It's ridiculous to be confused about men's undershirts. Help?

Perks · Jul 8, 2016

I grew up in a nearly entirely female environment. So, a question's come up about something someone else wrote and now I'm confused about the prevalence of men's undershirts. Is it a simple preference? Is it generational? Cultural? Is it about what sort of shirt you're wearing?

Underneath sweaters make sense if they're itchy, I guess. or if it's cold. But...

Hmmmm.

I'm making poll. Check all that apply.

cray · Jul 8, 2016

Perks, you dummy, I'm ______cray___________ and I never wear an undershirt.

Chris P · Jul 8, 2016

I think it's generational (the oldsters do it) and cultural (pretty common in Africa and I see a lot of East Asians, Indians and Mideasterners wearing them).

I only do when imw wearing a light (and see through) dress shirt. Otherwise I find them too hot and constricting.

Perks · Jul 8, 2016

Chris P said:
I think it's generational (the oldsters do it) and cultural (pretty common in Africa and I see a lot of East Asians, Indians and Mideasterners wearing them).

I only do when imw wearing a light (and see through) dress shirt. Otherwise I find them too hot and constricting.

My husband is 44, white from Maryland, and almost always wears one. This ridiculous conversation got started when a group of us realized that everyone thought that everyone else did it the way they did.

mirandashell · Jul 8, 2016

Most men I know where a t-shirt under a shirt but they are all well over 30. I don't know what teenagers do.

morngnstar · Jul 8, 2016

I suspect it's generational, and came from generations where it was more difficult to wash dress shirts. I'm not sure why. They were dry-clean only, or needed to be pressed after every washing. So you would wear a shirt multiple times between washes, with a fresh undershirt each time. Nowadays I just wear my shirts once, toss 'em in the laundry, and they come out nice and un-wrinkly because of 21st-century magic fabric or something.

I took your question not to include wearing an unbuttoned button-up shirt with a T-shirt under it ala grunge style.

juniper · Jul 8, 2016

My husband is white, 50+ and almost never wears one. Can't remember if I've ever seen him wearing one, actually.

He grew up in New England, moved to southern California in his mid 30s, and we now live in Oregon.

Around here a few men wear them - can't remember age/race occurrence - but mostly not.

Just don't call them "wife beaters." I totally flipped out when a stepson called them that when he was a young teen. I think that only applies to the tank-top style, with no sleeves. And I wrote a letter to the editor about it when a fashion article in the local paper in California referred to them as that. The article was written by a young woman. I was appalled.

Maze Runner · Jul 8, 2016

I'm in the 30 - 50 group and I never wear a T shirt under a dress shirt. But I sleep in a white V neck T shirt every night. I can't stand anything around my neck, so if I happen to have a T shirt that's not a V neck, I take a pair of scissors to it and make it a V neck.

One thing I'd like to know is what is the best brand or material for T shirts. I know I have some that shrink and lose their shape after the first washing. And then, some of them I've had for years. They never shrink or lose their shape, and are only no longer useful when they're in shreds.

ETA: And no, I'd never call you a dummy because I know you're smarter than I am. But don't let it go to your head, because most people are.

Myrealana · Jul 8, 2016

My husband is 46, Native American, from the western US (New Mexico, California and Colorado) and wears an undershirt with dress shirts/buttondowns, but not with polos or other shirts such as T-shirts and sweatshirts.
My father is 68, white, from Colorado and wears an undershirt with everything.
My kids are 21 and 13, white, from Colorado and have to be tackled and hog-tied to get them to wear an undershirt, even with a tuxedo, unless they're trying to wear it as their only shirt.

ap123 · Jul 8, 2016

Husband, over 50, always wears an undershirt under a dress shirt or any button down or collared shirt.

Son1, 23, always wears an undershirt under dress shirts, often under any button down.

Son2, 18, often wears an undershirt under dress shirts.

I think it's for sweat, so they're less likely to be sheer/develop those stains.

Chris P · Jul 8, 2016

Perks said:
My husband is 44, white from Maryland, and almost always wears one. This ridiculous conversation got started when a group of us realized that everyone thought that everyone else did it the way they did.

Lol. I guess I thought so too.

Perks · Jul 8, 2016

So I just asked my daughter's boyfriend who will be 18 in a few days and is Indian (Asian, not Native American.) He wears an undershirt always under a collared shirt and says virtually all Indians do, as do the rest of his peers - Southern teens, middle class - somewhat diverse, but mostly white.

He says that collared shirts without an undershirt are broadcasting macho-ness and are inviting derision.

