Tube Tops
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A tube top is a shoulderless, sleeveless women's garment that wraps around the upper torso, generally tight over the bust and held in place by elastic bands at its top and bottom, or by a tight-fitting fabric properly secured. Its precursor was a beachwear and informal summer garment worn by young girls in the 1950s; it became widely popular in the 1970s and returned in the 1990s and 2000s. This guide covers tube top fit and sizing in plain product terms, the bandeau and how it differs, and the printed and novelty versions of the style.
Tube Tops
A tube top is a shoulderless, sleeveless women's garment that wraps around the upper torso. It is generally tight over the breasts, usually by means of elastic bands at its top and bottom, to prevent it from falling. If not using elastic, it would need to be a tight fitting fabric that is properly secured. It is important to wear a proper fitting tube top to help make sure that the two friends you have inside the shirt stay inside the shirt (if that is what you want).
The tube top's precursor was a beachwear or informal summer garment worn by young girls in the 1950s, that became more widely popular in the 1970s, and returned to popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.
A bandeau (ploral version is bandeaux) is diminutive of French: bande meaning "strip". It is similar to a tube top but NOT exactly. The bandeau is a garment comprising, in appearance, a strip of cloth. Today, the term most frequently refers to a garment that wraps around a woman's breasts in sports or swimwear, and now it is accepted as the top part of formal wear with pants or a skirt. The bandeau is similar to a tube top, but narrower. It is usually strapless, sleeveless and off the shoulder.
Here is an example of a cropped tube top:
t's important to pick the proper size tube top:
Celebrities also wear tube tops at red carpet events.
In the United Kingdom this type of shirt is often colloquially known as a boob tube.
Learn about shirts and the different types of shirts on the market.
Some tube tops have text or graphics printed on them.
Get your message across with a novelty tube top.
Many people think tube tops are one of the sexiest types of clothing. Other people find the g-string to be the sexiest. Either is fine. By the way, tank tops if worn by the right person has its merits as well.
Learn about the bandeau top (which is more narrow than a tube top).
If you enjoy wearing tube tops, you may want to also wear a short skirt.
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Fit and Styling Notes for Tube Tops
Fit is the whole garment. A tube top has no straps, sleeves or shoulders to help hold it, so its security comes from the elastic bands at the top and bottom edges and from a close fit through the torso. A top that is too large will slip; the sizing guidance is to pick the proper size so the elastic can do its work. Shoppers comparing strapless styles should keep the bandeau distinction in view: the bandeau is the narrower strip, used in sports and swimwear and as the top part of formal outfits worn with pants or a skirt, while the tube top covers more of the upper torso.
Styling is simple because the garment is simple. Some tube tops carry text or graphics printed on them, turning the plain tube into a novelty top with a message. The style pairs with the warm-weather bottoms covered elsewhere in this guide, such as short skirts, and with the other sleeveless tops, tank tops among them, that share its summer role. On red carpets the tube top appears as an evening style, showing the same strapless construction dressed up.
Common Questions
How does a tube top stay up?
By elastic bands at its top and bottom, which hold it against the torso. Without elastic, the top needs a tight-fitting fabric that is properly secured, so choosing the proper size is important.
What is the difference between a tube top and a bandeau?
A bandeau, from the French bande meaning strip, is a garment that in appearance is a strip of cloth wrapping around the bust. It is similar to a tube top but narrower, usually strapless, sleeveless and off the shoulder.
When were tube tops popular?
Their precursor was 1950s beachwear and informal summer clothing for young girls. Tube tops became more widely popular in the 1970s and returned to popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. In the United Kingdom the style is often called a boob tube.