Semantics
The origins of the term mantua to mean a robe are unclear. The garment may have been named after Mantua, in Italy, a centre of production for some of the expensive silks that would have been used to make up such garments. The term may also derive from manteau, the French term for a coat.
From this garment arose the term mantua-maker, an early term for a women's dressmaker.
Read more about this topic: Mantua (clothing)