This is a funny info-gathering.

Loverofwords · Jul 8, 2016

I don't think it's all that generational because in my high school most of us boys wear undershirts. Then again, we wear polos...

Haggis · Jul 8, 2016

I'm over thirty. Okay, I'm way over thirty. Okay, dammit, I'm over sixty. If, and only if I'm wearing a dress shirt will I wear an undershirt. On the other hand, I seldom wear pants.

Silva · Jul 8, 2016

Ha. I am reminded that my husband, who is under thirty and grew up in a very religious family, would wear an undershirt (or just any unisex/men's casual t-shirt) under literally everything, even in the summer, for modesty reasons. (And they were also likely to be two sizes too large for him.)

Now he just wears an undershirt under dress shirts and uniform shirts, I think.

My dad's "uniform" is a plain cotton t-shirt, with a casual or formal button-up over it if it's cold or he's at work, respectively. He's over fifty.

Maze Runner · Jul 8, 2016

Perks said:
He says that collared shirts without an undershirt are broadcasting macho-ness and are inviting derision.

This is a funny info-gathering.

What's wrong with a little derision, I'd like to know.

For me, anyway, it's all about comfort. Someone upthread mentioned ruining dress shirts with perspiration, and that can be a thing, but it's worth it. I can't stand the feel of them under a dress shirt.

Full disclosure, I rarely wear a dress shirt anymore. I'm at work right now, it's hot out, it's summmmmer time, and I have on a pair of jeans and a green V neck T shirt. I used to be a good dresser. Something happened. What happened? Oh, yeah, I just don't give a damn.

Perks · Jul 8, 2016

Oh, I didn't say I felt that way.

That was the opinion of a college-bound teenager.

Maze Runner · Jul 8, 2016

Perks said:
Oh, I didn't say I felt that way. That was the opinion of a college-bound teenager.

Oh, no, I know.

Perks · Jul 8, 2016

juniper said:
I think that only applies to the tank-top style, with no sleeves.

A truly bewildering item of clothing. What are they for? (And, like juni said, don't say for wife-beating.)

Xelebes · Jul 8, 2016

If I wear a button-up shirt, especially a dress shirt, I will wear an undershirt. The climate in Edmonton is usually amenable to such dressing except perhaps the long warm days of June and July. In which case, the undershirt doe the job it is intended to do: preventing sweat from soaking the shirt.

AW Admin · Jul 8, 2016

Ask about singlets. Go on, I dare you!

Maze Runner · Jul 8, 2016

It is kind of funny though, to me. That it would be seen by anyone as making a statement. But I think that's part of youth. You get old, hahaha, I think comfort becomes e-very-thing.

Xelebes · Jul 8, 2016

Xelebes said:
If I wear a button-up shirt, especially a dress shirt, I will wear an undershirt. The climate in Edmonton is usually amenable to such dressing except perhaps the long warm days of June and July. In which case, the undershirt doe the job it is intended to do: preventing sweat from soaking the shirt.

Oh, and I always wear a golf-shirt underneath the hoodie. The hoodie never goes unaccompanied.

Maze Runner · Jul 8, 2016

AW Admin said:
Ask about singlets. Go on, I dare you!

Ha, had to google. Now that's a statement. Unbelievable.

Chase · Jul 8, 2016

Perks, you sweetie, I'm seventy-five, and I always wear an undershirt beneath casual or dress shirts.
In the army, it was regulation, plus a buffer for heavily-starched uniform shirts. In civilian life, it's habit and convenient for changing shirts, washing up, etc.

It's ridiculous to be confused about men's undershirts. Help?

Who wears what and when?

I am under 30 years old and I always wear a t-shirt under a collared shirt (dress, buttondown, or go

I am under 30 years old and I only wear a t-shirt under a dress shirt

I am under 30 years old and I rarely wear a t-shirt under any other shirt

I am 30 -50 years old and I always wear a t-shirt under a collared shirt (dress, buttondown, or golf

I am 30 - 50 years old and I only wear a t-shirt under a dress shirt

I am 30 - 50 years old and I rarely wear a t-shirt under any other shirt

I am over 50 years old and I always wear a t-shirt under a collared shirt (dress, buttondown, or gol

I am over 50 years old and I only wear a t-shirt under a dress shirt

I am over 50 years old and I rarely wear a t-shirt under any other shirt

Perks, you dummy, I'm ________________ and I always wear an undershirt. (Check, then fill in the bla

Perks, you dummy, I'm _________________ and I never wear an undershirt. (Check, then fill in the bla

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