The Humble Ribbed Tank Top
It's not much, but it can pull its weight in styling capabilities
Its hot… like hot, HOT, here in Atlanta right now. As far as clothes go, swim cover-ups and things that don’t touch my back are what sound most appealing right now- not exactly a stylists dream environment. I spoke last week about trying not to gripe about the summer and to take it as it comes, and I stand by that still! As far as getting dressed in this weather, I have to mention ( not in gripe way), that its really hard because it’s really hot. While facing this current hurdle I’ve come back to realizing how much I do love wearing this one specific item of clothing during this time of the year, the humble ribbed tank top. Formerly seen as something sweaty pre-teen boys wear on skate boards or the tank you put on under your sports jersey, it has had a bit of a style renaissance AND serves as a great utility piece during the height of the summer.
To help you wrap your head around the styling abilities of said item, I put together a few outfits that I felt helped show case how perfect the ribbed tank top can be for an outfit.
It all really started when I wore this outfit on my day off a couple of weeks ago….
It was one of those outfits that you put on and realize it’s all you want to wear moving forward. Like how sometimes you get on a kick with eating the same thing for breakfast every morning, it’s what sounds good and makes you feel satisfied. This outfit was satisfying and made me feel great! A little fashion, a little comfort, and a little fun. The ribbed tank top perfectly helps balance out the shine of the silk skirt and the whimsy of the raffia mary janes.
moving forward…
I wore one for my low key saturday night and while I didn't do much, I still felt comfortable and cute. I would absolutely wear this outfit the same eyelet pants and a pair of sandal kitten heels, a little whimsical but very perfect for high summer.
The ribbed tank top does nothing but everything here. The orange crochet shorts and blue jelly sandals provide all the “fun” for this outfit and the instead of fusing over what blouse, what top, etc. will be match right or fit the vibe of the outfit- it all it takes is a white ribbed tank top to anchor the look.
my personal favorite…
I just got this skort at Hampden in Charleston (it’s by Ciao Lucia) and am in loooove with how special it is but how easy it is to wear! My favorite version of wearing this is for every day with a ribbed tank. No fuss and lets the skort do all of the talking. It also allowed me to play with colors with my accessories which I think helped give some fun context with the skirt.
Also makes a great palette cleanser when you’re playing with a lot of textures…
Pearls and ribbed tank tops and lace trimmed skirts CAN work together!
They also can help keep a sleek outfit looking sleek and simple, shown above.
As a fan of the tank top, I have dabbled in getting a few colors and they’re the perfect way to make something look a little more interesting. I love the lavender tank against the red floral print pants, just a little unusual but not fussy at all. Then the dark brown sandals and dark brown bandana have such a great contrast with the other colors.
Another one in pale yellow… creating a slightly tonal look (a la Harling Ross’s stick of butter). It helps the pleated uniform skirt not look too literal and is the perfect casual sandwich with the studded sandals.
The ribbed tank, while simple, can hold so much styling power. I recommend seeing it as more of a styling solution of that next pairs of pants or skirt that you just can’t fine the right top to go with.. it may be much more simple than you think.
cheers xx,
Taylor