Undershirts may not be very obvious or easily noticeable by other people when you wear them but they usually play a very important role in making you feel comfortable and in some cases enhancing your privacy.
What is Undershirts
Undershirts are considered apparel that is worn beneath your clothes before dressing up. An undershirt for men is a fashion choice that is becoming increasingly popular. Some of the clothes commonly used for undershirts for men include t-shirts (V-necks, Crewneck) and tank tops. These undershirts are typically designed to be fitted to your body so that you can feel comfortable when wearing them without being obvious that you are wearing them.
Why You Need to Wear Undershirts
Why do guys wear undershirts under dress shirts and other garments? There are several benefits to wearing undershirts and there are several reasons why you should be wearing them if you are wondering “Should I wear an undershirt?” Some of these reasons include:
1. Privacy: One of the very important things that undershirts help you to with is to enhance your privacy and give you more confidence in your dressing. Have you ever been in an awkward situation where you are wearing a shirt with a thin or light material and your nipples can be seen trying to protrude from your shirt? An undershirt will help you to prevent this kind of situation by serving as a layer between your body and your shirt.
2. Coverage: This is almost like the first reason (privacy) but a little bit different. If you have ever worn any shirt made from light or see-through material, then you will understand wearing a shirt like that without an undershirt can make you feel very exposed. Undershirts can make you feel more comfortable wearing shirts like these (see-through shirts) because you will be confident that your body is not exposed and you are fully covered.
3. Prevents staining of your clothes with sweat: Another important benefit of wearing an undershirt is that it helps to absorb your sweat which prevents your shirt from getting soaked with sweat. This is very important for guys who sweat profusely most of the time (have you seen people who sweat naturally even in cool environments?). Also, remember those awful-looking underarm stains on your shirt? Wearing an undershirt most of the time will help prevent this kind of situation. The undershirt will absorb most of the sweat and prevent it from staining your shirt.
4. Keeps you warm: Underarm shirts also increase the layers of clothing on your body and can be very useful in keeping you warm on a cold day or in a cold environment. It increases the thickness of the covering around your body which reduces the rate at which you lose heat from your body. This helps in keeping you warm on those cold days.
5. Comfort: Generally, undershirts make you feel very comfortable in your shirt or outfit in several ways. All the different things that undershirts help you with all contribute to improving your level of comfort. Your comfort is very important in helping you to concentrate on the things that you are doing without any distractions or disturbances.
What Color of Undershirt to Wear
Most people essentially wear either light-colored undershirts like white or cream colors or dark-colored undershirts like black or brown. The good thing is that most brands of undershirts come in various colors both light and dark colors and you can always find your preferred color.
A number of factors often determine the color of undershirts to wear and the most important factors include:
1. Color of shirt: If you are wearing a light-colored shirt, you may not want your undershirt to become conspicuous especially if you are wearing a shirt that has a thin material or see-through texture. In this case, you may want to wear an undershirt that has a similar tone to your skin or the color of your shirt so that there will be no visible color contrast between the undershirt and the shirt.
2. Type of activity you are doing: it is preferable to wear dark-colored undershirt like black color if you will be doing work or any physical activity that will make you sweat profusely. If you are also working in a harsh environment where dust, fumes, etc. are common, it may not be nice to wear light-colored undershirts like the white color. This will make the dirt or sweat on your undershirt become easily noticeable and may cause stubborn stains that make it more difficult to wash out completely.
V-Neck or Crew Neck Undershirt – Which One is Better
Another big challenge that most people often have with wearing undershirts is deciding between v-neck undershirts vs crewneck undershirts. There is nothing special between v-neck and crew neck undershirts.
Some people don’t mind their undershirt showing around the collar area and this is okay especially if you are dressing in a casual outfit. A crewneck undershirt will be a good option if you are one of these people.
Other people do not like their undershirt to show around the collar area. They want it to be hidden completely under their shirt and often prefer their chest to show instead. A v-neck undershirt will be a good option for you if you are one of these people.
