The Guide to Tank Tops

Whether you call it an A-shirt, singlet top, tank top or wife-beater; the sleeveless top is one of those garments which all too often is worn horribly wrong.

Not just for working out

Tank it out!

Tank tops are suitable attire for hitting the gym, but you can also incorporate them into your casual summer wardrobe. They are best for situations in which a T-shirt would be appropriate, but you want something which shows off your body a bit more. Pair a tank top with latest season jeans to create a relaxed and youthful, but stylish, look.

An A-shirt isn?t just a ripped T-shirt

Your tank top should not look like a regular top with the sleeves removed. In a tank top, the neckline should be lower and the shoulder straps curve inwards rather than just being a straight edge.

Converting a T-shirt with damaged sleeves into a singlet top is not as good an idea as it sounds- particularly if you can see from the ripped sleeves that it was a T-shirt in a previous life. Store-bought tank tops designed to look like a T-shirt with cut off sleeves are also not a good idea if you want to look good.

Tight or loose?

If you?re of a slim build and would like to appear more substantial, wear a slightly loose tank top. The fabric will gather and add some bulk. However, you don?t want to overdo it and have your top too loose, or the extra material will dwarf you.

Keep your outfit balanced. A tight singlet top should be worn with loose pants in a thick material- tracksuit pants look good in the most informal of situations, otherwise jeans are a fine choice with a tank top. If your tank top is on the loose side, wear tighter jeans. In the same way that you wouldn?t overload on denim by pairing jeans with a denim jacket, you would also never wear a tight tank top with skin-tight bottoms.

Watch your underarm hair

Tank tops themselves are not very eye-catching- making your underarm tufts all the more conspicuous.

There is nothing wrong with having underarm hair. You?d look quite weird without it. But you should keep it groomed. When your arm is hanging down against your side, there should be no underarm hair poking out. Trim it if need be- don?t let it grow past about an inch.

Having an excess of underarm hair is the number one thing that makes tank tops look bad. Keep it neat and you?re most of the way there to looking good in your A-shirt.

Do you have the body?

You need to have a reasonably attractive body in order to wear a tank top, which shows off your chest and, most noticeably, arms. You don?t have to be a bodybuilder, but a little muscle tone will go a long way to making you look drool-worthy in an A-shirt.

No matter how great your body, having your top so loose that your nipples are visible through the side as a faux pas in any context.