What do Marlon Brando and Cindy Crawford have in common? The iconic white tank top, of course. Brando sported the innerwear as outerwear in the 1951 classic Streetcar Named Desire, and Crawford paired a white tank with cutoff shorts for a 1992 Pepsi commercial – a look she recreated in a photoshoot for charity last year.

An interpretation of Joe Pytka’s iconic 1992 Pepsi Ad with @CindyCrawford

It is always a treat to work with Cindy. To date our collaboration has already raised $1m for the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison Wisconsin and this series should help this number materially pic.twitter.com/EqcngSmtUe

— David Yarrow (@David_Yarrow) September 8, 2021

The white tank top began life in the 1910s, a garment men could wear underneath dress shirts and while swimming. Within a few decades, men were eschewing their button-downs and opting to wear the tank top on its own – a fashion evolution similar to their sartorial second cousin, the storied T-shirt.

Nowadays, the tank top is a wardrobe essential that functions both as a layering piece and a stand-alone – popular with any gender. The style was all over fall 2022 runways: Prada sent models wearing tanks embellished with its logo, Bottega Veneta created leather versions of the ribbed white top and Acne paired white tanks with oversized pants.

The BELLA + CANVAS racerback cropped tank (6682) is available from S&S Activewear (asi/84358).

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Mark-Evan Blackman, assistant professor of fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, calls the white tank top a timeless classic, explaining recently to Refinery 29 that “[Today’s] designers have used the item as a backdrop to bring forth their vision in a very contemporary time.”

There are several factors contributing to the current dominance of this old standby, including nostalgia for Y2K-era fashion, the pandemic-era insistence on comfort above all else and a burgeoning desire to strut your stuff in style. “The white tank is the hero of your outfit, the one item that makes everything else work,” says Marcus Davis, product development manager for Hanesbrands (asi/59528). “It’s a key item in the wardrobe, but it’s been hidden in the pandemic closet for a few years. It’s ready to make its grand entrance back into the market.”

Tank tops, in general, have been growing in popularity in the promo market. “The classic tank is a trend that’s resonating” across demographics, says Natalie Hopkins, director of merchandising for trade and retail brands at alphabroder (asi/34063). She notes that tank top sales at the Top 40 supplier were up 12% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Women’s and youth tank styles are up 7%, and men’s tank tops are up 22% this year, largely driven by the Canvas unisex tank. Men’s and women’s “muscle tanks” are up 33% this year, according to Hopkins.

And the color white is also emerging as an apparel trend. It “evokes a feeling of pureness and a fresh start,” Hopkins says, adding that “white is fitting as seasonal weather begins to shift and we approach the warmer months.”

This Alternative Apparel modal tri-blend racer tank (4460HM) is available from Hanesbrands (asi/59528).

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White tank tops are the perfect way to achieve the relaxed, hybrid, return-to-the-office vibe that so many seek, says Christina Marcantelli, sales enablement coordinator at Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358). “It’s gender-neutral, basic and goes with anything from sweats to under a cuffed black blazer or paired with high-waisted wide-leg jeans,” she says. “It can be a day-to-night look within seconds as people are out and about again enjoying active lifestyles and entertainment beyond the home.”

Though the color is set, there can be a lot of variation in the silhouette, whether it’s cropped, flowy and festival-ready or a stretchy, skin-skimming baby rib. Styles with asymmetrical straps or necklines or cutouts “create a fun, unexpected twist” on the classic look, Davis says.

The BELLA + CANVAS unisex jersey tank (3480) is available from alphabroder (asi/34063).

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Traditionally a summer staple, the white tank has developed year-round appeal, Marcantelli notes, particularly in the bridal/bachelorette, e-commerce boutique and fitness markets. During the pandemic, the surge in DIY tie-dye also boosted demand for white substrates, with tanks at the top of the crop, she added.

When it comes to decoration, consider keeping logos smaller and understated, to avoid diluting the effect of the bright, white fabric. A small graphic on the back or down one side, perhaps in one color, will allow the piece “to draw interest without overshadowing the importance of the tank itself,” Davis says.

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