Depending on the style, they can be worn as undershirts, by athletes in sports such as track and field and triathlon, or as casual wear by both men and women.

The tank top designed for a tight fit and often made of ribbed cotton is also colloquially called an A-shirt.

A popular claim regarding the origin of the term "wifebeater" is that it became synonymous with an undershirt after a Detroit man was reportedly arrested in 1947 for beating his wife to death.

[8] Davidson openly admitted in 2018 that the "waif-beater" story was a hoax, created to trick people who believed unquestioningly anything they read on the Internet.

Tank tops are often worn alone under very casual settings, as lounge wear, and/or while completing yard work or other chores around the home.

A camisole, also abbreviated to simply cami, is a sleeveless shirt worn traditionally by women, normally extending to the waist.

[12] In modern usage, a camisole or cami is a loose-fitting[13][14][15] sleeveless undershirt which covers the top part of the body but is shorter than a chemise.

Camisoles are manufactured from light materials,[16] commonly cotton-based, occasionally satin or silk, or stretch fabrics such as lycra, nylon, or spandex.

Beginning around the year 2000, Western and Chinese fashion has also begun incorporating them as a sleeveless and backless shirt for women.