#1 – To Provide Camouflage Under Sheer Clothing The most common reason why people wear undershirts is the same for men and women alike. These garments provide an opaque layer under sheer or very light clothing that helps hide what's underneath.
It's there to provide a defensive layer between your body and your more expensive clothing. A good undershirt can also provide insulation when needed, and some are worn to “compress” the figure in a slimming attempt.
NEVER ever wear a tank top as an undershirt.
Especially if you want to hide sweat. A tank top completely defeats this purpose as it offers less coverage and will show the most visibility under your dress shirt of any undershirt options.
It was intended as an undergarment, to keep sweat from damaging men's dress shirts. However, for working-class men who couldn't afford enough dress shirts to wear every day, A-shirts flew solo as a cheap alternative to simply going shirtless. The origin of the term “wifebeater” is exactly as horrific as it sounds.
Should I Wear A Tank Top Under A T-Shirt? Tank Top undershirts can be a great option to wear under your t-shirt, especially in the summer or hotter climates. See my article about Wearing Undershirts In Summer for more specifics. They have less coverage than a sleeved undershirt, so they can sometimes be cooler to wear.
#1 – To Provide Camouflage Under Sheer Clothing
The most common reason why people wear undershirts is the same for men and women alike. These garments provide an opaque layer under sheer or very light clothing that helps hide what's underneath.
The primary purpose of an undershirt is to protect your clothes, be it dress shirts, casual shirts like polos or button downs, tuxes, suits, and the like. Undershirts are especially useful for men who sweat profusely. Wearing one doesn't just hide your sweat stains.
The term wife-beater reportedly became synonymous for an undershirt after a 1947 criminal case where a Detroit man was arrested for beating his wife to death, and newspapers printed a photo of the "wife beater" wearing a stained undershirt.
The common names for a tank top are sleeveless shirt, wife beater or A-shirt etc.
Totally appropriate to wear anywhere at any time. The slang name for it was first used on American cop shows.
“My best hack is if you don't have nipple covers just laying around you can use regular, medical, or silicone tape and criss-cross it over your nipples,” says Brooklyn-based stylist Joiee Thorpe. “Lay the two pieces very flat so they don't show — smoother tape will work better.
In WWII, soldiers started to wear undershirts on their own as a form of outerwear. While it was not considered to be in good taste, to begin with, by the fifties Hollywood stars such as Marlon Brando and James Dean wore them in public. This is how the T-Shirt as we know it today became a success.
Yes to tanks. There is a myth that skinny guys shouldn't wear tank tops but, in reality, they can look ace. Just avoid cuts that totally swamp you, or are too skimpily cut (although this advice applies to all men, regardless of their shape). Wear with simple, slim-cut shorts.
Undershirts provide a layer of protection between your skin and your button-down collar shirts. Less friction keeps the fabric smoother for longer. Dirt and oils from your skin won't rub off on your dress shirt, which keeps it from becoming discolored. Keep sweat from showing.
An undershirt will keep you cooler in hot weather and humid climates, while also absorbing sweat and preventing it from soaking your outer clothes – whether it's your favorite dress shirt or polo.
Tank tops were first popularized in modern Western fashion during the early 20th century as a part of bathing suits for both genders, which, at the time, covered the torso with a sleeveless, low-cut top (the name is thought to derive from “tank suits,” as swimming pools were commonly referred to as tanks in England).
In the South West of WA we also call the full strength alcohol beer (Emu Export) "wife basher" as is commonly associated with our very own version of trailer trash. Also, wifebeater. Contributor's comments: In WA one of the local beers is known as "wifebeater", ie "Give us a carton of wifebeater."
Undershirt Anatomy
Unlike t-shirts, undershirts are cut to fit very close, almost like a second skin. This is because you want the other layers of your outfit to fit you properly, and a t-shirt with a looser fit would spoil the lines of well-fitting outer layers.
Wife beater here does not mean anything violent. Instead, it is the slang phrase for a vest or tank top, typically white in colour. The term came about due to the item's association with the stereotype of abusive men, but feminists adopted have since adopted the garment as their own — to hell with the man.
Many cite Marlon Brando's portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire” as inspiration for the term. He wears a sleeveless shirt and rages, yells, rapes his sister-in-law and hits his wife, Stella. (In Britain, the Belgian beer Stella Artois is sometimes called a “wife beater,” not the shirt.)
Wife Beater Shirts in Fashion Today
Today, the wife beater is the go-to undershirt of many people and even a fashion garment for both women and men in its own right. As an undershirt, the fact that the wife beater tank top is thin and form-fitting makes it perfect to wear under your clothes.
It's bad practice to have your undershirt visible under exterior layers. As such, crew neck is NOT a good choice if you like to leave a few buttons undone. The collar can poke out underneath, looking unprofessional.
White dress shirts tend to be the most see-through colors of dress shirts. Many men know to wear an undershirt with a white shirt to avoid experiencing unintentional nipples showing, chest hair exposure, and other fashion faux pas.
There's nothing even necessarily wrong with an undershirt showing — at least in certain cases. They can look great layered underneath a plaid flannel shirt for a very specific Americana/ workwear style.