Racerback Tops
Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
A racerback is an article of clothing with a T-shaped back behind the shoulder blades, cut to reveal the shoulders and shoulder blades and to allow ease of movement in sports. Bras, swimwear, shirts and dresses can all be made in the racerback shape — it is the shape of the back section, not the garment type or fabric, that makes a top a racerback.
Racerback is an article of clothing with a “T” shaped back behind the shoulder blades to allow ease of movement in sports. It does not always look exactly like a "T". The garment is cut and sewn to reveal the wearer’s shoulders and their shoulder blades.
The racer back top silhouette can be designed to be worn under another garment or as a shirt.
Bras, swimwear, shirts, and dresses can be produced with the racerback shape.
The garment can be in various colors and fabrications. It is simply the shape of the back section of the top that categorizes this type of clothing.
A racer back bra can be an excellent choice for wear under a tank top or similar thin-strapped top. This allows the wearer to have the support and discretion provided by a bra, while ensuring that the straps can remain concealed under the similar straps of the tank top, leading to a more complimentary shape and form for the garment.
Some tank tops are racerback but not all tanks would be considered to be a racerback.
A racerback often used as a type of women's swimsuit. The design is common today among competitive swimwear designers. The top-back of the swimsuit is not covered to provide flexibility and movement of the arms during swimming.
You can shop for clothing of this type at apparel retailers such as Kohl's, JC Penney, Lululemon, Charlotte Russe, Nike, Zappos, and many other clothing stores.
Learn more about racerbacks in our bra glossary.
View the Anti-odor Racerback tank top blog post.
You may want to also view a butterfly back tank top on the Fashion Blog.
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Where the Racerback Shape Works Best
The racerback began as a solution to a movement problem. In competitive swimwear, the open top-back leaves the shoulder blades free to rotate, so the arms can complete a full swimming stroke without fabric binding or straps slipping. The same logic carries into running, tennis, training and yoga tops: the shoulder joint moves through a wide arc in all of those activities, and a back that converges to the center never has a strap sitting on the moving part of the shoulder. That is why the shape recurs across categories — swim tops, sports bras, workout tanks and casual tank tops — even though the fabrics and support levels differ completely.
As a fashion garment, the racerback does different work. On a dress or a casual top, the T back is a design feature that shows the shoulders and upper back, which makes it a warm-weather silhouette and a natural partner for layering: a racerback tank under an open shirt or jacket shows the distinctive back only when the outer layer moves. The bra question matters most here. A standard bra's straps sit wide, near the shoulder points, and will show under a racerback cut; a racerback bra, a convertible bra with crossed straps, or a built-in shelf bra solves the mismatch by putting the support in the same central line as the garment.
Fit checks are simple. The central back panel should lie flat without pulling the front neckline up, the armholes should be high enough to feel secure but not cut into the underarm, and the straps should not dig into the trapezius when the arms raise overhead — the exact motion the cut exists to free. In swimwear, check that the open back still gives the bust support the activity needs, since removing back coverage removes some structure with it. Judged on those points, the racerback is one of the clearest examples in this directory of a term that names a shape rather than a garment: once the T back is understood, racerbacks can be recognized across bras, swimwear, shirts and dresses at a glance.
Common Questions
What makes a top a racerback?
The back construction: the straps or fabric converge into a T shape behind the shoulder blades, leaving the shoulders and shoulder blades exposed and the arms free to move. Any color or fabrication can be a racerback if the back is cut that way.
Why wear a racerback bra under a tank top?
A racerback bra's straps sit in the same central position as a racerback tank's straps, so the bra stays concealed while still providing support — giving a cleaner, more complimentary shape under thin-strapped tops.
Are all tank tops racerbacks?
No. Some tank tops are racerback, but a tank only counts as a racerback when its back is cut in the T shape. A conventional tank with two separate shoulder straps is not a racerback.