S/O rewearing shirts--Undershirts yay or nay?

[Chris in VA]

Dd mentioned her surprise that dh doesn't wear undershirts at all. She said "everyone" wears an undershirt under a dress/business shirt (button down type I guess) so you can wear it a second time. Dh wears clergy shirts, but they are basically that style. 

It got me thinking; undershirts, when I was growing up, were not that common, at least I don't think so. My dad was in business and I don't remember him wearing them in, say, the 80's. We were in Florida for some of that time and it is really hot, so maybe that is why. 

Anyway, my first answer to her was "because he's not 80 years old!" but that is unfair. 

So, do the guys in your family wear undershirts? Is she right that it is still super-common?

[alisoncooks]

DH always wears an undershirt under a button down shirt. He's in his early 40s, if that matters. So does my dad (always has, and we live in a part of the country with hot humid summers).

[freesia]

Dh always does.  I don't remember if my dad did.

[Shellydon]

Yes. My father who is 75 in my husband who is 45 have worn under shirts underneath their business shirts always. So 50 years for my father and 25 years for my husband. Neither one rewear the button down shirt.  It is very rare that I see a man without an undershirt on underneath a button down. 

[Anne]

My father, who is 90, has never worn one that I’m aware of.  My dh, who is 68, always wears one.

Anne

 

[mmasc]

Short sleeve white tees (so, undershirts, not those sleeveless white tank things) under button downs here. Always. 

[catz]

Under dress shirts?  Absolutely.  Including the 19 year old without prompting (does music performance stuff).  

[MercyA]

I think button-down, dressy shirts look better and more professional with an undershirt under them. My dad often wore them. My husband does not. 

[Bambam]

My dad pretty much always wore one.

My dh does not. 

[WendyLady]

My 16 yo son requested undershirts for under button up shirts (he wears one to church each Sunday).  I hadn't thought about it, but my dh does always wear one, and I think it does look more professional.  Not sure about rewearing, though - probably depends on the person.

[MEmama]

DH wears one under work shirts. They tend to be thin for whatever reason so it’s kinda necessary (he rarely needs to wear a suit or sport coat).

[Islandgal]

Yes, undershirts are a must in this hot, humid weather. I almost wish they made them for women as well!😉

[Rachel]

My husband does, father does, grandfather does.  My FIL does not. I don’t think my brothers do unless they are dressed up. 
 

When I was a kid and we spent the night at our grandparents, we would often wear one of his undershirts as a nightgown. One of my favorite photos of him with me and my sister is him in an undershirt and jeans. 
 

I wonder if it’s more personal preference than age. 

[May]

DH, retired chaplain/pastor always wore undershirts. When he guest preaches, he still does.

[Chris in VA]

17 minutes ago, WendyLady said:

My 16 yo son requested undershirts for under button up shirts (he wears one to church each Sunday).  I hadn't thought about it, but my dh does always wear one, and I think it does look more professional.  Not sure about rewearing, though - probably depends on the person.

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down? I can't see the difference in my head 😊

[catz]

1 minute ago, Chris in VA said:

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down? I can't see the difference in my head 😊

Oh, I think it does.  Most dress shirts aren't that heavy.   I think it looks a little more finished and professional.  Not that I'm analyzing guys in dress shirts day to day.  More obvious in white/lighter color shirts.  

[alisoncooks]

32 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

It helps knock down any bodily characteristics for one- hairy chests, etc. 

Dh wears undershirts with all types of shirts- t-shirt and dress shirt. And it's not for rewearing dress shirts. 

My DH wears undershirts with tshirts, too. He says it's because he tucks in the undershirt but leaves the outer loose. Also, tees are so thin these days -- undershirts are kind of like spanx-lite for men, lol. (Only in the camouflaging of flaws, not compression...)

[Rachel]

33 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Also, light grey undershirts work really well under light dress shirts- better than white undershirts. Sort of how for women, nude colored undergarments don't show under clothing whereas white undergarments are like a neon sign saying HERE IS MY BRA. The grey undershirts hide, but accomplish the need. AND they don't get the yellow staining from deoderant that is such a PITA to get out of white undershirts either. 

Huh, I’m going to have to have my husband try some. 

[Ellie]

1 hour ago, Chris in VA said:

Dd mentioned her surprise that dh doesn't wear undershirts at all. She said "everyone" wears an undershirt under a dress/business shirt (button down type I guess) so you can wear it a second time. Dh wears clergy shirts, but they are basically that style. 

