Undershirts are popular among men because they are comfortable, support the body, and prevent sweat from transferring to outer clothing. We can also look better in undershirts than without them, as their elastic texture makes them fit our bodies well. In this post, I’ll tell you what compression undershirts are, which are even more elastic than regular undershirts.
The compression undershirt fits tightly to the body, gives support, and increases blood flow. A compression undershirt can compress and hide the more fatty parts of the body to look better in the clothes we wear. A compression undershirt can be worn all day if it feels comfortable.
In the rest of this post, I will give you more details about a compression undershirt. I’ll tell you when it’s best to wear it, what the disadvantages are and whether it’s OK to wear a compression shirt all day. You will find out everything you need to know about compression undershirts.
What is a compression undershirt?
A compression shirt makes you feel better in your clothes because the fattier parts, like beer belly and man fingers, won’t be visible. A compression undershirt differs from regular undershirts because it’s more elastic in the parts that men want to improve. This is the chest and belly area. In these areas, the undershirt will be snug to fit your body as closely as possible.
Compression undershirts have the same positive effects as regular undershirts, except that a compression undershirt makes you look slimmer. One of the most positive effects of a compression shirt is that it breathes well and keeps sweat away. You can read more about this here.
Regular undershirts are mostly made of cotton or a mix of cotton and synthetic materials (polyester, nylon, elastane). Compression undershirts, on the other hand, are mostly made of synthetic materials because they are more elastic than natural materials (cotton, wool). You can read a good comparison of polyester and cotton undershirts here.
Which material is best for a compression undershirt?
If you buy a compression undershirt, I recommend you choose one made of nylon. Why nylon and not polyester or elastane? Nylon, like most synthetic materials, is elastic, but unlike other materials, it also absorbs moisture well. Elastane absorbs very little moisture, whereas polyester absorbs no moisture but wicks it away. This means that you will sweat even more when wearing a polyester undershirt.
How to choose the size of the compression undershirt?
Some may think that you can buy an undershirt one size smaller and get a compression undershirt. Unfortunately, it’s not quite like that. Compression undershirts have an increased density of elasticity in the chest and belly areas. And you cannot compensate for this elasticity with a smaller size.
A compression undershirt is a special shirt the same size as your regular undershirt. The only difference is that a compression undershirt is even tighter. Whichever underwear you choose (regular or compression) must fit your body well and not hinder your movement. Read this post to find out why are undershirts so long.
In addition to elasticity, the undershirt should be long enough and have a low enough neckline so that it is not visible when you are wearing a shirt with the buttons undone. You can read more about when to choose a Crew or V-neck undershirt in this post.
As with regular undershirts, compression undershirts can be worn long, short or sleeveless (tank top). The choice is yours, but it may vary depending on your clothes and how fast you sweat. I encourage you to read the post on the pros and cons of tank tops to make your decision easier.
Why should I wear a compression shirt?
Wearing compression undershirts has several advantages:
- because a compression undershirt fits your body well, it will make you look slimmer,
- wearing a compression undershirt will make you feel more confident,
- wearing a compression undershirt increases blood flow to the upper body,
- old clothes will fit you again.
This is not an advertisement for losing weight or buying a compression undershirt. But the fact is that a compression undershirt will easily and quickly ” shrink” your belly and chest, which will at least make you look better. A compression undershirt will certainly not solve your health problems and will not make you lose weight.
What are the disadvantages of compression clothing?
The disadvantages of compression underwear are that they are too tight, which can be uncomfortable for you when wearing them, and can make it difficult to breathe at times. Another disadvantage is that it adds an extra layer of warmth to your body, making it less suitable for wearing in hot weather.
While wearing the compression undershirt, I found only two disadvantages. I will explain their two disadvantages, and you will decide whether it is still worth trying a compression undershirt.
Disadvantage #1 – they are too tight
Compression shirts have extra elasticity and squeeze your body tightly together, which can be uncomfortable or hinder your movement. If you have the option, I suggest you try wearing a compression undershirt in a shop first to find out which size suits you best. If you shop on the internet, you can take your body measurements and choose a size based on a chart provided by the retailer. You can read more about how to measure your chest width here.
Disadvantage #2 – they can make you hot
Compression undershirts can also be more padded than regular undershirts. This adds an extra layer of warmth under your clothes and makes you feel hotter. This can come in handy in cold weather because you have an extra layer of warmth. But in cold weather, it can be a problem because you will get hot, start sweating faster and become uncomfortable.
I recommend choosing a thin compression undershirt made of nylon because this material breathes well and absorbs a lot of sweat.
Is it OK to wear compression shirts all day?
It’s OK to wear a compression undershirt all day long as long as it makes you feel OK and doesn’t make it hard to breathe. An undershirt that is the right size will be comfortable and will not hinder your movement. A compression undershirt will speed up the blood flow around your upper body.