 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007) |
A tube top (British: boob tube) is a shoulderless, sleeveless "tube" that wraps the torso. Such a top is generally very tight over the breasts in order to prevent the garment from falling. This is usually achieved with elastic bands at the top and bottom of the garment.
A similar version is one model of the halter top, which is a tube top that uses a single strap that passes round the back of the neck and has both ends attached to the front of the tube.
The garment was invented by American World War II veteran Murray Kleid, owner of S & M Fringing Inc. S & M Fringing (named for Sol Makowsky & Murray Kleid) was the largest women's accessories manufacturing company throughout NYC's garment district, an area of Manhattan in which Murray was very well known with a strong hold against any competition. This area of Manhattan was possibly the largest of areas in all of NYC overrun with organized crime. The first tube top was actually a "mistake" but Mr. Kleid saw the potential and "went with it". It reached a high level of popularity in the late 1970s. It vanished from the scene during the early- and mid-1990s, but later made a major reappearance in the wardrobes of American teenage girls and young American women especially college-age women, after 2000, and various versions of the style have been popular ever since then.
Third wave ska band Reel Big Fish released a song entitled "Ban the Tube Top" in which they bemoaned the style.
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tube tops |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
