Kid's Tank Top

Sleeves are not simply shortened on a tank top. The shoulder is cut away entirely and the armhole is finished with a binding, a narrow strip of fabric folded over the raw edge. Where that binding sits, and how wide the strap is, tells you what the top is for.

Ribbed cotton is the traditional fabric, a knit with vertical channels that stretches to the body and pulls back. Straps of an inch or wider sit over the shoulder and can cover an underlayer. Racerback cuts pull the straps in toward the spine, which frees the arm for climbing and tumbling but leaves the whole shoulder blade open. Length matters more here than on other tops: a tank that stops at the waist rides up every time arms go overhead. So two extra inches of body is not wasted fabric.

The tee covers the shoulder and upper arm, which keeps it legal in schools with a strap-width rule and makes it work as sun cover. Camisoles narrow the strap further and use lighter fabric. A tank sits between them, and among these tops it is the only one that leaves the shoulder open.

Summer heat above about 80 degrees, dance and gymnastics classes, and layering under an open shirt are the uses. Schools that set a strap width, often two inches or wider, rule most tanks out before you get to color. Long days outdoors are the other caution, because bare shoulders burn first and a backpack strap wipes sunscreen off the exact spot.

Run a finger under the armhole binding. It should feel flat and stitched down on both edges, not merely overlocked, because a rolled binding cuts into the underarm within an hour. Hold the shoulder seam and pull gently sideways to see whether the strap stretches out for good. Cold washing and air drying keep the binding from rippling, which is the one failure you cannot iron out.