Author Topic: Men's Undershirts  (Read 9168 times)

freeazabird

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Men's Undershirts
« on: May 19, 2016, 07:34:21 AM »
My husband burns through undershirts at an alarming rate and it expensive. Are undershirt necessary for men? Is there an alternative?

Warlord1986

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2016, 07:57:33 AM »
Dunno 'bout for men, but I've worn t-shirts under my collared shirts. A white dress shirt, or a light pink or blue will show my bra, and I really don't want that. T-shirts are inexpensive and the ones I own have lasted for years.

Chris22

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2016, 08:07:54 AM »
My husband burns through undershirts at an alarming rate and it expensive. Are undershirt necessary for men? Is there an alternative?

Burns through?  How?  Expensive?  What are you buying, a 6-pack of Hanes at Kohls is usually buy 1/get one 50% off, works out to be like $35.  There are probably even better deals at Costco, not sure.

Are undershirts necessary?  I think so, under a dress shirt.  Keeps the dress shirt clean (better to burn through $3 undershirts than dress shirts) and if he's a sweater, keeps the pits clean. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2016, 08:13:36 AM »
An undershirt is a t-shirt.  Usually just a cheaply made one.  When you say your husband 'burns through them' what do you mean?  He's wearing several each day and you have to do lots of laundry?  He's throwing them out after each use?

I wear undershirts beneath a dress shirt in winter for warmth, or in summer for warmth (because of ridiculous office A/C levels).  They're handy because keeping a layer between your shirt and your skin seems to allow multiple uses of a dress shirt without it getting stinky and needing a wash, so there's less ironing . . . which is always a good thing.  They also keep sweat from staining light coloured shirts.  Undershirts can be worn until they're pretty ratty since nobody actually sees them, so they tend to last a really long time.

mak1277

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2016, 08:28:56 AM »
Yes, undershirts should be a mandatory item for men under a standard dress shirt. 

J Boogie

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2016, 08:58:07 AM »
I went from wearing undershirts to wearing beaters about 10 years ago.  Not sure if they're cheaper, but it is less fabric.  I like that they fit tight around your body while the dress shirt is loose.  Two loose shirts can be uncomfortable for me and occasionally need adjustment.  So the beater is my go to.  I always reach for the newer beaters, but an older and slightly less elastic beater is just fine in a pinch.

If you need armpit sweat protection, might not be a great way to go.  But I sweat mostly on my back, and beaters are WAY more comfortable to get sweaty in than regular undershirts for me.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2016, 09:03:30 AM »
My husband really likes the Stafford all cotton ones at JCPenny.   He wears a polo-style shirt daily, and I think for a put together look, the undershirt is necessary.

They are extra long, which means they are tuckable even after they shrink with wear.  They are heavier weight than the Hanes are, so they don't get holes as quickly.

The packs are 4 shirts for $28, and are almost always buy 1 get 1 half off.  If you use the frequently mailed out $10 off coupon, it comes to $4 a shirt.


He gets 8 new ones every year, the sweat stains just get really disgusting.  But in lean times, we could stretch them out longer, because the shirt is still in good condition. (And often I cut the arms off and use the fabric to make myself a tank top.)

« Last Edit: May 19, 2016, 09:14:38 AM by iowajes »

TheMoneyWizard

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2016, 09:05:27 AM »
My husband burns through undershirts at an alarming rate and it expensive. Are undershirt necessary for men? Is there an alternative?

Burns through?  How?  Expensive?  What are you buying, a 6-pack of Hanes at Kohls is usually buy 1/get one 50% off, works out to be like $35.  There are probably even better deals at Costco, not sure.

Are undershirts necessary?  I think so, under a dress shirt.  Keeps the dress shirt clean (better to burn through $3 undershirts than dress shirts) and if he's a sweater, keeps the pits clean.
I've been putting off replacing my undershirts for a while, because I too find them absurdly expensive. I'll check out the Kohls tip... I've had a hard time finding them for less than $5 a shirt which seems absolutely ridiculous.

mak1277

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2016, 09:13:22 AM »
My husband burns through undershirts at an alarming rate and it expensive. Are undershirt necessary for men? Is there an alternative?

Burns through?  How?  Expensive?  What are you buying, a 6-pack of Hanes at Kohls is usually buy 1/get one 50% off, works out to be like $35.  There are probably even better deals at Costco, not sure.

