THE JOURNAL
From left to right: Mr Shawn Mendes in New York, 24 May 2023, photograph by Getty Images. Mr Justin Bieber in Los Angeles, 3 May 2023, photograph by Shutterstock. Mr Tom Holland in Monaco, 28 May 2023, photograph by Backgrid
As far as garments go, few give you more bang for your buck than a white tank top. Originally conceived as an undergarment – a thin, sometimes textured, layer of cotton to protect your formal dress shirt from the wear and tear wrought by your sweaty skin – it’s since become an evocative object of desire. And one that contains fascinating, sometimes contradictory, connotations. It’s been adopted by queer communities, for example, as a playful symbol of evolving gender and sexual politics. It was originally worn by working-class immigrants and has thus been imbued with ideas of blue-collar authenticity and masculinity. And because it’s thought of as a base layer, wearing it on its own implies a sort of nakedness – a certain rebellion and subversion from established sartorial codes.
These days, it’s also an accepted staple of a man’s summer wardrobe — as demonstrated by celebrities such as Mr Shawn Mendes, who paired his tight A-shirt with a loose pair of tan trousers, and Mr Justin Bieber, who tucked his under an oversized hoodie. Both wore them out on the street as the ostensible star of their outfit, not a supporting player.
It also helps that white tank tops have been burnt into the popular imagination via films, ranging from Mr Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire to Mr Bruce Willis in Die Hard. It’s a garment that allows one to show off their physique, from its traditionally slim fit to the way the cut exposes the shoulders, arms and even the upper portion of the chest. A white tank, in particular, gives off an energy of crispiness and cleanliness, especially useful during warmer months.
No doubt the surprising amount of mileage one can get from such a simple item has also added to its growing popularity. Mr Warren Alfie Baker, the men’s stylist who dresses everyone from Mr Andrew Garfield to Mr Penn Badgley, says he likes to pair them with suits or under dress shirts with the top few buttons left open. For him, it’s a way to add a hint of excitement and unexpected energy to a traditionally formal look.
“I love a tank top under a suit,” Baker says. “It creates a lower neckline that has a slightly sexier feel.” (Just don’t take the suit jacket off, he advises, as exposed armpit hair is not readily welcome at some events.) He often pairs them with a looser, pleated trouser and under a button-up or even a knit polo.
“I love a tank top under a suit, it creates a lower neckline that has a slightly sexier feel”
Baker notes the “classic, ‘old Hollywood’ summer style” of the tank that he regards as “timeless”. “I actually use a lot as a layering piece,” he says. “It just gives dimension to a look.” And as the mercury rises and we shed our clothes, a small detail like that can elevate an outfit from careless to considered — a key distinction.
Mr Albert Muzquiz, the Los Angeles-based content creator, who goes by the handle @edgyalbert, admits that his first memories of tank tops aren’t all too positive. He recalls seeing them on a certain “douchey” type of guy on the beaches of Orange County, worn in what he calls a “sun’s out, gun’s out” sort of way – often with corny graphics plastered on the front. But over time, he’s reconsidered their allure.
“I was stuck at home during the pandemic without the luxury of good air-conditioning,” Muzquiz says. “I had a roommate and it seemed rude to be walking around shirtless, so I bought a pack of tanks from the gas station by my house – real high-end stuff – but then I really loved the way it made me look and feel.”
As opposed to Baker’s dressier approach, Muzquiz styles his in a more blue-collar, Western, off-duty way. “If I’m wearing a collared shirt, I’m wearing a ribbed tank these days,” he says. “Pretty much the only time I’m not wearing one is when I’m doing a casual just-a-tee look.”
“If I’m wearing a collared shirt, I’m wearing a ribbed tank these days”
Muzquiz’s three go-to outfits are a tank under a tucked-in button-up shirt with just a little peek (and often paired with a silver necklace); as a base layer beneath a shirt that may be too short to tuck, which he’ll leave unbuttoned; or even under a light jacket or blazer – what he considers the most advanced of the three.
But there’s another reason why Muzquiz thinks the white tank is right for the moment. “There’s a loosening of norms around gender and sexuality now, which serves to make men’s fashion more and more dynamic,” he says. “Tank tops are super unisex and can be as masculine or feminine or whatever as the wearer wants it to be. Much like other kinds of workwear, it has class, gender and sexuality implications – but largely because it is so versatile and flattering. Someone wearing a tank could be referencing a Hadid or a background actor in Cruising. It’s really hard to tell, but that’s kind of the beauty of it all.”