch.
If you are careful to only pick up a few threads of the fabric as you sew, the stitches will be nearly invisible on the front.
If you aren’t comfortable hand sewing, you could sew down the seam allowance with a straight stitch on a sewing machine. This creates a visible second seam.
Another way to secure your seam allowance is to leave the seam allowance whole and run them over them with a zigzag or overlocking stitch on a sewing machine to prevent fraying.
Whichever method you choose, make sure to secure all of your raw edges for the seams you just sewed.
The last step of the sewing the sleeves is to finish the edge. For a simple finish, simply fold the bottom edge of the sleeve twice, towards the inside of the sleeve. Then secure this hem with either a whip stitch or run it under a sewing machine.
If you want to add a bit of interest to the sleeve, you can use a bit of ribbon or trim to finish the sleeve edges, like I’ve done. To do this, fold the edge of the sleeve once, toward the outside of the sleeve. Make sure the trim you are using is wider than this fold.
Then, pin your trim around the edge of the sleeve, covering the raw edge. Secure each edge of the trim either with a whip stitch by hand, or a straight stitch on the sewing machine.
Once that’s done, put the sleeves aside and start assembling the body of your men’s tunic.
Sewing the Tunic Shoulders
Line up the two body pieces, right sides together, and pin along the shoulders. Sew the top together with a ½ inch (1.5 cm) seam allowance, leaving a space in the middle that will become the neckline. At this point, the hole doesn’t need to be wide enough for the person’s head to go through, but it should be at least as wide as their neck width (F).
After sewing the shoulder seams, finish the raw edges in your preferred method.
Making the Tunic Neckline
To make it so the tunic will actually fit over a person’s head, we need to shape the keyhole neckline.
Pick a side of the tunic body to be the front. Find the middle of the top edge, where the neck hole is, and cut a slit a few inches long, straight down. You should only cut through one layer of fabric. This should open up the neckline enough to fit over your head.
Go ahead and put the tunic on, either on the person it is made for if they are available, or whoever you can find. Since I didn’t have my brother handy, I put it on myself. With the men’s tunic on, sketch out the neckline you want. You will want to take a bit out of the back of the neck, and curve the edge around the front. When you are happy with the shape you’ve drawn, take the tunic off, and cut where you’ve marked.
For a simple neckline, fold the edge over twice to the inside of the tunic and secure with either a straight stitch on a sewing machine, or a whip stitch by hand.
For a decorative neckline, like the one I’ve created here, fold the raw edges of the neckline toward the right side of the tunic. Then, cover this raw edge with a decorative trim of your choice. With the sharp corners of the keyhole neckline, you may need to cut the trim into pieces to cover the raw edges neatly. Secure the sides of the trim with either a straight stitch on a sewing machine or a whip stitch by hand.
Attaching the Tunic Sleeves.
To attach the sleeves, line up the top point of a sleeve with the shoulder seam on one side of the tunic, right sides together. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to have the sleeve turned the correct way out and the tunic body inside out, then slide the sleeve into the tunic.
Pin the sleeve into place, lining up the sleeve edges with the edge of the tunic body. After the pieces are lined up, sew around the armscye, leaving ½ inch (1.5 cm) seam allowance, with either a straight stitch on a sewing machine or a back stitch by hand.
Repeat this process on the other side of the tunic. Finish all the raw edges by whichever method you prefer.
Attaching the Men’s Tunic Side Gores
With the sleeves attached, the tunic is starting to take shape, but the sides are still open. This is where we will place the side gores.
Line up one edge of an open side of the tunic with one of the long edges of a side gore, right sides together. The wide edge of the gore should line up with the bottom of the tunic hem, with the point reaching up towards the underarm gusset. Then, line up the second edge of the gore on the other edge of the tunic opening and pin in place in the same way. Pin together the edges of the tunic body between the top of the side gore and the bottom of the underarm gusset. Sew all of these seams together with either a straight stitch on the sewing machine, or a back stitch by hand.
Repeat these steps on the other side of the tunic, then finish all the raw edges.
Hemming the Tunic
The last step to finishing the tunic is to finish the bottom hem. For a simple hem, fold the edge under twice, toward the inside of the tunic. Then secure with either a straight stitch on a sewing machine, or with a whip stitch by hand.
For a decorative hem, you can finish it with a trim, like the sleeves and neckline. To do this, fold the raw edge up once, toward the right side of the tunic, and cover this raw edge with your trim, lined up with the bottom edge. Secure this with either a straight stitch on a sewing machine or a whip stitch by hand.
Wearing Your Men’s Tunic
This style of tunic works great for so many kinds of costumes, whether it’s for Renaissance Fair, Halloween, or even historical reenactment (just make sure your materials and sewing methods are appropriate for the time period you are working in). It looks especially good with a leather belt at the waist.
Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of this men’s tunic being worn. I sent it to my brother, who lives in a different area than I do. It was too small for me to model before I sent it, but I loved how it turned out! This tunic turned out just how my brother had requested.
I hope you give this project a try, it’s a great beginner project and can be made for any body.
If you want to see more sewing tutorials and inspiration, click here.
What’s your favorite beginner sewing garment? Let me know in the comments below!