The undershirt is a piece of clothing that some men wear daily, and some men don’t even have an undershirt in their wardrobe. I’ll help you choose the fitting undershirt that you can wear even in summer because it will keep you cool and protect you from sweating. So, should you wear an undershirt under clothes in the summer?
It’s a good idea to wear an undershirt under your clothes in summer because that’s when we sweat the most. An undershirt absorbs excess sweat and prevents it from spreading to your outer clothes. The absorbency of the undershirt also makes us sweat less because sweat does not stay on the skin.
Keep reading because I will tell you all about the benefits of wearing an undershirt in summer. And how to choose the right shape of undershirt for the type of clothes you wear and which materials are best for undershirts in summer.
Why it’s good to wear an undershirt in summer
You’ve probably sweated under your armpits so much that the sweat has transferred to your clothes. It can be pretty uncomfortable and embarrassing to have sweat stains visible on your clothes. If you use an antiperspirant containing aluminium (which most antiperspirants do), sweat stains can turn yellow on white clothes and white on black clothes.
I suggest you read this post, where I show you how to get rid of yellow stains and protect your clothes from them.
Nobody wants to have pit stains, especially not at work or special events when we wear dress shirts and have to look our best. In summer, sweating is always present due to the increased temperatures. To prevent sweat stains from showing on outer clothing, it is a good idea to wear a sweat-absorbing undershirt underneath your clothes.
It is a common misconception that wearing an undershirt in summer will make you hot. Click on this link to read some reasons why an undershirt will keep you cool and make you slimmer.
Another reason why it is good to wear an undershirt in summer is because it will make you sweat less. When we sweat, the sweat stays on our skin or is transferred to our clothes. Sweat accumulating on the skin or wet clothes coming into contact with the skin will make you sweat more quickly. If you wear an absorbent undershirt under your clothes, you will sweat less because the sweat will not stay on your skin, and the undershirt will dry quickly.
In summer, you will feel better wearing an undershirt because you will sweat less and you won’t be wet all the time. You will also avoid uncomfortable situations, and you will not have visible sweat stains on your clothes.
What kind of undershirt to choose for summer
The type of undershirt you choose depends on what kind of clothes you are wearing. It is important that the undershirt does not show above the clothes or is not too short. The color is important to ensure that the undershirt does not show through your clothes. Absorbent materials are important for absorbency and well-being.
Collar shapes and sleeve lengths of undershirts in summer
In summer, men wear more T-shirts, polo shirts, and dress shirts with more buttons undone when not wearing a tie. Based on the collars, we divide undershirts by collar and V-neck undershirts. When wearing a polo shirt or a dress shirt unbuttoned, we must ensure that we have a deep V-neck undershirt underneath the shirt so it is not visible.
If you wear a crew neck undershirt, the undershirt will be visible under the unbuttoned shirt. The crew collar is suitable for wearing under a T-shirt with no deep neckline or under a dress shirt when wearing a tie.
I recommend that you read why it is not OK for the undershirt to be visible under clothing. This can save you a lot of embarrassment.
This is how we separate undershirts according to the neckline of the collars. But we can also separate them according to the length of the sleeves. As we wear short sleeves in summer, long-sleeved undershirts are out of the question. Short-sleeved or tank-top undershirts are suitable. Short-sleeved undershirts absorb sweat well, while a tank top is more breathable and makes us sweat less. You can read all the pros and cons of tank tops by clicking on this link.
| Clothes you wear in summer | Which undershirt to wear with that clothes |
| Polo and dress shirt unbuttoned | Suitable to wear short sleeve undershirt with V-neck or Crew neck |
| Dress shirt with a tie | Suitable to wear short sleeve undershirt with V-neck or Crew neck |
| T-shirt | Suitable to wear a tank top or short sleeve undershirt with V-neck or Crew neck |
Choosing the materials of an undershirt to wear in summer
The absorbency and breathability of an undershirt depend on the materials used to make the undershirt. Some materials are more absorbent than others and some are more breathable than others.
The most absorbent and breathable materials are cotton, viscose/rayon, and nylon. Cotton is a well-known natural material used to make all types of clothing. It is highly absorbent and breathable, which makes it suitable as an undershirt. Viscose and nylon are synthetic materials that are mass-produced in factories. Both materials are more absorbent and breathe better than cotton.
I have made a comparison in the past between cotton and polyester undershirts. You can read which material performed better here.
| Material | It’s benefits |
| Cotton | Absorbs a lot of sweat and breathes well. |
| Viscose/Rayon | It absorbs more sweat and is more breathable than cotton. It’s also cheaper to produce. |
| Naylon | It absorbs more sweat and is more breathable than cotton. It’s also cheaper to produce. |