A love here!

I guess I don't wear them. I have one dark red damask silky shirt that I rarely wear but when I do I wonder why not. Except it gives a more fitted shapely effect. Nothing like all the pictures of tunics I'm seeing.

I would judge a tunic for myself the way I would judge a dress. If I wouldn't wear the shape as a dress, not as a tunic, either. I don't have worries about where it hits on the body but I also shun asymmetric garments. They don't seem logical to me. What is the reason for the asymmetry? Did I love the fabric so much I just went ahead and used whatever there was of it? Couldn't I just have settled for a blouse or a shorter skirt? I loathe the feel of leggings and don't wear them. I don't want skinny jeans, though I now do have a couple pair that are somewhat looser than that and those I like. I think I like the sensation of pants moving on me or me against them.

Another negative for me with tunics would be the fact of layering lower on the body. Feels like all my energy is plummeting.

Angie - you are absolutely right. I prefer a column of black, broken up only by the silver buckle of the belt. That is forms a v and the black belt blends into the tunic gives me the illusion of a small waist and long torso and with my long legs, that's a pleasing proportion to me. It also allows me more flexibility on tunic length because of the column of color, exactly so. That's why interesting long jackets are so important for my style. They provide texture and interest.

And yes, Lisa my pieces are very classic, except for the jacket length, but how I wear them is not mainstream in my area. That's also why I prefer tough footwear. It's unexpected and edgy with those pieces although it often reads equestrian. So I'm uber ladylike with stompy boots/booties and a bob. No one else I meet wears that look, not that it's way out there by any means, but it reads a bit more unique and I own it. It feels powerful, comfortable, elegant.

Don't love or hate but I feel like I don't have it right yet. What I consider tunics are dresses that fall above the knee for me. Maybe they need to be longer or shorter. I am 5'3", so short. I'd like for this look to work but don't feel the proportions are right yet. This time of year my tunics are sweater dresses too short to wear as dresses.

Who knew that tunics were so controversial? Like others I don't like the shorter versions, but do like to wear above the knee dresses as tunics - puts new life in dresses that are shorter than I like to wear with bare legs.

Actually, I have an A-line tunic that I wear over flares. I forgot about that look. The flares are a cross between Yoga pants and something else. I can't really describe them. I will post in April or May.
Another tunic for those pants would be good. I am not wearing them with a short top. Very clingy.
Thanks for reminding me of that outfit.

I may have a new appreciation for tunics, and that's saying something. Never. Say. Never.

Love, but am picky about the styling and construction. I have broad shoulders and am tall and straight through the waist, hips and thighs so I watch the length - any longer than mid-thigh and I think the proportions get off kilter. I want my crotch and bum covered, and a little shaping at the waist to give the illusion that I still have one. No A line or flare AT ALL. Think kurta - straight with vents, but no extra fabric.

LLBean has some that are constructed like dress shirts, with full button, covered plackets (no popover styling - see, I told you I was picky.) With a long necklace or a cute scarf, rolled sleeves or under a cardigan with a hip slung belt (faux waist again!) I wear them regularly. Isn't it funny how something can be so polarizing?

Not sure if you have seen it, Angie, but here's one pic. It is hanging a bit shorter than usual there due to layering and holding the camera -- usually covers the crotch point. Jenn and I agree that it is a tricky piece to wear despite its excellent quality. But it is worth persisting, I think. I wear it also with a silk shirt or just a cami underneath.

I think my favourite tunic was my taupe/gold asymmetrical one. If I found one like that in a silvery tone, or navy with sparkles, I'd go for it.

There was also a thin merino blue one I liked from J. Crew. Why did I like this one more than others? It had a bit of an A-line shape, very subtle, and flowed well. And the arms were very structured. But it also got holes within a year, alas.

Note:I'm wearing heels with these. Not super high heels, but heels. It helps.

I also see that my camera angle makes a difference. In the older photos, it's the DSLR and I am less foreshortened by the angle. Plus, a few pounds slimmer.

I never had any tunics until just recently. I bought plaid leggings at NAS, and needed something to go with it. I copied Lisa and bought a navy tunic with a u shaped bottom. Then I bought some cheapo leggings at the rack that looked like jeans, sort of. I put them with the sweater, and my Frye Campus boots and I loved it.

Suz - the angle makes a huge difference indeed. I loved that taupe metallic sweater on you .