Are undershirts necessary?  I think so, under a dress shirt.  Keeps the dress shirt clean (better to burn through $3 undershirts than dress shirts) and if he's a sweater, keeps the pits clean.
I've been putting off replacing my undershirts for a while, because I too find them absurdly expensive. I'll check out the Kohls tip... I've had a hard time finding them for less than $5 a shirt which seems absolutely ridiculous.

A quick look on Amazon shows multiple options for under $3/shirt.

johnmyster

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2016, 09:37:04 AM »
I just retired a set of six black ones that lasted me over 4 years.  Wear one every day and wash after each wearing.  Do the math.  I have a few white ones that go under white dress shirts.  Now they are handy rags.

Mainly I wanted to go down a size due to weight loss.  They had more life in them.  Went back with the same brand.

They're Calvin Klein from TJMaxx.  They're more than the Hanes ones I used to use, but last FAR longer, feel better, and fade less. 

JJ-

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2016, 09:37:49 AM »
Undershirts aren't a necessity but they're pretty close. If you're in a hot climate or are prone to sweating, they keep you from sweating all over the pits of the nicer shirt, or staining them over time. You want one under your dress shirt for sure, especially the lighter colored ones.

forummm

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2016, 10:00:04 AM »
I'm not sure what your husband is doing to his shirts, but I've had mine for maybe 10-15 years and they're still going strong. Probably paid about $10 for 6 at some place like Target. Have about 25 of them. I wash them after one wear so I don't have to wash my dress shirts as often. Mine have deodorant buildup that's discolored under the arms, but no one sees it under my other shirt.

tarheeldan

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2016, 10:17:01 AM »
Fruit of the Loom 6-pack V-necks at Walmart ~$15. I think they last longer than Hanes.

Bruinguy

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2016, 10:56:11 AM »
In my experience, the undershirts help the regular shirt last longer.  I go through 5-10 undershirts a year, but my dress shirts are lasting 5+ years.

freeazabird

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2016, 11:57:25 AM »
Wow, I cannot believe how few undershirts others use. My husband probably goes through at least 40-50 a year. He uses deodorant and not anti-perspirant (for health reasons) and sweats a lot. His shirts become disgustingly stinky after 1-2 months wear and need replacing. I have tried tips for cleaning online and nothing works. They are just goners after a couple of months.

J Boogie

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2016, 12:07:25 PM »
Even bleach does not work? This is incredible.  I've never had any garment that came out of the laundry smelling bad.

Avoiding red meat is often recommended to curb BO.  There are other foods that contribute to BO but none are quite as notorious as red meat.


freeazabird

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #16 on: May 19, 2016, 12:12:03 PM »
I bleach every time. I make my own laundry detergent that cleans all our other clothes beautifully. My husband probably eats one serving of red meat every few months. I kinda hate admitting that....I guess that means he's just a stinker :-(

Bruinguy

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #17 on: May 19, 2016, 12:16:21 PM »
Wow, I cannot believe how few undershirts others use. My husband probably goes through at least 40-50 a year. He uses deodorant and not anti-perspirant (for health reasons) and sweats a lot. His shirts become disgustingly stinky after 1-2 months wear and need replacing. I have tried tips for cleaning online and nothing works. They are just goners after a couple of months.

Maybe he is just more active in his work than some of us. 

Chris22

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #18 on: May 19, 2016, 12:17:21 PM »
Wow, I cannot believe how few undershirts others use. My husband probably goes through at least 40-50 a year. He uses deodorant and not anti-perspirant (for health reasons) and sweats a lot. His shirts become disgustingly stinky after 1-2 months wear and need replacing. I have tried tips for cleaning online and nothing works. They are just goners after a couple of months.

Seriously?  Do you wash in huge batches?  The ONLY times I've ever had an issue with clean clothes smelling are when the loads were too big to get properly cleaned or the wet loads were allowed to sit before being dried.  I wear rubber boots working in the yard, after 5-6 hours of sweating in a rubber boot, the socks that come off are absolutely putrid, and they wash up just fine. 

You say you make your own laundry soap is it, uh, any good?  Maybe try some commercial stuff?

