Every summer there are tons of questions about wearing undershirts in summer.
The questions range from whether or not it’s practical to wear undershirts during hotter months to which are the best undershirts to wear under certain shirts.
The Questions: Wearing Undershirts In Summer
Hello!
I think I am not the only one who suffers from those awful armpit sweat stains from sweat in summer.
Some deal with them using antiperspirants. Although I use deodorant, I don’t want to use antiperspirant.
The undershirt seems like a solution for me. So, is it appropriate to wear an undershirt in summer under a shirt, a polo, a T-shirt?
It gets pretty hot where we live (45C/110F). Won’t I heat-up more?
What other undershirt recommendations can you give? Thanks in advance.
– Evgeniy
Also, here’s something that was forwarded to me from Jill Haney, an image consultant in Cincinnati.
QUESTION: I don’t like to wear undershirts in warm weather because it just makes me hot and uncomfortable.
My wife thinks it’s gross to not wear an undershirt.
What are your thoughts?
Jill’s Answer
I must agree with your wife.
My preference is that men should wear undershirts with their dress shirts as it provides for a crisp, clean look.
I like to joke that if you look like an Abercrombie model, have no chest hair, and don’t perspire than it is ok to go without. Very few men fit into that category.
Research shows that on average we produce 2 cups of sweat per day. That’s pretty gross, especially if it is seeping through our clothes.
Remember the old saying: “Never let ’em see you sweat.”
Mike Schwarz, the founder of ribbedtee.com undershirts, offers a number of reasons why undershirts are a must in every professional man’s wardrobe.
While it might not be apparent, wearing undershirts in summer months or in hotter/more humid climates can be a huge help.
First, undershirts provide an additional layer of protection between you and your clothing.
Not only will they help keep sweat from reaching your outer clothing, but they will also help protect your outer shirts from body oils, odor, and underarm perspiration stains.
Schwarz adds that wearing an undershirt allows you to wear your dress shirt more than once between washings, thus saving you money and extending the life of your clothes.
The key is to find lightweight undershirts that are either form-fitting or have a slimmer cut.
Wearing undershirts that are too thick or too bulky will wind up making you feel warm and uncomfortable, he says.
Tug’s Rules to Wearing Undershirts
Here are some other undershirt wearing rules to consider.
It is definitely appropriate to wear an undershirt under button shirts, polos, and t-shirts, but here are my top rules:
| When Wearing | Type of Undershirt to Wear |
|---|---|
| A button-up dress shirt with tie | Crew neck undershirt. Be sure to check out my article about Tight Neck Undershirts for a list the best undershirts that have high, close fitting, no-sag crew neck collars. |
| An open collar shirt without a tie | V-neck undershirt. Here’s an article that covers the most popular deep v-neck undershirts. |
| A polo | V-neck undershirt. Polos are usually worn with the collar unbuttoned. So to keep the undershirt collar hidden, wear a v-neck undershirt. See link above for a list of v-neck undershirts. |
| A t-shirt | Crew neck undershirt or tank top undershirt. My article Wearing Undershirts Under T-Shirts has tons of great info. |
| White or light colored dress shirts | Neutral color undershirts. If your button-up shirts are light colored or semi-transparent, wear a neutral-colored undershirt like light grey, heather grey or flesh tone. They won’t show through as much as white undershirts will because they reflect less light. You can find a lot more information about that in my article about what undershirt to wear under white dress shirts. |
Undershirt Rules Exceptions
In any of the above cases, if you don’t sweat too much in the underarm area, you could wear a tank top undershirt since those will generally wear cooler than full undershirts.
The body of the tank top offers great coverage, and most are fitted so they provide a wee bit of slimming too.
When wearing a tank top undershirt, to avoid getting antiperspirant stains on your outer shirt, try the following:
1. Best Time To Apply Antiperspirant
Put on your antiperspirant earlier, or the night before, and let it fully dry before you put on your shirts. More info here.
2. Use A 7-Day Antiperspirant
Put on your antiperspirant earlier, or the night before, and let it fully dry before you put on your shirts. More info here.
3. Remove Deodorant Stains
If you do get pit stains your shirts or undershirts, you can clean them using the options outlined in this article about the best ways to remove deodorant stains from shirts.
Additional Information About Wearing Undershirts During The Summer
If your undershirt is to loose/bulky or heavy/thick, you’ll generally feel warmer and slightly uncomfortable. So, it’s best to go with a undershirt that is lighter and either close or form-fitting.