I love them when the length is right, and asymmetry is a bonus. I find them easy to style, flattering on my hips, and comfortable. I'm tall and suspect they may be easier to fit on taller women. Besides a few tunic-length shirts, I own one dress which is a bit too short for my comfort level, which I wear as a tunic over leggings or jeans.

WOW. Such a HOT topic. I have to run, but wanted to say to Suz, that your pics show what I've been trying to explain wrt the magic of diagonal lines. They cut the across the horizontal and look flattering. The tunics below do a similar job.

Jaime, I'm with you. HIGH FIVE. Keeps me warm too.

Roxanna, if you keep the contrast low, the shorter jacket is great over a tunic.

I am neither a lover nor a loather....but it is an area where I have made mistakes in terms of proportion in the past.

It's an interesting term - because in my mind it goes top, tunic, dress in terms of length - but in a way a tunic is a shape or type of top or dress rather than just being length related ie short fit and flare dress is not a tunic. A tunic could be below the knee - and while I think of them being worn over pants or leggings - I have one that I wear with bare legs too sometimes....

I have had three tunics that have really worked for me over the years, at least two that were big mistakes, and two or three that have been somewhere in the middle.

I think they are not the best fit with my body shape (muscular hourglass) and wearing jeans underneath can provide some show through of pockets and zips that I struggle with. Unless the shape is just right it can be hide my best parts and make me look boxier than I am...

There are some interesting visuals here - Sara, Brooklyn, Suz - and it is a silhouette I would like to get better at wearing as a fun mix up as it is great for my lifestyle and climate...

One of my favourite movie looks was Judi Dench in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel....... she rocked her tunics!!

Thanks, Angie. Agreed. And it's possible the blue J. Crew worked because even though horizontal, I tended to wear with blue bottoms, minimizing the cut off. And it was drapey in the right way.

More tunic-y things I have worn... I guess the last is rather short for a tunic.

Now I am obsessed with this thread...ha...

So another issue, Angie, I think, is that I usually need to layer, and typically have not had the right pieces to layer over a tunic.

In other words...

• I struggle in the first place to find a tunic that is proportioned right for my torso, given that my overall height is shorter than average (so most tunics are simply cut too long for me) and my torso is about the same length as my legs, so that just-below-crotch-point tunics cut me in half-- more noticeably when there is contrast between top and bottom in my outfits.

• I don't like wearing leggings, which means I have to wear with pants, which sometimes feel bulky under a knit and "sticky" under a woven. (Having said that, like LaPed, I don't mind myself in a shorter skirt/ dress with opaque tights. Which some might liken to a tunic. But I do feel this is getting hard for me to wear at my age. Not for all women my age to wear, but for me, if you understand. So something maybe feels inauthentic in it. I'm not sure. I would try this -- shorter skirt with opaques -- again if I see the right version.)

• Once I find a tunic and pants that look good together and feel okay, I then have to figure out how I will layer over top of this for warmth in winter without spoiling the precarious proportions.

It's the kind of thing I would probably wear and enjoy if I had help to get the entire ensemble together in the first place and ensure I had the proportions right -- then if I enjoyed it, I could reproduce. There is something going amiss with the details. Fabrications, precise cuts, what footwear I can wear, etc. But this seems difficult for me to figure out on my own. Maybe if I could do more bricks and mortar shopping, more physical try-ons.

I haven’t read the comments but I love them if I can get the proportions right. I also love the dress as a tunic. Especially in the spring or fall here.

I tend toward love. I wear them less often now than I did a couple of years ago, but they are still a go-to style for me. I like long-top length tunics (just below the hips) or mid-thigh or just above-knee lengths. And I prefer some asymmetry to the hemline.

Love 'em. Wear them all the time. Tend to wear mine long.

These are my tunics - cotton and cotton/linen. They get worn during the warmer months and not at all during winter. I sometimes wear the navy windowpane as a sundress.

When I first read the title of this thread I thought “gosh, no I never wear tunics”. But then I looked at peoples pictures and realized what I call a dress over pants or a long top is actually classed as a tunic. Lol. Anyway, yep I like them, when they work.... they are an interesting way of changing things up.
Pic 1: Woolley green tunic. Itchy itchy, so gone now.
Pic 2: anthro boho tunic. Only goes with slim jeans, but worth it because I love it
Pic 3: lilac metallic stretch tunic. Only goes with one outfit, but again, worth it because I love it
Pic 4: striped tunic shirt: goes well in lots of outfits, surprisingly flattering, love it. Even works with chinos! Whaat??

Interesting thread Angie

Sorry I haven't had time to read through all the responses.

