The undershirt is suitable for people who sweat a lot and want to prevent sweat stains and odors on their clothes. If you like to wear a linen shirt, then this article will be right for you. I will answer your question can you wear an undershirt with a linen shirt?
Wear an undershirt in your skin color under the linen shirt to make the undershirt nearly invisible under the shirt. You can wear a tank top or a short-sleeved undershirt. If you wear your shirt buttoned up, choose a v-neck, or if your undershirt is completely unbuttoned you can wear a crew-neck undershirt.
In this post, I’ll tell you how to choose the right undershirt to keep you cool when wearing a linen shirt. I’ll show you everything from the shape, materials and colours of the undershirt that are best for undershirt.
Can you wear an undershirt with a linen shirt?
You can wear a T-shirt underneath the linen shirt. This is even recommended if you sweat a lot, as the main purpose of an undershirt is to absorb sweat and prevent sweat stains on your clothes. Linen shirts are usually worn in summer, so many people wonder why you would wear an additional piece of clothing when the weather is hot and humid.
5 reasons why you should wear undershist in the summer:
- We sweat a lot in summer, and an undershirt absorbs a lot of sweat and prevents sweat stains and odors,
- an undershirt wicks sweat away from the skin and cools us down, so we sweat less with an undershirt,
- the undershirt shapes our figure because it is more elastic than a regular T-shirt, so we feel more confident in our clothes with an undershirt,
- prevents yellow/white stains on clothes caused by the use of perspirant,
- the undershirt breathes well and keeps our skin drier for longer, so it prevents acne caused by sweat and bacteria on the skin.
What Undershirt type should you wear under linen shirt?
There are three types of undershirts that can be worn under a linen shirt: a tank top, a compression and a short-sleeved undershirt.
Which is best for you depends on whether you wear a short-sleeved or long-sleeved linen shirt and how much you sweat. The three places where we sweat the most are the back, underarms and chest. However, not all people sweat in the same way in all three places. Some people sweat on their backs but very little on their armpits or vice versa. I am a person who sweats in all three places, so a short-sleeved undershirt is the most suitable for me.
If you sweat like me, then choose a short-sleeved undershirt that has padded underarms for increased absorbency. If you don’t sweat under your armpits, or sweat very little, then you can wear a tank top undershirt that will absorb sweat in the areas where you sweat the most (back and chest).
How to keep your undershirt unnoticeable under a linen shirt?
One of the main rules of wearing an undershirt is that it should remain unnoticeable. The sleeves of an undershirt may be visible under a short-sleeved linen shirt, so a tank top is a better choice.
If I sweat a lot, does that mean I shouldn’t wear a short-sleeved shirt?
Fortunately, there is a solution. Unlike a t-shirt, undershirts are more elastic and fit your body perfectly. Therefore, the sleeves won’t flutter and won’t peek under the sleeve of the shirt, making it less likely that the undershirt will be noticeable. If the sleeves of the undershirt are longer than the sleeves of the shirt, you can simply roll up the sleeve of the undershirt to temporarily shorten it.
Another common mistake that many people make is to choose the wrong collar. The most common are crew and v-neck. Which one to choose depends on how you will wear the linen shirt. If you are going to have the shirt tucked in and you only have one or two top buttons unbuttoned, then you should wear a v-neck undershirt underneath.
If you want to keep the linen shirt completely unbuttoned, the undershirt can serve as an additional piece of clothing to complement your look. In this case, you can also wear a crew neck undershirt.
What color undershirt should be under linen shirt?
Choosing the color of your undershirt is important, as the wrong color means that the undershirt will show through the linen shirt, which can ruin your look. Choose neutral colors such as your skin color or heather grey. This will make the shirt almost invisible under the linen shirt.
The choice of the color of the undershirt also depends on the color of the linen shirt and the density of the seams. Some linen shirts are quite transparent and skin can be seen through them, in which case an undershirt should be worn underneath, except when wearing such a shirt on the beach.
No matter what the color of your linen shirt is, you can’t go wrong with an undershirt in the shade of your skin. Skin tone undershirts tend to be a bit more expensive ($30+). If you are not willing to spend that much money on an undershirt, a heather grey undershirt is also a good choice. Read why grey is a better color for a undershirt than white or black.
Which undershirt material is best under a linen shirt?
Underneath the linen shirt we need an undershirt made of a material that breathes well, absorbs sweat and is light so that we don’t feel like we are wearing it. Such a material is micro-modal. We wear a linen shirt because linen keeps us cool in hot weather, so we need an undershirt that complements this.
Micro-modal is the best materials for undershirts under linen shirt because:
- it’s light and you don’t even feel that you are wearing it,
- it absorbs sweat well and wick it away from the skin, so our clothes don’t get soak in sweat,
- it doesn’t trap odors, so we don’t have to worry about smelling unpleasant despite the large amount of sweat,
- micro-modal is very breathable material that keep us cool and therefore we start to sweat later,
- it dries quickly, so our skin and clothes stay dry for longer,
- micro-modal has a silky soft feel when worn.
Is cotton undershirt suitable to wear under linen shirt?
Cotton is not the best material for people who sweat a lot, as cotton absorbs a lot of sweat and gets soaked. As cotton dries slowly, there is a risk that sweat from the undershirt will transfer to the clothes. A cotton undershirt is suitable for people who do not sweat a lot. In this case, the undershirt will absorb less sweat and will be able to dry more quickly. It is definitely better to wear a cotton undershirt than to go without, as cotton absorbs sweat well and wicks it away from the skin, keeping you cooler and drier for longer.
| Micro-modal | Cotton | |
| Breathability | Very breathable ✅ | Very breathable ✅ |
| Drying | Fast drying ✅ | Doesn’t dry fast ❌ |
| Absorbent material | Very absorbent – more than cotton ✅ | Absorbs sweat well, but not as much as micro-modal❌ |
| Sweat-wicking material | Wicks sweat away from skin ✅ | Wicks sweat away from skin ✅ |
| Light and comfortable feeling | Very comfortable to wear, you don’t feel you are wearing it ✅ | Very comfortable to wear, but not like micro-modal❌ |
| Odor resistance | Odour resistant ✅ | Odour resistant ✅ |
| Seasons suitability | Suitable for all seasons, especially for spring and summer. It works well in winter but does not provide the extra warmth as wool or cotton. ✅ | Suitable for all seasons. ✅ |
Is linen or cotton better for hot weather?
Linen garments tend to have longer and less frequently stitched fibres, which makes linen garments more breathable than cotton. In hot weather, breathability is very important, as is moisture absorption and insulation. Linen garments tend to be looser, keeping us cooler in the hot summer months.
But we can’t always wear loose linen clothes in summer, especially when dressing for more formal events. A linen shirt is suitable if you want to look elegant but not too formal. While cotton shirts offer several types of looks – elegant, semi-formal and formal. If you’re choosing a shirt for a relaxed summer gathering or a walk in the city or on the beach, I’d recommend wearing a linen shirt. If you need to dress formally in summer, then you will never go wrong with a formal cotton shirt.