Tank top

The tank top is a sleeveless top with wide shoulder straps (about 3 to 6 cm) and a mostly round or slightly oval neckline. The name comes from the 'tank suit', an early 1900s full-body swimsuit, from which the isolated top developed as a separate category.

Structurally the tank consists of a front and back panel joined at shoulders and sides. The armholes are cut generously and expose the whole arm and shoulder blades. Neck and armhole are usually finished with narrow rib band or bound facing.

Tank tops are worn in summer as a single piece and in winter as an undershirt or layering base. Classics include the white 'A-shirt' of ribbed cotton and the black muscle shirt from fitness. In women's fashion, spaghetti-strap camisoles and baby tanks are very common. In sport tank tops are used for basketball, bodybuilding, martial arts and summer training.

Compared to the racerback the tank top has broader straps that sit on the outer shoulder. Compared to a muscle shirt it fits longer and looser, while the muscle shirt sits close to the torso.