Is there any garment so polarizing as a caftan? Fans hail the billowy, tunic-esque design as liberating and exotically bohemian. It’s loose enough to mask all manner of flaws (especially in the summer), and it’s comfortable. For naysayers, a caftan is one frumpy step away from a housecoat, a default tent for 1970s housewives.

Nobody can deny their staying power, though. Legendary editrix Diana Vreeland judged them “fashionable for the beautiful people’’ after unearthing the style, whose roots are said to extend to the ancient world, on a 1960s expedition to Morocco. Thanks to her endorsement, they became essential armor at fashionable soirees around the world. Glamazons from Elizabeth Taylor to Bianca Jagger and Talitha Getty lolled in them in Palm Springs, on movie sets, at Studio 54.

Around the same time they were also being discovered by the globally conscious, patchouli-scented tribe. Ultimately the caftan would become so mainstream it was the daily uniform of Mrs. Roper in “Three’s Company.’’

The appeal of the caftan has since ebbed and flowed but never disappeared. Exhibits devoted to the garment’s bold prints and flattering lines have popped up at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This spring, an Oscar de la Renta retrospective at San Francisco’s de Young museum featured his most memorable fashions — brightly patterned caftans included. Just days ago, Rihanna was snapped in a Dolce & Gabbana version (left).

Part of the appeal is accessibility, because caftans are built for all body types and budgets. Yes, Tory Burch makes one for $1,995 (“the ultimate in bohemian glamour, epitomizing the chic, effortless attitude of women in the Sixties and Seventies,’’ her website promises), but everyday folks can also snag one at Target for under $30.

Caftans are also the rare piece of clothing that makes women feel good about themselves, says Boston-based designer Remy Stressenger, whose eponymous Nantucket boutique opened in May.

“They endure because if you’re feeling frumpy or bloated, they’re the best thing,’’ Stressenger says. “This is the one item all women of any size can wear that’s universally comfortable.’’

But not everyone’s smitten. Men, for instance. “I would say the majority of men want to see a body, and caftans might be too ‘mysterious,’ ’’ Stressenger says.

Much to the delight (and relief) of fans, of course.

Kara Baskin can be reached at kcbaskin@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @kcbaskin.