Medieval shirts are the base layer a costume is built on. Chow's range runs from poet-style cotton and linen shirts with full sleeves to round-neck cotton shirts, hooded medieval shirts, and viking shirts in wool mix. Light enough to wear all day under a tunic or armour.
What is a medieval shirt?
A medieval shirt is a loose, full-sleeved top worn against the skin as the base layer of a costume, usually in cotton or linen with a laced or round neck. It sits under a tunic, a gambeson, or armour, and works on its own in warm weather. Chows Emporium makes medieval shirts in cotton, linen, and wool mix.
The linen shirt
Linen is the material that suits a shirt best. It is light, breathable, and moves with you through a long day in the field. Chow's medieval shirts, designed for LARP wear since 1994, come in cotton and linen blends, in plain and textured weaves, with a hood built into some of them. Linen is the coolest layer to wear under heavier kit, so it is the piece to start a summer build with.
Shirt styles
Poet-style shirts have full, gathered sleeves and a laced neck, the classic look for a rogue, a bard, or a pirate. Round-neck cotton shirts are plainer and sit closer, a quiet base under a tunic. Hooded medieval shirts carry a hood built into the shirt itself, useful when you want the hood without a separate mantle. Viking shirts come in a heavier wool mix with contrast panels for a warrior or northern build. Peasant, noble, or fighter, the shirt sets the base and the tunic and belt do the rest.
Shirt or tunic: which layer
A shirt and a tunic do different jobs. The shirt is the light base worn against the skin. The tunic goes over it, longer and heavier, carrying most of the character. Most kits use both. If you want the heavier overlayer, the woven medieval and viking tunics are in the LARP tunics collection. A shirt on its own suits a warmer event or a simpler look.
Layering guide
A shirt goes on first, against the skin. A tunic or a gambeson goes over it. Leather armour or a waistcoat straps over that, and a cloak or hood finishes the top. Browse the LARP tunics that layer over a shirt, the LARP gambesons for padding, 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 shirt matched to the rest of the kit, browse the LARP outfit sets.
Frequently asked questions
What is a medieval shirt called?
Most players just call it a shirt. Historically the loose linen undergarment was sometimes called a chemise or a smock. In a LARP kit it is the base layer worn under a tunic or armour.
What is the difference between a shirt and a tunic?
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. Most kits use both. The tunics are in the LARP tunics collection.
Are these shirts made from linen?
Most are a cotton and linen blend, in plain and textured weaves. Viking shirts come in a wool mix. The material for each shirt is listed on its product page.
Do any shirts come with a hood?
Yes. Several medieval shirts have a hood built into the shirt itself, so you get the hood without a separate mantle. The product title says when a hood is included.
Can women wear these shirts?
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.
What do you wear a medieval shirt with?
A shirt goes under a tunic, a gambeson, or armour, with a belt or sash at the waist and a cloak or hood on top. On a warm day it works on its own with trousers and a belt.