T-Shirt Vs Tank Top Undershirt
Another issue with undershirts that often gets people confused about what to do is deciding the best undershirt to wear between t-shirt (crewnecks and v-necks) and tank tops. Again, there are no hard and fast rules about this, it depends to a large extent on your preferences and certain situations.
For instance, if you are a person that perspires (sweats) profusely, you may want to avoid wearing a tank top for undershirt because tank tops may not be able to absorb the sweat from your armpit which may cause your shirt to get soaked with sweat around your underarms. This can make you feel very uncomfortable especially if you are not wearing a jacket.
However, you can generally wear tank tops as undergarments if you won’t be doing any activity that will make you sweat profusely and if you feel comfortable wearing it under your shirt. Just know that sometimes, the outline of the tank top can become very obvious if you are wearing a shirt that is not very thick to conceal this or if you are not putting on a jacket.
Why wear a tank top undershirt? Wearing a t-shirt as an undershirt may not be the best option if you are wearing a casual outfit like a t-shirt with denim or t-shirt with shorts. A tank top may be the best undershirt in this situation.
Different Types of Undershirts
There are basically two types of undershirts: T-shirts and tank tops (vests).
T-shirt undershirts are commonly available in two variants: v-necks and crew necks.
These undershirts are usually made from materials that have moisture-wicking properties or moisture absorbing properties. Some of the common examples include cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester and other materials.
Cotton vs Polyester Undershirts
Sometimes people are often caught between these two choices of fabric for men’s undershirt. Some people prefer cotton undershirts and some people prefer polyester undershirts. So what is the difference between them especially if you don’t know anything about fabrics?
Cotton fabric is typically used because of its softness and the ability to blend the material with other materials like spandex to produce new or hybrid materials properties that improve the benefits of wearing undershirts. For instance, cotton can be mixed with spandex to produce a variant material that is ultra-breathable with great moisture-wicking properties.
Polyester fabric is known to be resistant to shrinking and wrinkles but it is less absorbent than cotton fabric. This means it is less likely to absorb stains. This means that polyester undershirts may be a good option for you if you are less likely to sweat a lot and you don’t like ironing your undershirts.
On the flip side, polyester undershirts may also be a good option if you engage in physical activity like sports and sweat a lot because it’s lower absorbency means your sweat can dry out faster and produce a cooling effect that your body needs during intense physical activity.
Both cotton and polyester undershirts are good but if you want to have the best of both of them it is better to choose undershirts made from materials that are 50% cotton and 50% polyester.
How to Care for White Undershirts
1. Use deodorant to prevent brown staining of your white undershirts especially if you sweat a lot.
2. Do not wash white undershirts with other clothes that may color bleed and stain your white undershirts. It is always preferable to wash them separately and use laundry bleach them if needed.
3. Get Undershirts that are made from materials that don’t shrink after washing. This will help you to get the most value out of your undershirts.
4. Do not wear white undershirts repeatedly before washing them. Always wash them after each time you wear them before wearing them again. This will help prevent permanent stains from developing especially under the armpits and around the collar areas.
5. In addition to all these care tips, always try to follow the fabric care instructions on the labels of the undershirts.
Undershirt FAQs
How Many Undershirts Should I Have?
You should have as many undershirts that will allow you to wear one per day without having to repeat wearing any one of them at least within a week. Fortunately, the best undershirts are reasonably priced and very affordable.
Can You Bleach Undershirts?
Yes, you can bleach white undershirts when washing them to remove the stubborn stains that won’t go away with normal washing alone. These stains are usually common in areas like the underarms and around the inner lining of the collar.
Can You Iron Undershirts?
This depends on individual preference but there is nothing preventing you from ironing your undershirts if you want to. It is important to look at the care instruction label of the undershirt to see the appropriate level of heat for that material when ironing it. Some materials may make the undershirt rumpled after washing, while other material may not necessarily need ironing after washing.
