"A" shirts (tank tops) versus "tee" shirts and undershirts in general & Cary Grant

I always wear a T-shirt undershirt. Mostly V-necks as I do not like them to show with a open neck shirt.
I tend to sweat and do not like unsightly pit stains. So A-shirts wouldnt work for me.

The Knize said:

I am still curious as to what the Brits do about the "see through" aspects of a white dress shirt if they do not wear undershirts over there in the summer. Again, the thinnest dress shirts I have came from England, and I think they are "double fold" poplin. I assume there is such a thing as "single fold" out there. It must be truly thin and transparent. Maybe in England one keeps one's suit coat on, as Malloy the "Dress for Success" author advised be done back in the day.

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Well, being a Brit and only wearing a tee shirt or vest (that's what we call the A line) for extra warmth in winter, all I can say is that we don't seem to worry about it it like you do over the pond.

In summer, it's a thin, loose shirt so I can get some air around me to keep cool. Couldn't imagine adding another layer of material when it's warm.

Gareth

Here's my two cents. I think the purpose of an undershirt is the same as the purpose of underpants. The undergarment is mostly to protect your skin from the outer garment, and a little bit of the converse, that is keeping your outer garment slightly cleaner. But unless one is wearing a full length union suit, some of one's skin is always going to be touching the outer garment. So, an A shirt is just underwear like your boxers or briefs, only for your upper half. This leads me to a conclusion that one should not see any portion of the undershirt exposed, just like we don't want to have our underpants sticking out (yes, I know, there are people who dress that way).

I find the A shirt to fit more snugly and not bunch up as much as a regular tee-shirt. So, to me, if I'm wearing an undershirt, the A shirt fits better. A-shirts also tend to be thinner and cooler than similarly marketed tee-shirts. There is also that horrible problem of neck hole sag with regular tee-shirts. A-shirts don't have that problem.

As far as seeing an outline of it through a thinner white dress shirt, I don't see the problem. Perhaps a slightly thicker dress shirt is needed. I have heard also that grey undershirts aren't as visible (closer to skin color and less reflective). I don't personally think seeing a little triangle of white tee-shirt under another shirt is all that enhancing a look. If one's collar is open, then skin should be visible. If you don't want anyone seeing your skin, don't wear an open collared shirt. To me it is just like exposing an inch (or several inches) of your underpants.

galopede said:

Well, being a Brit and only wearing a tee shirt or vest (that's what we call the A line) for extra warmth in winter, all I can say is that we don't seem to worry about it it like you do over the pond.

In summer, it's a thin, loose shirt so I can get some air around me to keep cool. Couldn't imagine adding another layer of material when it's warm.

Gareth

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Thanks, G!

I do not know how much folks on this side of the pond worry about it, other than me!

Very well said, DeusVult.

galopede said:

Might sound odd to you Americans, but here in Britain, I wear a vest ro tee shirt as an extra layer to stay warm in winter. Never wear one in the summer as it's too hot and sweaty.

By the way, over here, Stella Artois lager is called Wife Beater!

Gareor

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Both the shirt and beer nicknames refer to Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire"

We have an undergarment called a Raglan (I'm guessing its a sub-brand of Bonds, but it may also be the style?) that I wear on the odd occasion under shirts... they are a t-shirt (either v-neck or standard neck) with sleeves that run right to the collar. I got onto them as my father always wore them (ex-military, then white collar (always had the crispest, cleanest dress shirts)). They do provide sweat control, are exceptionally light weight and are patterned so that very little shows in the way of a seam.

I don't consider it to be déclassé and like the extra protection against yellowing you can get during summer (even using alum deodorant).

You have to take my reply with a grain of salt as my use of undershirts came about from being in the Navy for 8 years. I will admit, I am more blue collar, than white collar. I really don't understand the use of an "A" shirt. To me there is not enough there to do the intended job. To me an undershirt is there to provide sweat wicking and a barrier between your pitts and your shirt. It was required for all uniforms (not wearing a tie) Officer and Enlisted to show the top part of the "T" shirt. Keep in mind that military dress (can you call it fashion?) doesn't change as fast as the general public. My guess about the V-Neck "t" shirts came about in the '60's and '70's when everyone was infatuated with chest hair.

Living in Texas, I always wear a "t" shirt with my work clothes, even through the hottest part of summer. In my casual clothes I rarely wear one, unless I am wearing only a "t" shirt.

If you buy your "t" shirt one size smaller than you would normally buy, you will not have neck droop, it won't bunch up, and it won't be constraining. Just a tip from an old sailor.

