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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, June 18, 2004

Finding the right white tank top for the summer

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Fashion Writer

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The hunt for white tanks

Our Advertiser fashion forum members each have a unique personal style. Here is how five of them interpreted their new fave, a white tank top.

1. Sherry Chock Wong pairs her tank top with a Shanghai Tang patchwork silk skirt, cropped jeans vest and necklace by Darlene Mandel.

2. Heather Meulemans, bottom left, harkens back to the feminine '50s with a gingham skirt she designed, made and hand-embroidered.

3. Whenever she gets a break from the courtroom, Leilani Tan Ching, often turns all-American girl. She loves her white tank top with preppy black shorts and a jeans jacket.

4. Audrey Hoo exemplifies urban chic in her pinstripe pants and belt with chains.

5. Melissa May is feminine and flirty, layering hers over a blue bra, adding a bias-cut stretchy striped skirt, white wedge ankle-strap sandals and a lapis-lazuli pendant.

A white tank top is a classic summer staple. It can be worn layered or alone for a look that's cool and casual.

This year, there's a new take on the white tank top: Designers and retailers are layering it with other tanks and camisoles of many colors.

Something else new and fresh about the tank top: The ribbed, round-necked "boy beater" style is being replaced with a more feminine version. "There's lots of lingerie detailing with lace at the neckline. The tank top is almost morphing into a camisole," explained Lucy Chelini, merchandise manager at Neiman Marcus.

Spaghetti straps and boat necks on tank tops are de rigeur in the summer of 2004.

Fit is snug and bodices are getting longer than the past few years as tummies go back into hiding.

How a tank top is worn this summer is also new and fresh. On the runway at Neiman Marcus, they were accessorized with clusters of bright silk flower pins at the shoulder. To add a little Island style, why not wear made-in-Hawai'i silk flowers by Fighting Eel, the design duo of Rona Awber and Lan Chung, whose clip-on sparkly orchids, pretty poppies and sexy roses sell for $20 at Pink C?

How to tell if it will hold up in the wash? Chelini said high-quality tops will be 100 percent cotton fabric, ideally Pima cotton, with ribbed binding around the neck and armholes, and cover stitches on all the edges (so many stitches per inch that they cover the entire raw edge, leaving no loose fibers and enabling an easy stretch).

When you've finally found the perfect white tank top, it's wise to treat it like lingerie: Wash it by hand in cold water and lay it flat to dry.

We sent our fashion forum members in search of the perfect white tank top. Here's what they found.

Leilani Tan Ching
Attorney, Honolulu

  • Where I found it: www.shopbop.com.
  • Label: James Perse full back tank.
  • Fabric and care instructions: 95 percent rayon, 5 percent Lycra, hand or machine wash.
  • Neck line: Scoop.
  • Body fit: Fitted.
  • Length: Hip length.
  • Comments: This tank fit perfectly the moment I put it on. Better yet, it has retained its shape and fit even through tons of washing! My biggest challenge is finding a tank top with wide enough shoulder straps, combined with enough length to accommodate my long torso. The best thing is the material — it is baby-blanket-soft and the ribbed material is flattering to the body.
  • I also looked at: shirts everywhere, from Neiman Marcus to The Gap.
  • Cost: $33.

Audrey Hoo
Kahala, Clinical Therapist/University of Hawai'i-Manoa lecturer

  • Where I found it: Ohelo Road, Kahala Mall.
  • Label: Michael Stars.
  • Fabric and care instructions: 100 percent cotton. Machine wash cold, tumble-dry low.
  • Neck line: Medium scoop.
  • Body fit: Ribbed fabric flatters with body-skimming fit.
  • Length: Long enough to tuck in or leave out.
  • Comments: Incredibly soft and comfortable (it will soon become your tank of choice). Straps are wide enough to hide bra straps if you choose not to wear a strapless or racerback.
  • I also looked at: The Gap (didn't have ribbed styles), Pink C (all had embellishment or logos), Shasa Emporium (few styles) and Wet Seal (fabric was not as soft as I would like, and straps were uneven).
  • Cost: $29.

Melissa May
Makiki Heights, environmental consultant

  • Where I found it: White House/Black Market.
  • Label: White House/Black Market brand.
  • Fabric and care instructions: 100 percent nylon, machine wash cold, tumble-dry low.
  • Neck line: Low, wide scoop neck, slightly higher in the back.
  • Body fit: Slim but not too clingy.
  • Length: Around top of hipbones.
  • Comments: I looked for a low and wide neckline, unribbed, preferably wearable with no bra; a built-in shelf bra is OK but it can't show through. I wanted a slim fit that won't stretch out during the day but not so clingy that you can see my belly button. I found it!
  • I also looked at: Abercrombie & Fitch (too flimsy, transparent and unflattering), GUESS (too expensive and either unfeminine or too clingy), Bebe (all had logos), Macy's (saw a few really good ones here).
  • Cost: $18

Heather Meulemans
Manoa, freelance writer

  • Where I found it: Old Navy, Ala Moana Center.
  • Fabric and care instructions: 95 percent cotton, 5 percent Spandex, machine wash cold, tumble-dry low.
  • Neck line: Scoop.
  • Body fit: Snug.
  • Length: Comes to the top of my hips — just perfect. I can't do the tummy-baring thing — my tummy is so pale I will blind people.
  • Comments: Get this — it has a built-in bra and it works. Mind you, I have had bad experiences with a built-in bra, but I guess Old Navy hired someone from NASA or something 'cause now my bosoms are defying gravity.
  • I also looked at: Sears.
  • Cost: $12 each or two for $20.

Sherry Chock Wong
Kaimuki, actress/singer

  • Where I found it: Forever 21, Pearlridge.
  • Fabric and care instructions: 100 percent cotton rib knit.
  • Neck line: High "U" shape with armholes slightly cut in at the back like a boy-beater.
  • Body fit: Close to the body but not tight.
  • Length: Hits below the hipbone.
  • Comments: It fits well and
  • love it, but I may end up customizing it at some point in time.
  • I also looked at: Wet Seal, American Eagle Outfitters, Neiman Marcus, Rafael, The Gap and Victoria's Secret. There were lots of great tank tops out there, but I couldn't beat the price at Forever 21.
  • Cost: $5.80.

Reach Paula Rath at 525-5464 or prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.

• • •

Tank top tips

Here are a few ways to make the most of your white tank top:

  • Layer it with one or two other brightly colored tank tops, scrunching up the hems so you can see a little of each peeking out.
  • On the Neiman Marcus runway, a white tank looked fresh with a silk flower pinned to the shoulder. A cluster of blooms was even prettier.
  • Pair it with a feminine floral skirt. Add a green neck scarf for balance and pizzazz.
  • Wear it under a denim jacket with a floral skirt.
  • Tuck it into khaki cropped pants and add a striped preppy fabric belt or a sash.
  • "A white tank top with white Capris can take you from day to evening in a snap," said Lucy Chelini, merchandise manager for Neiman Marcus here.
  • Let an opaque-colored or sparkly bra peek out from under it. Add a studded mini-skirt.
  • Wear it with a circle skirt and embroidered espadrilles. Accessorize with strings of multicolored beads.

Details to watch for

  • If you don't want to wear a strapless bra or racerback, make sure the straps of the tank cover your bra straps.
  • Ensure no lumps or bumps are showing above or below your underwear.
  • How sheer is it? Check to make sure the sheerness is in sync with your comfort level.