This Carrie Bradshaw-Approved Summer Wardrobe Staple Is Taking Over TikTok

Behold, the humble tube top. At first, it looks like a simple square: strapless, shapeless, nothing special. But once worn, the tube top transforms into something a little sexy, a little retro, and totally cool, making it the centerpiece of the summer’s best outfit. 

Yes, the tube top is back again, which comes as a total non-surprise given the obsession for all things ‘90s and 2000s. The tube top was an integral foundation piece for those trending decades, and its 2020s resurgence has been a lot of fun to watch, even if you wore them the first, second, or fifteenth time around. (Um, guilty.)

Behind the Trend

You see, tube tops never really die. No matter the decade, you can pretty much always find a stretchy strapless top on the racks somewhere, though the piece has gone through many iterations since it was first popularized as beachwear in the 1950s: roller skating disco glam in the ‘70s, bubblegum-pop star in the ‘90s, clubwear in the 2000s. Designers like Elie Tahari popularized the tube top for the high fashion set in the ‘70s, and you were just as likely to see one at the beach as you were at Studio 54.

The tube top is like the Madonna of wardrobe workhorses: It changes over the decades, but regardless of the year or the trend cycle, it’s always amazing and timeless.

Tube tops can be worn bandeau-style, leaving most of your midriff bare a la the Y2K era, or hip-length for a sleeker silhouette. Basically, every famous person has worn a tube top at some point, like Britney Spears in her pink-and-white performance outfit, Destiny’s Child in matching patterns, or Jennifer Aniston in a black handkerchief hem tube. 

Most recently, Old Navy’s $15 cropped tube went viral on TikTok, helping to reignite the power of the trend, and it comes in a variety of colors and patterns and also in tall and plus sizes. Even Everlane sells tube tops, proving that the simple strapless garment has staying power.

How to Wear It

Tube tops can be worn with anything and everything in your closet: Mom jeans, boho skirts, cargo capris, you name it. It has echoes of rom-comcore but can also veer minimalist when paired with tailored trousers or a structured skirt. You can layer it, pile on the necklaces, or let a cute bra peek over the top. It can be sporty, sophisticated, funky, literally whatever! 

Tube tops encourage you to have fun with your outfit and not take things too seriously. Plus, they’re typically pretty affordable, so if you find the trend isn’t your thing, you’re not out a ton of cash. Hill House sells the Scallop Lace June Nap Top ($125) for those of us who can’t let cottage- and coquette-core go, while this Cotton Tube Top ($8) from Victoria's Secret Pink is an easy way to add an element of Barbiecore into your summer outfits. 

For more tube inspo, turn on a rerun of Sex and the City. Noted fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw was a tube top girl of the highest order, wearing them in her off hours with dolphin hem shorts and flip-flops, airy cargo pants with ‘70s-inspired throwback outfits. (We already raided Carrie’s closet for her ultimate summer ensemble of a flowy top and gym shorts, so why not channel her in a tube-centric ‘fit?) 

If you prefer a dress over separates, try a sleek and slinky tube dress like the iconic style from Wolford or the Skims version—just think of it as an extra-long tube top and style it as such. 

Oh, and if you’re worried about the tube top falling down throughout the day? True to fashion, TikTok has your back with hacks and product recommendations to keep your top in place and avoid any accidental flashing—the one potential drawback of living the tube life. A strapless summer can be yours!