It’s officially September now, which means it’s time to reflect on how we spent the dog days of summer. Did you have a good summer? Did you make boozy popsicles? Did you smile broadly while wearing a sunhat the size of a Mini Cooper? If so, good work! Want to know what I did this summer? I saw a lot of men wearing tank tops and I had complicated feelings about it.
Seriously though, I think 2012 will go down in history as the Summer Of Men’s Tank Tops (SOMTT for short). I mean, men have always worn tank tops, but this year the trend really caught on, and suddenly sleeveless shirts became a totally legitimate clothing option for regular dudes, not just mega hipsters and Nickelback fans…
I asked the rest of the Frisky ladies to vote “yay” or “nay” on the men’s tank top trend and it was a perfectly even split:
Amelia: “Yay, but this is related to the fact that I’m from California and also explains why I like guys in flip-flops and baja hoodies.”
Jessica: “Yay, especially if he is moving my couch up five flights of stairs.”
Ami: “Nay. I’d rather not look at a man’s armpit hair unless we are naked together.”
Julie: “Nay. Unless he has the most amazing arms in the world, he’s probably going to look pretty dumb.”
And then there’s me, perpetually conflicted. I realize it’s a look that can easily go so, so wrong, but I don’t want to brush it off completely because I’ve seen a fair number of guys who looked super cute–sexy, even!–in their sleeveless styles. What do you think of men’s tank tops? Love ‘em? Hate ‘em? Hate ‘em except in the case of Ryan Gosling? Please share your thoughts and emotions in the comments!