Do you typically wear an undershirt with your suits? You'll obviously need to wear a traditional button-up shirt with a suit. Although there are dozens of types of suits, they all require the use of a button-up shirt. By wearing an extra shirt -- known as an undershirt -- underneath this button-up shirt, however, you'll be able to take advantage of several noteworthy benefits. If you're still skeptical of the benefits of undershirts, keep reading to learn seven reasons why you should wear an undershirt with a suit.
#1) Increased Comfort
You'll probably find that suits are more comfortable when worn in conjunction with an undershirt. Without an undershirt, the button-up dress shirt with which you wear the suit will press against your body. Depending on its material and method of construction, the button-up dress shirt may cause discomfort. If it's made of a coarse material or poorly constructed, for instance, it may scratch your skin while causing irritation and discomfort.
For a more comfortable suit outfit, you should consider wearing an undershirt. Undershirts are designed to be worn underneath all other shirts, including button-up dress shirts. Therefore, they are made with an emphasis on comfort. They won't scratch your skin when worn, nor will they cause other forms of discomfort. Rather, a high-quality undershirt will create a soft base layer that keeps you comfortable all day long.
#2) Matches Dress Shirts
If you're going to wear an undershirt with a suit, you'll need to choose one that matches your dress shirt. Your undershirt doesn't have to necessarily match your suit. On the contrary, you want it to match your dress shirt so that it naturally blends into your outfit. If your undershirt is a different color or tone than your button-up dress shirt, it will stick out like a sore thumb -- and not in a good way!
Undershirts are available in nearly all colors, so you shouldn't have trouble finding one to match your button-up dress shirt. Maybe you have a traditional white button-up dress shirt, or perhaps you have a black button-up dress shirt. No matter what color your button-up dress shirt is, there's probably an undershirt out there to match it.
#3) Better Fit
In some cases, wearing an undershirt can make suits fit a little better. If your suit is too big for your body, for example, it will add padding between your suit jacket and body. As a result, your suit will fit better. When worn, an undershirt will serve as an extra layer of material. It will fill some of the excess space between your body and the suit jacket, allowing for a better fit.
You should still strive to choose a suit in an appropriate size for your body. While wearing an undershirt can help if your suit is too big, it's not a substitution for a properly sized suit. For the best fit, consider ordering a custom-sized suit, such as those sold here at StudioSuits.
#4) Protects Against Perspiration Stains
Everyone sweats. Perspiration is part of the human body's natural cooling process. When you get hot, your body will release some of its built-up heat by sweating. Unfortunately, sweat or perspiration such as this can lead to stains on your button-up dress shirt or even your suit jacket.
If you're worried about perspiration stains, you should wear an undershirt. An undershirt won't stop your body from sweating, but it will absorb any sweat so that it doesn't stain your button-up dress shirt or suit.
#5) Protects Against Deodorant Stains
In addition to preventing perspiration stains, wearing an undershirt can protect against deodorant stains. You'll probably want to wear deodorant to minimize underarm perspiration. Statistics, in fact, indicate that 80% to 90% of men wear deodorant on a daily basis. While deodorant can reduce perspiration, it may stain the armpits of your button-up dress shirt.
You can protect your button-up dress shirt from deodorant stains by wearing an undershirt. With an undershirt, the deodorant won't even touch your button-up dress shirt. Therefore, you won't have to worry about deodorant stains.
It's important to note that your undershirt may develop either perspiration or deodorant stains. The stains won't be visible, assuming you wear a button-up dress shirt. Nonetheless, you should wash your undershirt to remove any stains such as these.
#6) Slimmer Appearance
A little-known benefit of wearing an undershirt with a suit is its ability to create a slimmer appearance. It won't miraculously shed pounds from your waistline, nor it will otherwise affect the size of your body. An undershirt will, however, create the illusion of a slimmer appearance.
By wearing an undershirt, you'll look slimmer. This is because undershirts, when worn, create padding between your body and your button-up dress and suit jacket. As it fills the excess space in your outfit, it will make you look slimmer.
#7) Warmth and Thermal Insulation
For increased warmth and thermal insulation, you'll need to wear an undershirt with your suit. When the temperature begins to drop, a traditional suit outfit may fail to keep you warm. An undershirt adds another layer to your suit outfit, allowing you to stay warm throughout the otherwise cold weather.
Along with wearing an undershirt, you can stay warm by choosing a suit made of a warm and thick material. Wool suits, for example, are popular during the cold months of the year because they offer greater warmth and thermal insulation than suits made of other materials. For the warmer months of the year, you may want to choose a linen suit. Linen is lighter and more breathable than wool, so it's a better choice for the cooler months of the year. But if you're searching for a suit to wear when it's cold outside, you can't go wrong with wool. Just remember to wear an undershirt with it for maximum warmth and thermal insulation.
