Here’s another addition to the moisture wicking vs. cotton undershirt sweat challenge.

If you’re a regular reader, you know what this is all about. Nuff said

If not, check out this post: Will sweat will reach an outer layer of clothing faster if you’re wearing a moisture wicking undershirt or non moisture wicking undershirt.

The test subject: Vdri Mesh Polyester Moisture Wicking crew neck undershirt. Note: This is the newer fit version of the Vdri undershirt that is about 1″ longer and about 1″ narrower than the original one I reviewed some time ago.

The test: Same 10K cardiovascular work out on the elliptical while wearing two layers of shirts. First layer is the Vdri crew neck undershirt, size medium. The fit of this medium Vdri undershirt is very similar to the large Execwear high crew neck nylon moisture wicking undershirt that just underwent the Sweat Challenge last week and the medium Campbellsville polyester moisture wicking t-shirt that I worked out with the other day (Sweat Challenge write-up coming soon).

Here’s a quick comparison of the measurements (laying flat) of the shirts that have undergone the Sweat Challenge:

1. Execwear large: Length = 30″, Width = 19.5/20″, High Crew Neck
2. Vdri medium: Length = 28″, Width = 20.5″, Crew Neck
3. Campbellsville medium: Length = 29″, Width = 20.5″, Crew Neck
4. Duluth large: Length = 30.5″, Width = 21.5″, V-Neck
5. Alfani large: Length = 29.5″, Width = 22″, V-Neck
6. Coolmax large: Length = 28″, Width = 22.5″, V-Neck

Second layer was Breakwater 100% cotton t-shirt from Target (pictured here).

Outer t-shirt sweat stain after working out with Vdri undershirt as first layer

Initial Results: There was a stain that measured roughly 8.5″ wide and about 5″ high on the center front of the outer t-shirt, directly under the collar. Comparatively, this Vdri crew neck undershirt let more sweat through than the Execwear nylon undershirt that roughly had a 4″ round sweat stain in the same area.

The rest of the outer t-shirt had about the same sweat marks as all of the other undershirts (light marks around the collar).

Now, one could suggest that the Vdri undershirt actually performed better than the Execwear from a moisture wicking point of view — that is transferring moisture away from your body to the outer layer where the sweat can evaporate.

However, the Sweat Challenge comparison is about how different undershirts perform in letting sweat reach your outer shirt. The less sweat that reaches your outer shirt, the better. In this case, it appears that the Vdri crewneck performed about the same as the other v-neck undershirts in the challenge, but not quite as well as the Execwear high crewneck undershirt.

In revisiting a question I presented in the Execwear write-up:

It’s hard to tell exactly why this [the Execwear] undershirt seemed to perform a little better than other the other undershirts. Was it the closer fit, the fabric blend, or a combination of them both? I couldn’t honestly tell you, but as I test more undershirts, hopefully we’ll find a pattern.

Now, considering I’ve tried to keep the test conditions nearly identical, and the fit is about the same betwen the Vdri and the Execwear, one could postulate that the nylon blend fabric used in the Execwear undershirt performed better than the Vdri mesh polyester fabric overall from the Sweat Challenge point of view.

However, this does not imply that one undershirt is better than the other. The Vdri mesh polyester undershirt performed about the same as most other undershirts that have been part of the Sweat Challenge so far.

Thanks for reading!

A while back, I ran across this blog post on Why You Should Wear an Undershirt at all times, written by blogger Marvin Jones Jr.  I offered some additional thoughts in this follow up post.

Well, I decided to check in on the post today and I discovered a recent comment from reader Al, who provided his thoughts on why undershirts are actually stylish to wear:

Your many reasons for wearing an undershirt are interesting, but you ignore the issue of style. I like to see (and wear) a white crew showing at the neck of a tie-less business shirt, just because I think it looks good. It’s got to be done properly (your recommendations on positioning apply here) - the T shirt neckline not higher than the outer shirt neckline, and sitting straight. And the T shirt should be a grimeless white with the collar flat, not turned in or stretched. For casual gear none of that applies: I like to wear an untucked shirt with the sleeves half rolled up, a couple of buttons undone and a V-neck undershirt showing a bit underneath, not too arranged. For some people the reasons for an undershirt are practical but for many I think it’s an American cultural thing. Like others have said, they were always brought up that way. There’s also the military thing: no uniform is complete without the bright white T under the flat-collared khaki shirt. I have colleagues who wear a polo or Banana Republic style top without a T shirt, but whenever they wear a business shirt, no matter if it’s 100 degrees, without fail there’s a crew underneath. They feel underdressed without it, and increasingly, I feel the same way. But mainly, I just like the look.

Gosh Al, I couldn’t agree with you more. I very rarely find myself not wearing an undershirt and I too like how the undershirt looks.