It got me thinking; undershirts, when I was growing up, were not that common, at least I don't think so. My dad was in business and I don't remember him wearing them in, say, the 80's. We were in Florida for some of that time and it is really hot, so maybe that is why. 

Anyway, my first answer to her was "because he's not 80 years old!" but that is unfair. 

So, do the guys in your family wear undershirts? Is she right that it is still super-common?

If it's a *shirt* that buttons down the front, you bet Mr. Ellie wears an undershirt.  He would never think about wearing a shirt without an undershirt.

[Chris in VA]

Well, that is very interesting. I don't think the practice was part of dh's family, either, or at least, it isn't part of dh's preference. It is just funny to me that somehow this information is new to us!

[katilac]

1 hour ago, Chris in VA said:

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down?  

Observers can't tell if the air conditioning is too cold for you. 

[WendyLady]

1 hour ago, Chris in VA said:

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down? I can't see the difference in my head 😊

This is just my observation - for my son, it makes the fabric of the button-up look more substantial.  So, like, he generally wears a white button-up to church with a tie.  They are not cheap shirts.  Without the undershirt it looks fine.  With the undershirt, you don't notice the undershirt - the button-up just looks like it's made of thicker fabric.  It also seems to make the shirt look like it fits better.  He wears an undershirt under his blue button-up, too, and it also looks nicer (so not just the white shirt.)

Is that silly or what?  I know this is totally in the file of things that don't actually matter...

Edited January 16, 2020 by WendyLady
added blue shirt thought...

[Pawz4me]

DH, DS24 and DS21 all wear undershirts under dress shirts. Always.

[ktgrok]

3 hours ago, Rachel said:

My husband does, father does, grandfather does.  My FIL does not. I don’t think my brothers do unless they are dressed up. 
 

When I was a kid and we spent the night at our grandparents, we would often wear one of his undershirts as a nightgown. One of my favorite photos of him with me and my sister is him in an undershirt and jeans. 
 

I wonder if it’s more personal preference than age. 

I have memories of sleeping in my dad's undershirts 🙂

My kids use DH's old ones as art smocks sometimes. 

3 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down? I can't see the difference in my head 😊

Well, for one it keeps any chest hair from escaping the front between the buttons. 

Also, DH doesn't usually wear a tie, so it isn't buttoned all the way to the throat, so a peek of undershirt looks more professional than a peek of chest hair. But maybe less of an issue for less hairy men?

DH always wears an undershirt under his dress shirts. 

Sometimes under a polo but not normally - that would be rare. 

My understanding is that the undershirt absorbs sweat so that it is less likely for the dress shirt to show visible damp pits. And it  keeps sweat stains and such off the more expensive dress shirt. 

[Katy]

DH always does under dress and polo shirts unless the heat index is over 110, and then he wears wicking polos without them.

My dad always wore them too, unless he was literally swimming.  I was raised in Florida, and so was he.

[MysteryJen]

My dad, fil and dh always wore/ wear undershirts under dress shirts. 
Always.

[Ausmumof3]

Does an undershirt have sleeves like a tshirt or is it a singlet/ tank 

my dh will wear a singlet under his all winter and sometimes in summer but sometimes it’s just too hot here.  He’s more likely to do it with his work shirts (denim/trade) then church ones because they are more scratchy.  
 

I wear one all winter for warmth and sometimes in summer to reduce washing outer layers but not if it’s too hot.

[Shoeless]

Yes, when DH (age 49) wears a button down dress shirt, he wears an undershirt.  As far as I know, all the men in my family also wear an undershirt beneath dress shirts.  My dad worked in Manhattan in the 1980's in an office, and wore typical business attire, so an undershirt was expected. 

Whether it's a t shirt or a tank/singlet was personal preference. 

[matrips]

My dad did and my dh does wear undershirts under dress shirts.  But they don’t rewear them

[Chris in VA]

Do you think it (wearing/not wearing) could be related to region, or middle class/working class (for lack of better terms--forgive me for limited vocab...profession, maybe?)? Doesn't seem to be generational. 

[Melissa in Australia]

do you mean a singlet? We all wear them in winter under our clothes . never in summer though. way to hot 

[Carrie12345]

Dh usually wears one under dress shirts. He still doesn’t usually rewear the dress shirt, though.  Sometimes he also has one under “regular” shirts, but that’s mostly because he’s always cold, lol.