Be sure to check out my article about lightweight undershirts, where I’ve compiled a list of the lightest undershirts I have found to date.
What Are The Best Undershirt Fabrics?
Generally speaking, it’s best to stick with fabrics like:
| Fabric | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Cotton | Breathes well |
| Viscose/Rayon (modal, MicroModal, Viscose Bamboo, TENCEL) | Absorbs more than cotton and dries faster |
| Nylon | Absorbs more than cotton and dries faster |
Stay away from polyester or any moisture wicking undershirts as those will be more prone to transport wetness to your outer shirt more quickly.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
This article has been updated, re-written, and republished. The original comments below have been maintained for historical purposes.
I like wearing sleeveless undershirts, preferably gray, with shorts when it gets very very hot out. I just feel comfortable. Is this ok?
Today i wore a dress shirt and i had my plan white pocket t-shirt underneath and my dress shirt had a sweat stain. How can that b possible when im wearing and undershirt underneath?????
hey raman! thanks for your question. sweat-through is very possible when wearing a standard tee or undershirt if you perspire more or if your antiperspirant is not effective.
your possible solutions include:
1. stronger antiperspirant like certain dry, klima, or sweat block
2. wearing an undershirt that provides more underarm protection. these undershirts are usually referred to as sweat-through resistant undershirts or hyperhidrosis undershirts and include the following brands: kleinerts, silverback apparel, sweatshield undershirts, sutran, feelu, and the latest to launch thompson tee.
if you search my site for any of those undershirts listed, you’ll find additional information on them.
hope the information is helpful!
Hey just a question here, I always wear undershirts under my tshirts. Sometimes though, a little bit of the collar of the undershirt will show like a little in front or on the sides. Is this bad? I wear crew neck undershirts. My question I guess is, does it look bad to others? Thanks!
hey derek, thanks for stopping by and posting your question!
the “purists” (i.e. style consultants or fashion advisers) will tell you that no undershirt should ever show. but, if done in a stylish manner, you can probably get away with it. some of us (me included) don’t really care what the purists say and do what we feel comfortable with.
personally speaking, i wore a lot of tank tops this summer (because it was hot) and have now switched over to v-necks since the weather has started to mellow out. because of this, my undershirt collar won’t generally show.
under a t-shirt, you can get away with wearing a tank top. assuming you need/want the underarm protection, v-neck or crew neck undershirts would be the best options. if you’re going to stick with crew, and if it shows a little, just make sure your undershirt collar is clean and crisp – no ratty collars should be showing.
hope that helps!
Yeah that did help haha. Thanks for taking the time to write back, have a good one!
In backcountry/mountaineering/hiking circles you hear pretty often that cotton can kill, because it’s so good at stripping body heat when it gets wet. Even in 50 degree weather a wet cotton shirt can be a big problem. That same effect rocks in the summer. I’ve worn the same seersucker shirt with and without an undershirt in hot weather, and with an undershirt it’s cooler.
I wear an undershirt no matter what shirt I’m wearing. Style may dictate otherwise, but I’d rather be comfortable.
hey steve, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
there has been some discussion here about the potential problems wearing cotton undershirts during cold/wet outdoor activities. seems to make sense, and i would likely stay away from wearing moisture-absorbing fabrics if i thought i’d been in such a circumstance, but generally speaking, i don’t find myself in those situations.
it’s been some time since i’ve worn a seersucker shirt, but one of my most favorite summer shirts is my 100% linen white short sleeve button up shirt, and it reminds a little of the seersucker shirts i had some time ago.
interesting to hear that you feel cooler wearing an undershirt underneath your seersucker shirt than when not wearing one, considering the breathable nature of the fabric, but i appreciate you sharing that piece of data.
i wonder what a linen or seersucker lightweight undershirt would be like?
i always wear an undershirt under t-shirts and polos and do need underarm protection but my problem is that all of my undershirts’ sleeves are longer than my t-shirts so i’m always tugging the undershirt’s sleeves in and my search for an undershirt with short sleeves but not a tank have failed. any brand/models suggestions?
hey cy, good to hear from you and thanks for sending in your question. i received a similar question from a reader not too long ago and this is what i told him:
you might also want to check out the gusseted muscle shirts from matthew petit. the gussets are supposed to provide underarm protection and since there are no sleeves, you won’t have to worry about them peaking out from underneath your polos!
let me know what you decide to try out and what you think of them.