Patterns for Garments
The most popular garment types worn in late antiquity were the shawl and the tunic. Tunics had an overall square shape, and ornamental patches and stripes that had developed from previous Roman traditions. The design process for decorated garments, as reconstructed from patterns and existing textiles, was an exercise in identifying options and putting design components together. Many surviving ornaments appear to have been based on the same or very similar patterns. Compare, for example, these two ornamental medallions.