The Poetist

I rarely advocate the buying of any particular item in multiple colors, unless it’s my favorite pens (RSVP and Gelly Roll), or ribbed tank tops. Ribbed tank tops are a truly foundational garment. They’re an easy under-layer to wear in climates where layers matter. They instantly add texture and a pop of color to something basic, and they can be an open canvas to showcase a necklace or serve as the foil for a great cardigan. I even wear cheap men’s wife-beaters as pajamas. Another great thing about ribbed tank tops is that they’re so easy to buy. Once you figure out your size, the only variable is color. The fit is generally consistent among brands, and they’re trend-resistant. Ribbed tank tops are often on sale, so I only buy them when they’re on sale, and I rarely buy one at a time. For a while I was buying ribbed tanks from J. Crew when they were on sale for $10, and I very recently discovered great BCBG Max Azria tanks now on sale for about $12.50.

My first photo-tribute to ribbed tanks tops took place in Tokyo, and was actually a joint tribute to ribbed tank tops and magazines (and in a way, Tower Records):

Unfortunately I don’t have the full-size photos on my mac, but the magazines featured are Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, Surface, Vanity Fair, InStyle, and Vogue Special Collections. I guess at this point I was only wearing 5 ribbed tank tops, but I was obsessed with them nonetheless. The green one has fallen by the wayside, but the rest of them are still in rotation. In the next series of photos are all the ones I own and wear now. My collection has grown from 5 to 12.

note: i found the song “Black and Gold” by Sam Sparro very inspirational while composing this project tonight. The background is a print of a painting by Diego Rivera done in 1941.