Halterneck

Various styles of halterneck attire.

Halterneck is a style of women's clothing strap that runs from the front of the garment around the back of the neck, and leaving most of the back uncovered.^[1] The name comes from livestock halters.^[2]

The halter style is used with swimsuits, to maximize sun tan exposure on the back and minimize tan lines. It is also used with dresses or shirts, to create a backless dress^[3] or top. The neck strap can itself be covered by the wearer's hair, leaving the impression from behind that nothing is holding the dress or shirt up.

If a bra is worn with a halter top, it is generally either strapless or of halterneck construction itself, so as to avoid exposing the back straps of a typical bra.

A halter top is a type of sleeveless shirt similar to a tank top (by the American English definition) but with the straps being tied behind the neck. In another style of the halter top, there is only a narrow strap behind the neck and a narrow strap behind the middle of the back, so that it is mostly backless. This design resembles many bikini tops, although it covers the chest more and may cover some or all of the abdomen at the front.

A halterneck gown from 1949, photographed by Toni Frissell

See also

Look up Halter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Décolletage
• Spaghetti strap
• Dudou and Yếm, traditional East Asian undershirts incorporating a halterneck

References