A male white ribbed tank top which has been around since the early 1900'
s and was very
popular as an undergarment before the t-shirt came into common usage.
The shirt acquired the nickname "Wife Beater" in the
late 1980's due to the popularity of
police reality shows like "Cops" where it seemed like a disproportionately high number of
men who were arrested for episodes of domestic violence, as well as other crimes, were wearing a shirt like this.
The main reasons why this garment seem to be favored by
men like this are:
1. It's cheap. Many
men in this demographic tend to not have a lot of disposable income and, because of the low amount of material that is used to create the shirt, they can be bought in large quantity for very little
money.
2. It's good to wear on hot days. Again, because of lack of income, many of the
men seen in shows like "Cops" live in unairconditioned homes or trailers which can become extremely hot in warm weather. The design and thinness of the material in the shirt makes it a good option to try and get some relief from the oppressive heat.