Other forms: tabards
In the Middle Ages, men often wore a tabard, a short, sleeveless coat similar to a jerkin. Put on your tabard and tights, it's time for the Renaissance Faire!
Tabards started out as modest dress, worn by monks and peasants starting in the 14th century. A hundred years later, knights began sporting belted tabards that were open at the sides and frequently emblazoned with a coat of arms. Today, an apron-like garment commonly worn by cleaners, caterers, and healthcare workers is sometimes also called a tabard. The famous starting place of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales was the Tabard Inn in London.