What is a less controversial name for the clothing item known as a "wife-beater" in the United States?

Question

In the United States, a white sleeveless shirt is often referred to as a "wife-beater".

Typically I try to avoid using "wife-beater" due to its negative connotation. I've tried using a few different terms in the past, but each felt a bit too broad or generalized.

• Tank Top: Can refer to formal outfits, causal clothing, or bathing suits. Comes in a variety different designs, materials, and colors.
• Singlets: This term is most commonly used in Australia. In the U.S., I've typically heard it used when referring to one-piece spandex wrestling outfits.
• Sleeveless Shirt: Describes literally any shirt without sleeves.
• Undershirt: Available as sleeved or sleeveless shirts for both men and women. Typically the most common alternative I've heard.

Is there a more appropriate term I can use in place of wifebeater here in the United States?

^{Note: This question is asking what alternative terminology can be used when referring to a "wife-beater". This question is not asking why the term is used or where it originated from. For that, see: What's the origin of "wife-beater" when used as a sleeveless shirt and why is it not frowned upon?}

---

For those interested in how region affects the local terminology, I've included a Google Trends comparison for "undershirt, wife beater, singlets, and sleeveless shirt" below.

Answer 1

The shirt in the OP is not the best example of what people, at least originally, meant by "wifebeater".

Instead, "wifebeater" meant a finely ribbed, thin fabric, white, A-shirt, sold in multipacks as a men's undershirt like this.

For higher quality shirts like in the OP, say "tank top".

For a true "wifebeater" shirt, say "sleeveless undershirt". By "true" I mean:

See the 1998 article Teen Slang for Undershirts ("Wife-beaters") Causes Stir:

A "wife-beater"...is an old fashion, sleeveless undershirt... The "wife-beater" shirt isn't some nouveau tank top. It's the ribbed undershirt once worn only by granddads and Stanley Kowalski in A Street Car Named Desire

Answer 2

I've always heard them referred to as tank tops, or tanks.

Wife-beater may be regional slang; I never heard the term used while growing up in California.

Answer 3

I've always referred (and heard and read others referring) to them as A-shirts (as opposed to T-shirts). They're sold as A-shirts, too.

Answer 4

Clearly it's a Semmit (if you're Scottish)

Dictionary of the Scots Language:

SEMMIT, n. Also sem(m)et, se(a)mit, semmad (Cai.). A man's (or ‡woman's) undershirt or vest, usu. of wool or flannel

[Orig. doubtful. Phs. orig. the same word as Eng. samite, a fine silk cloth, or a garment of the same, phs. worn as an undergarment and thence extended in meaning to any garment worn next to the skin, but the semantic development is not clear. O.Sc. has semat, of a Roman tunic, 1456. Semmet is found as a form of samite in 18th c. Sc. (see A. H. Dunlop Anent Old Edb. (1890) 38.)]

OED:

Semmit, n. Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈsɛmɪt/, U.S. /ˈsɛmət/, Scottish /ˈsɛmɪt/ Forms: ME semat, 15 semitte, 18 semmit, semmet.

Sc. An under-shirt or vest.

Answer 5

These were undershirts. Not just sleeveless but no shoulders either. T-shirts were also used as undershirts but carried their own specific name.

Answer 6

I would call it an undershirt, or a sleeveless undershirt if I needed to distinguish it from a regular undershirt. I too have mostly only heard of it as a "wife-beater" as well (I understand that's regional; east coast USA here) but I agree with you that that's a terrible term, both making light of violence against women and, I assume, a mockery of poor people known for stereotypically wearing it. Also, it's definitely a tank-top, although I agree that "tank-top" is a broader category that doesn't specifically define it.

Answer 7

"Tank-style undershirt" seems to work pretty well. Not only does it bring up the right images on google, but auto-complete even knew where I was going before I'd finished typing "under".

Answer 8

[…] stupid-looking, white sort of male person's conservative kind of middle-of-the-road cotton undergarment

As said by songwriter and musician Frank Zappa in the song Wet T-Shirt Nite (at 24:13) on the 1979 album Joe's Garage.