Uber Tube

The tube top has made a comeback and it’s safe to say it looks much better now than it did in its spandex past life 30 years ago. Juicy Couture is one of the clothing brands that has given the tube top some dignity through a reinvented, classically-styled update. Their terrycloth-gathered tube tops are perhaps the coolest reincarnation of this summer style.

Jessica Palmer, a bartender at Claddaugh Irish Pub and a music reviewer for Indianapolis Music.Net, got this trendy tube top look very right at ‘8,’ a music and arts fund-raiser at the Circle 8 bar last Wednesday.

One reincarnation has swept the trends with a vengeance and that’s the tube top empire-waisted dress. Super versatile, an elasticized and smocked top gives way to a gathered long “skirt.” This baby doll look can be worn as is — as a waist- and hip-concealing sexy little dress or bikini cover-up, or as a flowy top with tall cuffed jeans and sandals for a night of play. These tops are popular because they are flattering to all shapes and sizes, providing full coverage while still exposing sun-kissed bare shoulders.

Jessica Palmer, a bartender at Claddaugh Irish Pub and a music reviewer for IndianapolisMusic.Net, got this trendy look very right at “8,” a music and arts fund-raiser at the Circle 8 bar last Wednesday, May 26, for United States of Mind — a 2004 NUVO Cultural Vision Award recipient. “8” pretty much proved that there is life beyond Pacers games, the American Idol finale (Fantasia rocks!) and pre-500 race activities.

Her bobbed haircut paired with the strapless top gave her already sexy appearance an extra feminine command. A great look for the hot months, Jessica looked like she had just stepped away from a glamorous seaside escape and not East Market Street. She kept the jewelry to a minimum, which only added to that certain sophistication. Half the battle with clothes is how you wear them, and she wore this popular look well.

Smock-topped tube tops riddle local boutiques, so they’re pretty easy to find in a variety of summer fabrics and colors. With window dressings on Broad Ripple Avenue in Cha-Cha and Slinky, you won’t have trouble finding one that suits your fancy. With Jessica as your fashion muse this week, go forth and brave the new tube top culture. This trend is hands-down better the second time around.

Visit unitedstatesofmind.org to make a contribution or call 423-0075 for more information. Visit IndianapolisMusic.net to read Jessica’s review of Blueprintmusic and performances at “8.”