An undershirt is just like your underwear and should never show. Sorry to all you guys that like to low ride your pants so that your boxers show...

When wearing a dress shirt or a button down for business casual purposes, I always wear a V neck undershirt. I dig the Nordstrom brand undershirts even if they are a little pricier than your typical Hanes or whatever. Softer, higher quality. I can't do guys running around with the visible neckline of a full crew neck undershirt on underneath their dress shirt or polo shirt. It's sloppy and careless. If wearing a tie (which I do once every 2-3 years), then a full crew neck is fine as it will never show.

I've tried to wear the "A" shirts before and I find them horribly uncomfortable. As long as you have a darker shirt on where the lines of the "A" shirt are not detectible, I would say that they are a perfectly acceptable option however.

< I can't do guys running around with the visible neckline of a full crew neck undershirt on underneath their dress shirt or polo shirt. It's sloppy and careless.>

<It was required for all uniforms (not wearing a tie) Officer and Enlisted to show the top part of the "T" shirt.>

IMHO, whether or not the neck of a regular tee shirt is purely a matter of style, taste, whatever, or I suppose military regulations. I would infer nothing whatever along the lines of sloppy and careless or in any way inappropriate about the neck line of a crew neck tee shirt showing. Men have been wearing shirts with the neck line of a crew neck tee shirt showing for decades and decades, if not more than 100 years! To me styles may change. V neck tee shirts may or may not be "in style" now or at any particular time. But whether wearing a shirt with a crew shirt line showing is proper, correct, traditionally accepted, trad, etc., seems to be unassailable.

And this really is a taste thing, but for my tastes, carldamnit has a point about v neck tee shirts and chest hair, at least my own chest hair of which I have much of and am not all that fond of exposing!

Just my opinion of course, my good friend, Tim!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNa1WpSOPGI

Antonio has weighed in on this subject.

I have hair that would stick out.

Good video. He does not much go into what is traditional and not, does he? He really pretty much says he thinks it looks better not to have the neck of an undershirt showing. I do not think one can ever fully get away from long time dressing conventions in assessing what men wear.

I did have one thought, which is that wearing a suit with an open collar seems pretty recent to me, so it is possible that in that instance that the convention is not to let the undershirt collar show, especially where the shirt is blue and the underwear white.

http://northshoreshirts.com/tshirthistory.html

The U.S. Navy is behind the whole thing!

To cover chest hair.

Hahahaha!

I can't believe you even care that much. I took to wearing an undershirt in the military. Every uniform had a corresponding under shirt. It's more comfortable. Don't dig it, don't wear it. Anyone who didn't like me because my white T is "low class" is not someone I would want to do business with in the first place.

carldamnit said:

. I really don't understand the use of an "A" shirt. To me there is not enough there to do the intended job. To me an undershirt is there to provide sweat wicking and a barrier between your pitts and your shirt.

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I mainly sweat down my chest and back and not under the arms. Therefore, the A-shirt works perfectly for me.

AUWboy said:

I mainly sweat down my chest and back and not under the arms. Therefore, the A-shirt works perfectly for me.

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Come down to Texas in August, you sweat everywhere

Coming from Germany, A-shirts is what we wear as an undershirt! Always white, too. Coming over here, I have seen a few things I really do not care for:
* T-shirts under short sleeve shirts with the tee shirts sleeve being longer than the shirt sleeve
* open shirt without tie, the white tee shirt is showing in the open collar.....under wear should never show as someone said already
* colorful undershirts that show through a light colored or white dress shirt (that is actually for me the worst )

I wear T-shirts mainly instead of a PJ in bed

lister said:

We have an undergarment called a Raglan (I'm guessing its a sub-brand of Bonds, but it may also be the style?) that I wear on the odd occasion under shirts... they are a t-shirt (either v-neck or standard neck) with sleeves that run right to the collar. I got onto them as my father always wore them (ex-military, then white collar (always had the crispest, cleanest dress shirts)). They do provide sweat control, are exceptionally light weight and are patterned so that very little shows in the way of a seam.

I don't consider it to be déclassé and like the extra protection against yellowing you can get during summer (even using alum deodorant).

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The sleeves running up to the collar are called Raglan so that's probably where the name comes from.

I did have one thought, which is that wearing a suit with an open collar seems pretty recent to me, so it is possible that in that instance that the convention is not to let the undershirt collar show, especially where the shirt is blue and the underwear white.

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Maybe it's just me, but the suit and open collar is a look I dislike. I always think it as the look of a campaigning politician who is trying to look serious and business-like but in touch with the 'common man'. It comes off as too contrived to me.