Undershirt

[kolecho]

For me, the best thing about them is that they bring out a shirt's colour. However, I don't like them in the warmer months. They are useful in the cooler months, but they add considerably to my travel-light philosophy when on long business trips. I figure if I left the undershirts out, I could carry some extra shoes and also justify wearing heavier (13oz plus) jackets, so I am thinking about leaving undershirts out for good.

When I was in Naples, I recall Francesco Merolla staring at me in confusion when I tried on a test shirt with an undershirt on.

Do you use them?

[iammatt]

I never wear them. I tried once for a few months and absolutly hated them.

[luk-cha]

i personnaly dont like then as i find them ether too warm or just not warm enouth, alo i hate the look where you can the shirt under the shirt, it remend me of the VPL on ladies

[HappyStroller]

I find the cotton used in singlets to be of better sweat absorbent quality than those used for T-shirts, which I would agree tend to be hotter. How nice if T-shirts could be made of the sweat-absorbing material as singlets, even though both come in 100% cotton. Hanes, take note, please. But T-shirts provide a more complete cover.

Apart from quality, I am a bit superstitious about not wearing any underwear at all. Somehow, there is this feeling that not wearing an undershirt would cause a man to drop into a state of abject poverty or have a short life. Probably, this came from watching too many movies.

[kolecho]

I forgot to mention that my undershirt collar creates a little bump under the coat collar, a negative point obviously.

[Guest]

always wear in winter, sometimes in summer too. we call la maglietta della salute.

[pchong]

never wear them.

[edhayes]

I wear wife beaters under my dress shirts, I sometimes wear them in colors under polo shirts or sweaters to add color
I sort of think that if I don't wear them, I'll catch cold and die in agony.

[JamesT1]

I wear them quite often, in the summer, I usually wear a v neck. Being very thin, I suffer the averse affects of winter and will do whatever I can to keep warm.

~James

[puzzledgrunt]

Dear Kolecho

This is my first entry, so here goes...

I have found, quite by accident, that a close-fitting garment of fine wool such as lambswool, cashmere or SM will keep the wearer not only warm in winter, but cool in summer as well.

This is because the perspiration is absorbed into the wool immediately and evaporates much faster than normal - the total surface area of the fibres is far greater than that of the wearer's skin.

Therefore, the faster the evaporation, the greater the cooling effect (I suspect that this is also the reason why dogs insist on putting their heads through car windows- it's doggy air-conditioning!).However, the wool MUST be fine, and the garment close-fitting, otherwise it won't work. I have read about Australian Infantrymen in Borneo using British Army wool shirts to similar effect.

A New Zealand company called "Icebreaker" makes a wide range of suitable garments at quite affordable prices. The fabric is so soft and fine that you would swear it was T-shirt cotton rather than merino.

I know of two wool growers here in the Eastern Australia who have got their ultrafine fleeces down to 10-12 micron thickness, whereas 12 micron was thought-until quite recently- to represent the finest possible fibre.

Hope this helps.

[HappyStroller]

Interesting use of wool, PuzzledGrunt.

Quite surprised the wool didn't retain the body's heat to an intolerable degree.

[puzzledgrunt]

Dear HappyStroller

Yes, it came as quite a surprise to me too. I think it would indeed be intolerable in any other circumstances.

Having said that, my grandfather was a blacksmith in the pre-WW1 era (no airconditioning or computers back then) at Lightning Ridge here in Queensland (notorious for its blistering summers) and tradesmen insisted on wearing only wool flannel work clothes-nothing else was considered worth wearing.