Other forms: surcoats
The long, sleeveless outer garment that Western Europeans commonly wore during the Middle Ages was called a surcoat. Pictures of medieval knights often show them with loose surcoats over their armor.
Men wore surcoats from around the 12th century, while women began to wear them about a hundred years later. A knight's surcoat was often decorated with a coat of arms and had long slits at the front and back to allow the knight to move freely and ride a horse easily. During the 14th century, a stylish surcoat for women was floor-length, with extremely large arm holes, so the dress beneath could be seen.