While undershirts play their part in helping us guys protect their outwear from the dreaded sweat stains, we tend to forget how they can actually complement what we are wearing. When you pair a nice, well fitting, crisp, clean, “grimeless” undershirt with your main outfit, it just ties it all together.

Here’s some other posts that offer up additional information about wearing undershirts:

Remember thy undershirt - One of the 10 Commandments of Men’s Style

A Man’s Guide to Undershirts

Wearing Undershirts - Should an undershirt be visible or not?

The Great (and dumb) Undershirt Debate

Do you wear a t-shirt under a polo shirt - Forum post on Men’s Fashion website Ask Andy About Clothes

Although a little out of date, I also ran across an Image Consulting Service website that posted some additional information about how to wear an undershirt. Here are some excerpts from the article:

Benefits:
- Protect against sweat damage and odors. (Especially if coated with a substance like Ultra-Fresh.)
- Can allow some garments, including sweaters, to be worn more often before they need cleaning.
- Can enhance comfort (outer fabric might be wool or something else that is potentially irritating to the skin).
- Keep underlying body from showing, which is not classy (male nipples, chest hair), or having its flaws magnified through fabric cling.

Fit:
- The undershirt opening should approximately match the size of the shirt collar it is worn under, so that both visible chest hair and visible undershirt, major no-no’s, are minimized.
- Undershirts should never peek out at the bottom of shirts. That looks extremely sloppy.
Colors:
- White is usually reliable, if easily stained.
- If there’s a chance that the undershirt will show, then the color of it should be similar to that of the shirt worn over it. It is not as bad if a tee shirt being worn as an undershirt shows, but the heavier material might make you feel less comfortable.

For the last two nights I’ve been being good to myself and working out. Of course, one of my main motivations, outside of staying fit, is to continue the Sweat Challenge series I’ve been writing about lately.  I’ll be doing write-ups on the moisture wicking mesh polyester Vdri undershirt and the moisture wicking t-shirt from Campbellsville Apparel. I’ve also got a bunch of other things to write about, so come back here often!

In the meantime, I received an email from a reader who happened by the site (google is being good to me) and who had this question about Hanes ComfortSoft undershirts:

Hey there. I came across your blog recently and was wondering if you could help me out with something. I recently bought some Hanes Classic ComfortSoft crew neck undershirts, and I’m not very satisfied with my purchase. I don’t like the new softer fabric that Hanes is using now - the shirt feels thinner and less comfortable than their older shirts. I was wondering if you could recommend an undershirt that’s like the older Hanes shirts - tagless, crew neck, thicker (more like a regular t-shirt). Also something that’s a little more roomy in the arms would be nice - these shrunk a little and bunch up in the armpit. I wear a size L regular t-shirt. Thanks, N.

Hey N,

Thanks for your email. I completely understand what you’re talking about!  I bought some Hanes “ComfortSoft” undershirts a while back and reviewed them here. I experienced the same thing you did (itchy/uncomfortable/shrinking) and they’ve been in the bag ever since. [Sorry Hanes]

There are several undershirts that come to mind. I don’t know off-hand if they are all tagless, but they all good alternatives to Hanes. Not sure if you agree, but I’m perfectly fine wearing undershirts that have tags as long as they are soft tags (such as being made of satin) and you don’t feel them.

I wrote reviews on the following undershirts, so you can read more about them on the blog:

1. 100% Coolmax Undershirt from CoolClothingUSA - realize you’re not looking for a moisture wicking undershirt, but this guy is just well made and also has a nice soft feel to it. This one won’t shrink because it’s a polyester blend.
2. Alfani Basic Undershirt - In my top 5 list. Also didn’t shrink very much and still fit really well after washing.
3. 5.11 Tactical Utili-T undershirt. This one was pretty good as well.
4. Campbellsville Apparel 100% cotton undershirt - Would be a decent choice, but I don’t like their tags because they are scratchy.

I would also recommend you check out the following:

1. Stafford Cotton Heavyweight Crewneck undershirt from JC Penny - Not as great as the former Towncraft undershirts, but worth a try since you’re comparing them to Hanes
2. LandsEnd Undershirts

There’s also a couple other things to look at:

1. Check out this post on my blog:
2. You may want to check out some ringspun cotton undershirts such as the Hanes Beefy-T. Here’s a site where you can see some information on them

Hope the information above helps you find something you like. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for stopping by!
Tug

Well, I know it’s been a couple of weeks, but I’m happy to announce that the moisture wicking vs. cotton undershirt sweat challenge is alive and well!

The goal of this challenge, if you recall, is to find out if sweat will reach an outer layer of clothing faster if you’re wearing a moisture wicking undershirt or non moisture wicking undershirt.

The test subject: Last night I took the opportunity to test out the Black Crewneck Undershirt (84% Meryl/Nylon, 16% Lycra) from Execwear.

