Sleeveless T-shirt
Encyclopedia
A sleeveless shirt, singlet or vest
, also known as a wife-beater (USA), is a shirt
manufactured without sleeve
s, or one whose sleeves have been cut off. Sleeveless shirts are worn by either gender, depending on the style. Tank tops are often worn by athletes in sports such as track and field
and triathlon
. Tank tops have been popular warm-weather casual wear in the United States
since the 1970s, and are regarded as acceptable public casual dress in most warm weather locales. They are mostly preferred in hot climates, since the arm holes provide ventilation and the thin fabric provides comfort. The term wife-beater is commonly used to refer to the tank tops worn by males. However, in rural American vernaculars, it has the particular meaning of a t-shirt which has had the sleeves cut off, often roughly, as if with garden shears.
In American English
, a tank top is a sleeveless garment that can be worn by either gender. It is often worn under the shirt as underwear, although more colorful and well-designed tank tops are usually worn as an outer shirt. The term is also used in Australian English
, although the term singlet is usually used to refer to the garment, which likewise is an unused term in American English. In British English
, the term vest
is used, while tank top refers to a sleeveless pullover. The name tank top, recorded in English since 1968, is derived from its resemblance to a tank suit, a style of one-piece women's swimsuit
with shoulder straps. Its name derives from the 1920s term swimming tank
, which is an obsolete term for what is now called a swimming pool
. The tankini
– a portmanteau of the words tank top
and bikini
– is a women's swimming version of the tank top.
A halter top is a sleeveless shirt in which a strap goes around the back of the neck, leaving the upper back uncovered. Halter tops are worn mainly by girls and women.
shirt is a tank top with strings or thin material on the shoulders to hold up the shirt. It is thought to have originated in 1920s England, and made fashionable by rich upper class men , but is now worn mainly by girls and young women. Also referred to as a vest top in British English
.
, nylon
, or cotton
.
A tube top is a shirt with no sleeves or shoulders, and is, basically, a tube that wraps around a woman's torso. In Great Britain and Australia, it is called a "boob tube" (not to be confused with the identical American slang for television set
).
The etymology of the term "A-shirt," which is preferred by manufacturers,such as Hanes, is uncertain. Some claim that it is short for "athletic shirt" because it is often worn in sports, such as basketball and track-and-field events, while others say that it refers to the "A" shape when laid out flat (compare the origin of the word "T-shirt"). In the United States, it is also known colloquially as a wife beater, Guinea tee, or Dago tee (from guinea and dago, ethnic slurs against Italians
). In British English an A-shirt is known as a vest. (compare American usage of "vest
".) In India
, it is referred to as Baniyaan, Ganji. In Scots
vernacular it is referred to as a semmit, and as a singlet in Ireland, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In Colombia it is known as a busca pleitos meaning trouble seeker, in reference to its usage by violent individuals. In Spain they used to be called camiseta imperio (Imperial t-shirt).
In addition to athletic usage, A-shirts have traditionally been used as undershirts, especially with suits and dress shirts. They are sometimes worn alone without a dress shirt or top shirt during very warm and or humid weather; mainly in North America where the climate is warmer and more humid in the Summer. A-shirts may be worn alone under very causal settings, as lounge wear, and or while completing yardwork or other chores around the home.
The build of an A-shirt is simple: the neck and armholes are often reinforced for durability. One usually has large armholes and neck holes and a neckline that can reach down as far as mid-chest. They are also sometimes made long to make tucking into a pair of pants easier. In almost all cases, they are buttonless, collarless, and pocketless. An A-shirt is designed for a tight fit and made of ribbed
cotton
or other fiber.
The string vest has fallen from favour in the United Kingdom
, but a string semmit as an underclass fashion item was made famous by Rab C. Nesbitt
, leading character in the TV sitcom of the same name.
, but without sleeves. They are primarily worn by men since the large open sleeve holes would expose the female breast
under certain circumstances. They are often worn for/during athletic activities. They were quite popular in the 1980s and were stereotypically associated with surfers and body-builder
s (hence the name "muscle" shirt) who often bore the logo of their gym
s on these shirts. Also called "Tenement T-shirt".
Vest
A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...
, also known as a wife-beater (USA), is a shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
manufactured without sleeve
Sleeve
Sleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
s, or one whose sleeves have been cut off. Sleeveless shirts are worn by either gender, depending on the style. Tank tops are often worn by athletes in sports such as track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
. Tank tops have been popular warm-weather casual wear in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the 1970s, and are regarded as acceptable public casual dress in most warm weather locales. They are mostly preferred in hot climates, since the arm holes provide ventilation and the thin fabric provides comfort. The term wife-beater is commonly used to refer to the tank tops worn by males. However, in rural American vernaculars, it has the particular meaning of a t-shirt which has had the sleeves cut off, often roughly, as if with garden shears.
