Kirtle vs. Surcoat — What's the Difference?

A kirtle (sometimes called cotte, cotehardie) is a garment that was worn by men and women in the Middle Ages. It eventually became a one-piece garment worn by women from the late Middle Ages into the Baroque period.

A surcoat or surcote is an outer garment that was commonly worn in the Middle Ages by both men and women in Western Europe. It can either refer to a coat worn over other clothes or the outermost garment itself.

A man's knee-length tunic or coat.

A loose outer coat or gown.

A woman's dress or skirt.

A tunic worn in the Middle Ages by a knight over his armor.

A knee-length tunic.

(historical) A loose garment without sleeves worn over a suit of armor, sometimes colored or embroidered with the wearer's coat of arms.

A short jacket.

(historical) An overgarment worn over a woman's gown; a kind of short robe worn over the tunic at the close of the 11th century.

A woman's gown; a woman's outer petticoat or skirt.

A coat worn over the other garments; especially, the long and flowing garment of knights, worn over the armor, and frequently emblazoned with the arms of the wearer.

(transitive) To clothe or cover with, or as if with, a kirtle; to hitch up (a long garment) to the length of a kirtle.

A name given to the outer garment of either sex at different epochs of the Middle Ages.

A garment varying in form and use at different times, and worn both by men and women.

A loose outer coat usually of rich material

A garment resembling a tunic that was worn by men in the Middle Ages

A tunic worn over a knight's armor

A long dress worn by women