Is This the Summer of the Men’s Tank Top?

“The sleeveless trend is definitely happening right now,” said Saisangeeth Daswani, who analyzes fashion and beauty trends at Stylus, a trend-forecasting agency in London. Ms. Daswani noted that for years, avant-garde designers like

Riccardo Tisci,

now at

Burberry,

and Rick Owens have created body-conscious tanks, but the current tank onslaught is more of a grass-roots movement. During lockdowns, she said, many men were able to experiment with their style “in a more discreet way” from the comfort of their homes. This gave them confidence to sample daring clothes, like those bicep-baring tanks. As we return to our regularly scheduled lives this summer, these sudden risk-takers join the cohort of men already comfortable with showing their shoulders.

Adding to the tank top’s current appeal is what Clinton Chan, a 33-year-old engineer in Vancouver, called a “vanity aspect.” For men who spent every idle moment of quarantine ripping off push-ups and bicep curls, a tank top shows the fruits of their labor. It is no wonder that nearly every tank top fan I spoke with copped to spending ample hours working out. An extreme example of this muscular flexing can be seen in “F9,” the “Fast & Furious” franchise’s most recent box-office hit, in which beefcake Dom Toretto (played by Vin Diesel) wears a plethora of sleeveless shirts to flaunt upper arms the size of Christmas hams.

More modest sorts are layering fine, featherweight tanks beneath camp shirts or even sportcoats. Mr. Chan noted that to wear a tank solo you have to consider not just your physique but your body hair—another reason to treat the tank as a just-revealing-enough base layer—one that has the benefit of being far lighter in summer than a standard T-shirt.

Tanks make Joseph Corrao, 32, who works at his family’s restaurant in Little Falls, N.J., think of his grandfather, an impeccable dresser who often wore tanks beneath knit polos like a swank extra from Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film “Casino.” Taking a cue from his well-dressed elder, Mr. Corrao now wears tank tops so frequently, they’re “like a second skin.” He even recently sported one under a navy suit for a day in Manhattan.

For others, the smoldering summer heat is reason enough to try a tank. Luis Coreas, 22, who works for an ice cream company in Jersey City, N.J., once thought of sleeveless shirts as purely beach attire. This year, he has been wearing them—layered and on their own—to brave the East Coast’s sticky summertime humidity. The slender tank tops keep him from sweating (well, sweating too much) and have a 1970s sort of look that he favors. He recently wore a plain white Hanes tank top with a pair of worn-in Dickies jeans and black Converse All Stars, an outfit that easily could’ve placed him at a Ramones show in ’78.

For such a simple garment, the differences in fit and shape can be crucial. “A tank for me is about what it reveals, but also what it conceals,” said Jesse Hudnutt, a New York-based consultant for men’s fashion companies and a longtime tank proponent. Certain tanks can be too baggy through the body (and therefore look ill-considered) or too tight around the armpit (and therefore are plain uncomfortable). Like many men I spoke with, Mr. Hudnutt’s go-to tanks are from thrifty Hanes three-packs, which he can buy in bulk on the cheap. These have a light, but not see-through, fabrication and don’t droop immodestly down the chest such that your pecs are popping out.

Other tanks can be extravagant in price and design. Los Angeles label Amiri sells $790 bandana-printed cashmere-blend tanks with scooped arm holes similar to basketball jerseys, while Saint Laurent offers a $420 nautical-ish striped black-and-white tank. Bottega Veneta may take the prize for the most precious tank: its woven leather sleeveless top clocks in at $4,500.

Marrakshi Life, a Morocco-based label, sells airy $190 cotton tanks in tantalizing striped patterns. Taking lessons from the brutal Mediterranean heat, owner Randall Bachner said his tanks “don’t hug you,” leaving room for the breeze to slither in.

DISARMING LOOKS

Three tanks to layer or brazenly wear on their own

Strapping Stripes

Made by artisans in Morocco, this striated, tonal cotton tank boasts a boxy cut and a low scoop neck. Shirt, $190, marrakshilife.com

Plain and Simple

An unfussy white ribbed version, made from a cotton-poly blend‚ for the bare-armed traditionalist. Shirt, $8, uniqlo.com

Blue and Breezy

This boxy powder-blue tank is designed from recycled cotton and comes equipped with a handy patch pocket. Shirt, $88, johnelliott.com

Write to Jacob Gallagher at [email protected]

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