I’ve never really pondered why/why not. His job requires him to dress like a business man some days and then walk through muck and mold other days. His dad’s occupation always involved dirty work, but he often wore dress shirts outside of work. I’m pretty sure with an undershirt.

I’m one of three girls, and we were never educated on how men “should” dress, lol.

[vonfirmath]

16 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

Dd mentioned her surprise that dh doesn't wear undershirts at all. She said "everyone" wears an undershirt under a dress/business shirt (button down type I guess) so you can wear it a second time. Dh wears clergy shirts, but they are basically that style. 

It got me thinking; undershirts, when I was growing up, were not that common, at least I don't think so. My dad was in business and I don't remember him wearing them in, say, the 80's. We were in Florida for some of that time and it is really hot, so maybe that is why. 

Anyway, my first answer to her was "because he's not 80 years old!" but that is unfair. 

So, do the guys in your family wear undershirts? Is she right that it is still super-common?

 

I grew up in Houston and my dad wore undershirts under business shirts/church shirts quite a bit.

My husband has recently picked up the habit of regularly wearing undershirts (We are now in Austin) due to the sweat stains he was getting on his nice shirts. (That did not come out in the wash)

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by vonfirmath

[alisoncooks]

6 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

do you mean a singlet? We all wear them in winter under our clothes . never in summer though. way to hot 

I'm assuming singlet is what we call a tank top in the US? I believe those are not as common now -- maybe in old men? (My grandfather wore those under his work shirts.)

By undershirt, I think most of us are referring to a thin, usually white, t-shirt. 

[Spryte]

Undershirts here.  White or black short sleeve t-shirts.  My father did, DH does, DS does.  I’m talking under dress shirts, not everyday casual shirts.

Re-wearing shirts doesn’t really happen here though.  Too often, they are stuffed in a suitcase and arrive home beyond the state of re-wearing.  🤣

[Selkie]

No undershirts here, but my dh only wears dress shirts a few times a year at most. He has often said that one of the greatest perks of owning our own businesses is that he doesn't have to wear a button down shirt and tie. 

Not that I have ever given it much thought before this thread, but undershirts seem like an old-timey thing to me, like something that men from my parents' and grandparents' generation wore. I had no clue that so many younger guys wear them, too.🙂

[RootAnn]

17 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

DH always wears an undershirt under a button down shirt. He's in his early 40s, if that matters. So does my dad (always has, and we live in a part of the country with hot humid summers).

This.

My Dad (middle of the US, blue collar background but white collar job) always wore them. They were so soft, that's what my mom dressed us in when we had the chicken pox because it was the only thing that didn't hurt to have on our skin.

My DH (grew up a farmer, now in a white collar job, north central US) always weats one under his work-provided button up shirts. He wore them under his button-up plaid and/or flannel shirts in college, too. He will sometimes wear one under polos. If he's just around the house, he'll wear just the undershirt or a similar colored undershirt (except for coloring, they look identical to me). These are not tanks.

ETA: While he has printed t-shirts, he only wears them 3-4 times per year. If he's going out, he might wear a polo shirt. Otherwise, undershirt plus flannel button-up is the norm for non-work days.

And yes, he rewears the dress / work shirt most if the time.

My boys are still young & don't wear one.

Edited January 16, 2020 by RootAnn

[alisoncooks]

11 minutes ago, parent said:

Since the other thread is discussing sterotypes, in the US, there is a stereo type for the tank type sleeveless undershirts.

Yes. This is worded so nicely, lol. I left this aspect out of my above reply because I struggled to phrase it. (I guess "colloquially known as a "wife beater" would have sufficed.) Also the stereotype of the "Cousin Eddie" type (from National Lampoon Christmas Vacation).

But like I said, my grandfather wore them and he was neither... 😉 

Edited January 16, 2020 by alisoncooks

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My 59yodh always wears a white, v-neck undershirt (t-shirt style, but thinner) under a button up shirt to work (in an office). 

On weekends, he wears t-shirts (generally with a graphic he relates to). In winter, he'll wear a button-up work shirt or a fleece shirt over that. In summer, it's just the t-shirt (no second t-shirt underneath).