The test: Same 10K cardiovascular work out on the elliptical while wearing two layers of shirts. First layer is the Execwear moisture wicking high crew neck undershirt, size large. The fit is much closer than the former three undershirts that have gone through the sweat challenge (Duluth V-Neck Undershirt, Alfani Cotton V-Neck, and the Coolmax V-Neck). To provide a quick comparison of how the different undershirts fit, laying flat, the Execwear undershirt measures 19.5″ from underarm to underarm, the Duluth undershirt measures 21.5″, the Coolmax undershirt is 22.5″, and the Alfani measures 22″ from underarm to underarm laying flat. While it may not be obvious, at 19.5″ wide laying flat, the Execwear undershirt is the narrowest undershirt of the group and will ride the closest to my body.

The one other difference was that the Execwear undershirt was a high crew neck, where the other undershirts were all v-necks.

My second layer was a typical oversized cotton t-shirt (a Breakwater t-shirt from Target to be exact).

Initial Results: I took a close look at my light-colored outer t-shirt to see where there were noticeable sweat marks. There was about a 4″ round sweat circle on the center front of the shirt, directly under the collar. Comparatively, the crew neck collared Execwear undershirt let less sweat through than the other v-necks, but that should be expected since the crew neck undershirt provided a layer of protection in the upper chest area that did not exist in the v-necks. The other areas that had noticeable sweat stains included the back of the collar and in the shoulders.

I will say that it did seem that there was less sweat that had reached the outer t-shirt than when I performed the same sweat challenge test with the other undershirts.

The other thing I noticed was that I felt pretty comfortable and cool for the entire workout. While the undershirt did have a reasonable amount of wetness on it after the workout, I never felt too wet or weighed down while wearing it.

Now, there is a possibility that since this shirt fit closer than the others, there was more room (and air) between the undershirt and my outer t-shirt. More room = Less contact. More air = ability for moisture to evaporate more effectively.

It’s hard to tell exactly why this undershirt seemed to perform a little better than other the other undershirts. Was it the closer fit, the fabric blend, or a combination of them both? I couldn’t honestly tell you, but as I test more undershirts, hopefully we’ll find a pattern.

Thanks for reading!

Hey folks, a reader wrote in at the end of October with a question about undershirts specially made for shorter men. One of the recommendations I made, was to check with Beverly Hills based store Jimmy Au’s For Men 5’8” and Under, a clothing store dedicated to offering clothing for shorter men.

Well, our good friend W.C. called up Alan Au (owner of Jimmy Au’s) and sent in the following update a little earlier today:

Tug:

At your suggestion, I spoke with Alan Au at Jimmy Au’s. Based on feedback from his customers, Alan recommended Armani A/X Stretch Pima Underwear Crew [96% pima cotton, 4% spandex, online price: $24.50 per shirt, colors: white & black] . I purchased two Mediums and could not be happier. These are, without a doubt, the best T-Shirts I have tried so far. The shirts look, feel and (perhaps most importantly) fit great. I hope to purchase more soon.

Thanks so much for all of your help
W.C.

Thanks for following up and sharing the information W.C.! It’s good to hear that you’ve found an undershirt that works perfectly for you.

Hey Undershirtguy, maybe you can answer my question!

I used to live in Switzerland (1998), and I bought a bunch of Jockey ribbed white cotton undershirts over there. They’re T-shirt style, with a much bigger, rounder neck than American style crew necks, so they don’t show so much under a dress shirt with the collar unbuttoned. You could say they’re like a wife-beater tank with sleeves. They’re also quite form-fitting and long down the waist.

I also got a few French Calida undershirts, and they work well too.

I love these shirts, but they’re getting old and I need to replace them with something acceptable. I’ve been trying to find a similar style for years in the States, and I’m having no luck. I don’t like crew necks, since they ride up so high on your neck – they look ridiculous with an unbuttoned dress shirt at work and I feel strangled.

Do you know if such undershirts are available in the USA anywhere? And what’s up with the U.S/European collar difference? It seems all American undershirt makers only make the same three styles: Crew, V-neck or tank, always the same.

I suppose one could pay a small fortune for a fancy imported Italian undershirt, but I’m looking for something simple; ideally under $20 a shirt.

I tried the CollectedThreads shirt, but that one’s too big in the neck and the quality is rather low. I just ordered a trial shirt from Denmark in desperation.

Thanks!
M

Hey M,

I sure do!! Have you checked out RibbedTee.com yet? They have exactly what you are looking for. Ribbed undershirts, made out of the exact same fabric as wife-beaters and they are long, form fitting, etc. The crewneck collars don’t ride up as they are a little bigger than standard crews and they offer multiple fits so you should be able to find something that fits your body style perfectly.

They are priced at $18.50 for a package of two white undershirts ($19.50 for a two-pack of black undershirts), so they fit your budget – and then some!

Give them a try and let us know what you think.

Btw, when you get a chance, let us know what you think about the ribbed undershirt your ordered from His Basic Wear.

Take it easy,
Tug