Wearing an undershirt under your dress shirt might seem counterintuitive; after all, why add another layer underneath that perfect, smooth cotton, particularly when it's hot outside? It doesn't make much sense at first glance, does it?
Understanding what to wear under a dress shirt and why they should layer up may seem basic to old-school office warriors who have been wearing suits for years. Although, like Major League Baseball games, undershirts are becoming a thing of the past for some young men in 2021.
Maybe it's because modern dress codes are becoming less and less buttoned-down, which means some young men aren't learning how to wear dress shirts daily. And, when it's time to button up, they either forget about the undershirt or don't realize how beneficial it is.
So, why do men wear undershirts underneath their dress shirts?
Of course, young men aren't the only ones who don't understand the purpose of undershirts under dress shirts, but it's time to clear the air and figure out what to wear and why. So, why do guys wear undershirts under their dress shirts in the first place? Well, there are two key reasons why you should add this extra layer to your look, and though they might not be obvious at first glance, you'll soon realize that wearing an undershirt under your dress shirt will make you look and feel better.
Sweat and body temperature are better controlled with undershirts
Sweat management is the priority for an undershirt. Undershirts, like NBA Towel Boys (those kids at the other end of the court who scrub the floor while the ball is on the other end of the court), are designed to keep sweat off the court.
Undershirts, on the other hand, keep sweat off your dress shirts. This is particularly important as the summer months come and you don't want to look like you just walked through a water park with your dress shirt on. Sweat can be absorbed by any undershirt, but the best undershirts wick sweat away from your body. This is also better because wicking underwear prevents moisture away from you.
You look better in undershirts
Wearing a simple white undershirt under your dress shirt will indeed help you look better.
Do you know how you still read about the "crisp, white dress shirt" in publications like this one? It won't look as crisp if you don't wear an undershirt underneath.
That's because your skin is likely muting the stark white of the dress shirt. A white undershirt can absorb lighter and serve as a bleach for your shirt, resulting in a completely white shirt.
Important tips
Before we show you our favorite undershirts, it’s important to learn what you want to avoid when combining an undershirt and a dress shirt.
First, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention a specific type of undershirts — spandex or compression shirts. These styles also have another name: man-girdles or, as we like to call them, mirdles. Some men go the compression route to try and artificially tailor themselves to their clothing and try to “keep it all in”.
We don’t advise anyone to go this route, especially since there are legitimate health risks (including blood clots) involved with wearing spandex that is too tight on your body.
Rather than trying to slim yourself down via compression clothing, we recommend going the natural route and, of course, custom-tailored clothing.