Another tunic lover here but having a pear shape there are only 2 silhouettes that are flattering on me. Either a looser fit with waist shaping ( boxy tunics are not my friend) or fitted though the bust and underbust area then flaring out.

Lengths are tricky. I try to avoid having a 1:1 proportion between my top and bottom. My best length proportionally is 4-5" inches above the knee. If I go shorter @ the upper thigh I try to have either an asymmetric or high low hem.

You know I do think some of the pics in this thread are actually tops? That dark blue one Suz? No tunic!

Fabbers, I love all of your pictures in tunics. You all look great! I am in the like category, probably because I am too fussy. I want to be able to wear a dress/tunic, but I just can’t get my eyes to like the look. Maybe it is because I don’t have enough leg line left. I prefer my tunics to cover my crotch and bum, because I often wear them with skinny pants, jeggings, or Ponte leggings. I really like the looks of a long leg line. I think it makes me look taller, but I could be just kidding myself. At 5’ 2” I am never going to look tall.

I have no time now to read all the comments so maybe my question has already been answered: first of all, what do we mean by "tunic" ? What length is a tunic? I consider as tunics those tops that go below the crotch but above mid-thigh.I do not wear this type of garments because I think they make me look stumpy.

I like mine short or just above the knee, without too much volume. Like Suz, I'm a big fan of the diagonal hem.

Wow, hot topic!:-) I am a loath as never find the longer ones like Firecracker, Brooklin, Aida, Runcarla and more of you have-of which visuals I like the best-except one knee length knitted sweater tunic (I am not calling it a dress as it does not have a waist) in winter, worn over pleather leggings. It really is a fine line between the dress over pants look (which is not practical and looks odds on me) and tunic over pants look which I would like to achive. Ideal tunic should not add much bulk to my bust, show a bit of waist beeing of a rather substantial fabric or one which has some -but not too much- drape... and will have at least 35"LENGTH. So hard to find I've eventually given up.

ETA I would love shorter looks, too (like Suz showed her asymmetric hem sweaters) but I can never find them in my shops :-((.

I'm struggling a bit with the definition as well. In my mind, you have tops, shirts, sweaters... then tunics... then dresses. A tunic is longer than a top, shorter than a dress. You may choose to wear a dress AS a tunic, ie over bottoms rather than over hose or bare legs, but that does not make it a tunic. And just because you wear something untucked, it doesn't make it a tunic, it just makes it a top worn untucked. So I think a tunic needs to be several inches longer than crotch point, and shorter than... I dunno... 3-4 inches above the knee?

I don't see the point of calling it a tunic if it refers to pretty much anything worn out. It may be a marketing ploy, but I refuse to fall for it

And yes, I like them. I have a spot on my thighs (maybe half way?) that needs to be covered, and will wear tunics that are long enough to hit that sweet spot - below which my legs are pretty good. I find with my IT shape, and broad shoulders, the proportion works well. A shorter top runs the risk of making me look quite square, as the length is similar to the width. the extra length of a tunic works well. I'll wear over skinny jeans/ponte or other slim pants to work, and leggings or skirted leggings for casual. I actually bought a top in the fall in a tall size, to get an extra few inches so I could wear it as a tunic.

I have a bit of a poison eye for dresses over pants, although I did give it a try last week (will post once I download it!). I do think crop straights work fairly well for this look, unfortunately I seem to have only crop flares. Hmm...

Angie, when you say you are pedantic about tunic length, are you referring to a length for a particular body, or a length in general (like pants need to be 1/4" off the ground)? Because it seems after reading all these comments, that tunic length/proportions are very very personal. And each person needs to get it right, but "right" is not necessarily consistent.

Loving this thread!

Elizabeth P, the semantics trip me up too! It seems like a lot of things could be considered tunics? I mean, the vast majority of shirting out there covers the crotch point and bum (on me, at least) if worn untucked. Same with t-shirts -- part of the reason I've been off t-shirts for a few years is that it's so hard to find a hip-length one. A lot of them come down to the top of my thighs, which, ugh. I don't want my t-shirts to be tunics. I think the predominance of skinny pants styles has led to the tunic-ification of both tops and dresses.

Wow. Never thought this would become a hectic thread!

DEFINITION OF A MODERN TUNIC: A top with a length that finishes between the bottom of the crotch point and the calf. (See my pics on Page 1 for the range in length).

Sooooo a dress can be a tunic if it's worn over bottoms. THAT'S the point. Took this pic at Macys last week. It's a TUNIC despite the long length because of how its worn.