My 22yods always wears t-shirts under his button-up shirts, but he generally doesn't button up the outer shirt (unless it's really cold). He doesn't wear white "undershirts", but he works in the film industry, so different standards.

16 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

How does wearing an undershirt change the "look" of a button down? I can't see the difference in my head 😊

 

Wearing an undershirt under a dress shirt, or any buttoned shirt, will cause the outer shirt to drape better. It looks neater and less clingy, doesn't need to move with every movement of the body, so it holds its shape. It gets less wrinkled, and looks more substantial.

Edited January 16, 2020 by Suzanne in ABQ

[SKL]

My dad does, I believe.  At least he always did when I lived there.  Not because he was going to re-wear his shirts, either.

I have noticed this about kids though.  When I was a kid, I always wore an undershirt.  My kids never did, unless they were wearing clothes that didn't feel nice on the skin, or needing an extra layer for warmth.  I also had to hang up my school clothes after coming home from school, while my kids don't - clothes today are so much easier to care for.

[Sherry in OH]

My dad always wears an undershirt.   In winter he wears two - a t-shirt under a long sleeved thermal one.

Oldest ds wears undershirts under his school polos and his dress shirts.   The dress shirts look better with an undershirt.  He wears them under the polos to absorb sweat and thus delay the underarm yellowing on white polos.     In winter he sometimes wears the same shirt twice between washing.  Most of the year, it is once and wash.

Younger ds only wears undershirts under dress shirts.  If he is accepted at his brother's school for next term, he will wear them daily.  For the same reason as his brother - school shirts are expensive and I'd like them last the entire school year.  

Dh wears undershirts under white dress shirts.  I wish he'd wear them under his other shirts, but he says that they are too hot for everyday use.  

[lulalu]

Dh always does. Even when we lived in hot places. He sweats a lot, but still needs an undershirt. 

My dad always has as well. 

[stephanier.1765]

My father, 79, wears them under everything including tee shirts and we live in Florida. I think the actual reason to wear them is to smooth out/hide unsightly body parts (nipples, muffin top, etc) and to help absorb sweat before it reaches the outer shirt. My oldest son wears them as well but only to work.

My father also wears a belt with everything, including shorts, and always tucks in his shirt. Around here, that's pretty much the uniform for men that age.

Edited January 16, 2020 by stephanier.1765

[G5052]

My dad always did. My Army son always does under his uniforms.

But it's not very common in this climate, even by those who wear suits and ties in a professional capacity. It gets too hot and humid.

[ktgrok]

On 1/15/2020 at 10:44 PM, Ausmumof3 said:

Does an undershirt have sleeves like a tshirt or is it a singlet/ tank 

my dh will wear a singlet under his all winter and sometimes in summer but sometimes it’s just too hot here.  He’s more likely to do it with his work shirts (denim/trade) then church ones because they are more scratchy.  
 

I wear one all winter for warmth and sometimes in summer to reduce washing outer layers but not if it’s too hot.

These https://www.hanes.com/shop/hanes/hanes-ultimate-mens-comfort-fit-white-crewneck-undershirt-5-pack-4-1-free-bonus-pack-uft15w?d1=SEARCHA&cm_mmc=Google-_-PLAs-_-NA-_-NA&country=US&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQiA04XxBRD5ARIsAGFygj9f-PXackSOWTesvDxth7W-uIfgJ5fkuCInAPYMndq93fMAHcejOSYaAg-AEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&redirectLoop=true&originalReferrer=

[Tap]

Dh and ds always wear an undershirt.

[ktgrok]

So, I asked my 20 yr old and he does not wear undershirts. So DH does, DS does not. We live in Florida. 

[Williams1956]

My father does not wear undershirts, by my husband almost always does.  He had a conversation with his previous boss about guys that would wear T-shirts to work (it was a small company that didn't have much of a dress code), and they both felt like wearing a t-shirt to the office was like going in your underwear 😂.

[CAJinBE]

dh always wears a shortsleeve undershirt under his shirts. I can't imagine how he would look in a dress shirt without a t-shirt. 

[Corraleno]

Also, for people who wear a suit jacket or sport coat over a dress shirt, adding the extra layer of a tee shirt cuts down on dry cleaning bills. Without a tee shirt, the dress shirt is likely to transfer sweat to the lining of the jacket, which will need to be dry cleaned a lot more often. And if you end up taking the jacket off at work, wet pit stains look really bad.