GuitarStv

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #19 on: May 19, 2016, 12:17:54 PM »
I've never had a piece of laundry that needed to be thrown out because of smell.  That includes thick cotton Jiu-Jitsu gis that regularly become so saturated in sweat you can wring them out.  There's something funny going on with your husband's deodorant or washing process.  50 shirts a year is crazy.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2016, 12:20:26 PM »
Wow, I cannot believe how few undershirts others use. My husband probably goes through at least 40-50 a year. He uses deodorant and not anti-perspirant (for health reasons) and sweats a lot. His shirts become disgustingly stinky after 1-2 months wear and need replacing. I have tried tips for cleaning online and nothing works. They are just goners after a couple of months.

Maybe he is just more active in his work than some of us.

Throwing out 50 shirts a year due to smell is kind of crazy though. That's almost a shirt a week! I measure my shirts in years, not days.

Even my husband's stinkiest workout shirts usually come fresh if I wash them alone in vinegar. And it takes quite awhile to get to where that special wash is needed.

freeazabird

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2016, 12:25:14 PM »
I'm not sure I've  tried vinegar before. I'll give it a try and see if it works, thanks! This whole stinky thing costs us a lot of money. We have to buy special soap that's $5 a bar just for him get fully clean. Trying to find ways where we can save.

GuitarStv

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2016, 12:25:21 PM »
Really stinky martial arts stuff responds well to:

- Multiple washes (occasionally another run through might be necessary)
- Soaking in a cup or two of vinegar/water for a couple hours before washing
- Soaking in oxyclean/water for a couple hours before washing
- Hang in the sun to dry if at all possible

Also - If you take off a shirt and it's wet with sweat, don't curl it into a ball and throw it in a corner/laundry hamper.  You need to hang it somewhere and let that stuff dry out so bacteria doesn't grow like crazy.  Bacteria is usually what makes stuff stink, the less that you grow on your shirts the easier it is to get them clean.

GuitarStv

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #23 on: May 19, 2016, 12:28:22 PM »
Is your husband using some kind of weird deodorant?  Some home made recipes can be very heavy on oils, which can clog up in shirts.  It can be very difficult to get thicker grease/oil out of stuff.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #24 on: May 19, 2016, 12:31:30 PM »
I'm not sure I've  tried vinegar before. I'll give it a try and see if it works, thanks! This whole stinky thing costs us a lot of money. We have to buy special soap that's $5 a bar just for him get fully clean. Trying to find ways where we can save.

If you are making your own detergent, I would consider buying it instead. What you spend in detergent you will likely save in clothes

forummm

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #25 on: May 19, 2016, 12:34:27 PM »
Agree. Nothing should come out of a modern washer still smelling bad. I think the washing is the source of the problem here. Do other clothes smell bad too after a wash? Sometimes people let their washers get mildewy and you just need to clean the washer out.

Try an experiment and spend $10 on a bottle Tide. And follow washer loading guidelines for size of the load. If you can save a few hundred bucks a year on shirts, it's worth a few extra bucks for detergent.

forummm

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #26 on: May 19, 2016, 12:39:00 PM »
Another idea. Use the extra long soak setting. Our washer has a cycle that gets everything wet and agitates it for a bit and then lets it soak for 20 minutes. That would let the detergent (and bleach or vinegar) have time to work on things. And then it goes through the normal washing cycle from there.

mtn

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #27 on: May 19, 2016, 12:47:40 PM »
I bleach every time. I make my own laundry detergent that cleans all our other clothes beautifully. My husband probably eats one serving of red meat every few months. I kinda hate admitting that....I guess that means he's just a stinker :-(

And I think we've found the problem. I used homemade detergent for 2 loads, and realized it didn't work. Tide/Kirkland for me.

big_owl

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #28 on: May 19, 2016, 12:53:18 PM »
I bleach every time. I make my own laundry detergent that cleans all our other clothes beautifully. My husband probably eats one serving of red meat every few months. I kinda hate admitting that....I guess that means he's just a stinker :-(

I have this problem with my "sleep shirts"...which are basically just cheap t-shirts that I sleep in.  I get them free every time I order bbing supplements and they become motorcycle grease/oil rags when they smell too much so I don't mind continually getting new ones.  The key is to avoid cotton shirts.  Not sure what kind he's wearing, but if it's just cheap standard hanes cotton tees then that probably is a big reason why.  They just seem to hold on to the smell.  Get somewhat more expensive synthetic ones and I bet the problem goes away.  Plus those are easier to dry. 

