thursdaysd

"most men in the UK don't wear anything under their shirts" - in fact, when I moved from the UK to the US back in 1975 I was puzzled to find that men in the US apparently wore two shirts.... I still find it a bit odd, but maybe they want the extra to keep warm in the freezing AC (I live in the south).

PatrickLondon

>>I was puzzled to find that men in the US apparently wore two shirts<<

And just the other evening I was watching "It Happened One Night" - the movie that (in 1934) was said to have damaged the US underwear industry when Clark Gable revealed he had nothing under his shirt....

sap

No, no, this is not necessarily a U.S. thing, but a generational/regional custom. I was raised in the midwest and have lived my entire adult life in California and no man in my life has ever worn an undershirt except my grandfather. (I do seem to remember an old rancher who wore them, too.) Anyway, it is an old-fashioned practice in the U.S., though I think it still hangs on in certain states or rural areas (the south maybe) and some men apparently feel more comfortable with them. While the younger guys may all wear Hanes T-shirts, they either wear them by themselves, or throw on a button-up and wear it over the T-shirt like a jacket, without buttoning it up. My guess is that the OP is either an older gentleman or from the south, but perhaps I'm stereotyping. I'll admit I don't really know what every man on the street is wearing under his shirt.

BTW, those sleeveless T-shirt "vests" as the British call them are called "wifebeaters" here, apparently stemming from the fact that Marlon Brando wore them in a Streetcar Named Desire, though that may be merely anecdotal.

Valeria

There are literally hundreds of places you'll be able to buy them. Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, Next and most large clothing stores.

sap

Oh - - I just went back and read one of the OP's later posts. He is from the south, so it does make sense. I imagine it is a customary practice there which may have developed because of the climate and is considered the proper way for a gentleman to dress.

Jojo: It probably seems silly, but I'm curious about this. Do you have any idea where the custom originated and why it exists in some areas and not others? Does it have anything to do with keeping the outer shirt clean/fresh in a warm climate, or am I just extrapolating?

thursdaysd

Yes, it could be a regional thing. My first husband, who grew up in Georgia, wore one. My second husband, who grew up in Ohio, did not. (Both the same generation.)

jojometal

sap - I'm not sure about the origins of the custom. However, I'd bet on the outer shirt being clean(er) being the answer here. The heat and humidity in Louisiana is unbelievable until you feel it.

I can't even say at what point I started wearing undershirts (I'm 29, couldn't have been too long ago), but in this case my wife and I had planned to pack lightly and the undershirt was a way for me to avoid dirtying the shirt so that it can be worn again over a clean undershirt. I'm also just more comfortable with them now...

As for the generational aspect, my Grandfather wears a "wifebeater", but doesn't call them that. My Dad doesn't wear undershirts, and I do. Sorry I couldn't shed more light on the situation.

HImom

My H & now our S (who just turned 22) like t-shirts under their button down shirts to help keep warm. Both of them have very low body fat and unless it's warm enough not to need the extra layer, do like having an extra shirt against their skin to help keep them warmer than when they just have one layer. The advantage for them is that if it gets hot, they can just peel off the outer button down shirt and go about with just the t-shirt.

OP, I hope you found t-shirts that met your hubby's needs.

The sleeveless t-shirt "vests" are mostly popular among the bodybuilders and very old in HI.

progol

My husband (who is 60, a NYer if ever there was one, has worn a short-sleeved t-shirt (never called it a "wifebeater")as long as he can remember and remembers his father wearing one as well. He swears that most of the men at the gym (all ages) wear t-shirts as undershirts as well. So I don't think it's simply regional or even generational...perhaps simply personal.

sap

Yes, HIMom, I remember now that the sleeveless "wife beater" shirts are also (and more appropriately) called muscle shirts. My 22-year-old wears them when he lifts weights, or in the summer. Then there's something called an "A" shirt, whatever that is. And for women, a tank top. Why do we have so many names for basically the same simple thing?

jojometal

I did find what I was looking for at Marks and Spencer. We're stuck in Paris now, but London was great. We were just looking in the wrong areas. We saw Marks and Spencers everywhere after getting our shirts. We just didn't know what to look for until getting the advice here...

Thanks to all for the advice.

nona1

glad you are sorted.

BTW those sleeveless vests are also nicknamed wifebeaters in the UK. I thought it came from a connection to 'wifebeater' beer (cans of Stella) and the stereotype beer-bellied bloke in just a vest with his beer.