In American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, a tank top is a sleeveless garment that can be worn by either gender. It is often worn under the shirt as underwear, although more colorful and well-designed tank tops are usually worn as an outer shirt. The term is also used in Australian English
Australian English
Australian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
, although the term singlet is usually used to refer to the garment, which likewise is an unused term in American English. In British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
, the term vest
Vest
A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...
is used, while tank top refers to a sleeveless pullover. The name tank top, recorded in English since 1968, is derived from its resemblance to a tank suit, a style of one-piece women's swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
with shoulder straps. Its name derives from the 1920s term swimming tank
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, which is an obsolete term for what is now called a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
. The tankini
Tankini
The tankini is a bathing suit combining a tank top, mostly made of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, and a bikini bottom introduced in the late 1990s. This type of swimwear is considered by some to provide modesty closer to a one piece suit with the convenience of a two piece suit, as the...
– a portmanteau of the words tank top
Tank top
Tank top may refer to:* a type of sleeveless shirt worn by men and women * a sleeveless sweater, also known as a sweater vest * the plating forming the inner bottom of a ship hull...
and bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
– is a women's swimming version of the tank top.
Halter top
A halter top is a sleeveless shirt in which a strap goes around the back of the neck, leaving the upper back uncovered. Halter tops are worn mainly by girls and women.
Spaghetti-strapped shirt
A spaghetti-strappedSpaghetti strap
A spaghetti strap is a very thin shoulder strap used in clothing, such as camisoles, crop tops, cocktail dresses, and evening gowns, so-named for its resemblance to the thin pasta strings called spaghetti....
shirt is a tank top with strings or thin material on the shoulders to hold up the shirt. It is thought to have originated in 1920s England, and made fashionable by rich upper class men , but is now worn mainly by girls and young women. Also referred to as a vest top in British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
.
Camisole
A camisole is a sleeveless shirt for women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satinSatin
Satin is a weave that typically has a glossy surface and a dull back. It is a warp-dominated weaving technique that forms a minimum number of interlacings in a fabric. If a fabric is formed with a satin weave using filament fibres such as silk, nylon, or polyester, the corresponding fabric is...
, nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
, or cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
Tube top
A tube top is a shirt with no sleeves or shoulders, and is, basically, a tube that wraps around a woman's torso. In Great Britain and Australia, it is called a "boob tube" (not to be confused with the identical American slang for television set
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
).
T-back shirt
A T-back shirt is a tank top that is much narrower in the back than the front. The style for women varies greatly from those worn by men (primarily weightlifters). Female T-back shirts cover more of the back, are less narrow, and come together higher up the back, in general. Male shirts are designed to expose the shoulder blades, useful for men at the gym.A-shirt
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
). In British English an A-shirt is known as a vest. (compare American usage of "vest
Vest
A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...
".) In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, it is referred to as Baniyaan, Ganji. In Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
vernacular it is referred to as a semmit, and as a singlet in Ireland, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In Colombia it is known as a busca pleitos meaning trouble seeker, in reference to its usage by violent individuals. In Spain they used to be called camiseta imperio (Imperial t-shirt).
In addition to athletic usage, A-shirts have traditionally been used as undershirts, especially with suits and dress shirts. They are sometimes worn alone without a dress shirt or top shirt during very warm and or humid weather; mainly in North America where the climate is warmer and more humid in the Summer. A-shirts may be worn alone under very causal settings, as lounge wear, and or while completing yardwork or other chores around the home.
The build of an A-shirt is simple: the neck and armholes are often reinforced for durability. One usually has large armholes and neck holes and a neckline that can reach down as far as mid-chest. They are also sometimes made long to make tucking into a pair of pants easier. In almost all cases, they are buttonless, collarless, and pocketless. An A-shirt is designed for a tight fit and made of ribbed
Ribbing (knitting)
In knitting, ribbing is a pattern in which vertical stripes of stockinette stitch alternate with vertical stripes of reverse stockinette stitch...
cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
or other fiber.
The string vest has fallen from favour in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but a string semmit as an underclass fashion item was made famous by Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him...
, leading character in the TV sitcom of the same name.
String Tank Top
In places like Venice Beach, Miami Beach bodybuilders used to take regular t-shirts and rip them by hand, forming improvised tank tops. The result was a shirt that allowed them to watch their muscles in the mirror as they worked out and provided plenty of unrestricted freedom of movement. That’s why some sport company creates a special tank top with this characteristics it is called String Tank Top or Stringer Tank Top.Sleeveless T-shirt
A sleeveless T-shirt, also called a muscle shirt and colloquially called a shooter shirt by basketball players, is the same design as a T-shirtT-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
, but without sleeves. They are primarily worn by men since the large open sleeve holes would expose the female breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
under certain circumstances. They are often worn for/during athletic activities. They were quite popular in the 1980s and were stereotypically associated with surfers and body-builder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
s (hence the name "muscle" shirt) who often bore the logo of their gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
s on these shirts. Also called "Tenement T-shirt".