Undershirts and Men - necessary or not?

I don't think it's a generational thing as I'm 22 and wore an undershirt up until this year. All of my friends wear them.

Could it be that the undershirt thing is, then, neither generational, nor "cultural," but perhaps belongng to a third option....simply an individual choice some men make, be it 2009, 1965, Manchester or Omaha?

Our male visitor arrived today, and I asked him if he wore undershirts. He looked at me blankly and said "I dunno, sometimes?"

So I kicked him out for being unhelpful.

My DH doesn't wear an undershirt (vest). He wears a dress shirt to work everyday and you can't see through it. If you get a quality shirt, then there are no problems.

I remember telling him that most men wear them under their shirts in the US and he just gave me a blank stare and went onto say that he would never do so. I am fine with that. That said, if he had a cheap/thin dress shirt on and you could see through it, I wouldn't let him out of the house.   

I am of the C camp...whatever is the preference of the guy.

I wore boys' undershirts when I was a little girl, before I started weaing a bra, and I've seen men wear undershirts instead of a shirt in the summer, but I've never known any adult men who wore undershirts under their shirts. I always thought the purpose of wearing an undershirt under your shirt was to keep you warm, not to hide anything.

I think a dress shirt would have to be pretty flimsy to allow chest hair and nipple show-through.

I've seen men wear undershirts instead of a shirt in the summer

they're just plain white t-shirts, arent they?

they're just plain white t-shirts, arent they?

Plain White Tee's 

How funny this subject is being discussed.  I was having this conversation with our American visitor today as he was shocked when he saw a friends brother wearing a shirt with no undershirt.  He asked me politely if he was "gay" - I was a little stunned and said "no more so than men who wear white socks with black shoes"    What a odd presumption....

they're just plain white t-shirts, arent they?

Yes. I think of undershirts as something a bit different - made from that long underwear material and definitely for warmth. I think perhaps the "undershirts" that the OP is talking about are just Plain White Ts  worn under shirts.

I wore boys' undershirts when I was a little girl

I wore vests as a little girl too, but they weren't strictly boys'. They were sold for both girls and boys. I had to wear hideous dark brown ones (with matching knickers) under my dark brown school uniform. Ugh. Not pretty.

This is what I am referring to when I say "undershirt". Definitely not the same as a white t-shirt.



I have seen men wearing these on their own in hot New York City summers.  (Whether it is an attractive look is a matter of opinion.)

The ones I wore when I was a little girl looked just like this only in a smaller size.

They were definitely boys'. My parents bought boys' clothes for me. I was only allowed to wear skirts/dresses once a week when it was required for school.

Sweetpeach, that's the type we were calling "wife-beaters" earlier in this thread--or just "vests" for those from the UK. 

I wore vests as a little girl too, but they weren't strictly boys'. They were sold for both girls and boys. 

I wore them, too until I was old enough for a bra (or until I decided it was just too hot to wear them under clothes in the summer).  The girls ones were a bit daintier, with maybe a little pink or white bow in the center at the top and thinner "sleeves"--more like a camisole, but definitely still and undershirt.

I had to wear hideous dark brown ones (with matching knickers) under my dark brown school uniform. Ugh. Not pretty.

Ugh!  Was brown a school requirement?!

Ugh!  Was brown a school requirement?!

Yes! The whole uniform was brown! Brown skirt, white blouse, brown cardigan, brown kneesocks, etc. Brown raincoats, too, would you believe?! I wouldn't mind it at all now, but as a little girl I wasn't a big fan of brown. But in the summer we had lovely brown and white gingham dresses and straw hats with brown ribbons! 

Men's white undershirts, IMO, are actually tighter fitting than plain white tees. They are cut to be worn under dress shirts.

Yes! The whole uniform was brown! Brown skirt, white blouse, brown cardigan, brown kneesocks, etc. Brown raincoats, too, would you believe?! I wouldn't mind it at all now, but as a little girl I wasn't a big fan of brown. But in the summer we had lovely brown and white gingham dresses and straw hats with brown ribbons! 

Wow, that's a lot of brown!

I'm kind of a stickler that men (read, the one I'm dating/marrying) should wear under shirts under v-neck sweaters and dress shirts.  Always. 

The bf hated this prospect as he thinks undershirts are odd.  So, we made a little deal.  He hates earring on women, so I don't wear them.  And he wears undershirts.  Pretty simple.