If you own what is officially known as an A-shirt or an A-style tank top, you probably call it by a different name. This type of shirt is much more commonly referred to as a wife beater shirt, a wife beater tank top, or simply a wife beater. While today that term may be politically incorrect, there is a very interesting history behind the naming of this shirt. Here, we will discuss why it is called a wife beater and how it has evolved as a fashion garment over the years.