ETA and what's that homemade stuff?  We tried using a homemade vinegar mix detergent and it just made all my tees smell like cat piss so we went back to regular old Meyers soap.  Smells much better.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2016, 12:54:49 PM by big_owl »

Fireball

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #29 on: May 19, 2016, 12:55:46 PM »
What you're describing is very common in the hiking & running community where eventually a shirt develops an odor that will not go away.  Sometimes treating the area with white vinegar will work, and Mirazyme will often work as well.  Sometimes nothing will work. 

With that said, nothing beats the power of wool for its anti-stink properties.  Three days a week my undershirt is a 200wt 100% merino wool T-shirt that I paid about $25 for.  I don't wash it in between days.  Zero smell until about the 3rd day when it starts to pick up a slight odor. I could probably wear it longer and no one else smell it, but if I can smell it, then it's time to change shirts.  Give it a shot.

P.S. - Depending on the type your husband wears, deodorant can build up and contribute to the stink mightily. The spray works best for not causing the build up, but that may not be a possibility in this case.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #30 on: May 19, 2016, 01:04:23 PM »
The key is to avoid cotton shirts.  Not sure what kind he's wearing, but if it's just cheap standard hanes cotton tees then that probably is a big reason why.  They just seem to hold on to the smell.  Get somewhat more expensive synthetic ones and I bet the problem goes away.  Plus those are easier to dry. 


The opposite problem exists in my house. Cotton the smell goes out. Synthetic needs a vinegar wash every 3-4 months.

GuitarStv

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #31 on: May 19, 2016, 01:15:46 PM »
Yeah, I've also found that synthetic wicking material shirts tend to hold on to stink much more.  Wool and bamboo stuff are both excellent for not smelling much.

big_owl

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #32 on: May 19, 2016, 01:30:50 PM »
The key is to avoid cotton shirts.  Not sure what kind he's wearing, but if it's just cheap standard hanes cotton tees then that probably is a big reason why.  They just seem to hold on to the smell.  Get somewhat more expensive synthetic ones and I bet the problem goes away.  Plus those are easier to dry. 


The opposite problem exists in my house. Cotton the smell goes out. Synthetic needs a vinegar wash every 3-4 months.

Who knows, I have the opposite problem.  I will agree that wool is a good choice.  Most of my mountaineering undergarments are wool and they can be de-stinked pretty easily. 

Patagonia makes a good line of underwear briefs that are antimicrobial and I've had excellent luck with them though they are like $20/pr.  They probably have undershirts of the same material. 

FinancialIndependent

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #33 on: May 23, 2016, 09:11:34 AM »
I wear undershirts daily.  I tend to sweat when it gets warm, and they help keep me cool and from sweating through my outer shirt. 

I would reconsider using the homemade soap.  While many people see homemade soap as a tool to save money, in many cases you would save more in the long-run by using a good quality detergent.  Modern detergents are far superior in removing dirt, stains and odors than homemade soap concoctions.  Modern detergents also help your clothes last longer. 

Better-quality detergents contain multiple enzymes to attack protein-based stains such as sweat, blood/body fluids/sweat, grass and many food stains.  Liquid detergents help remove body oils that we leave behind on those garments that are worn close to the skin.  They contain anti-redeposition agents that suspend soil in the water during the wash cycle and keep them from re-depositing on clothes.  They contain bleaching agents that whiten your clothes and optical brightening agents that keep whites looking whiter and colors looking brighter.  They also contain agents to keep your colors from fading as quickly.  Tide and Persil are great detergents, but are often the most expensive unless you find them on sale ($0.25/load on average pre-sale price).  There are other great detergents that generally work just as well for about 1/2 the price.  Member's Mark liquid detergent by Sam's Club and Kirkland Signature detergent from Costco are rated by Consumer Reports to clean almost as well as Tide and they are quite reasonably priced. 

The problem with homemade soap is that it contains real soap - something that doesn't do well in hard water and lower wash temperatures.  In order for soap to be effective, you must have hot enough water to allow the soap to get into the fabric and release dirt and stains from clothing.  This takes a lot of heat and a lot of water to do it effectively.  Soap works better in top-loading machines than it does in traditional non-HE front-loading machines because they use so much water.  You must also rinse your clothes aggressively in order to get all of the soap out of the fabric.  This requires 2 - 3 hot (or at least warm rinses).  Most washing machines use cold rinses.  If you use a cold rinse directly after a warm wash using pure soap, the fibers of your clothing constrict and trap in the soap and all of the gunk that was removed from the fabric during the wash cycle.  This can cause clothes to become yellow or gray over time, and have a musty or "BO" smell. 

Water temperature is also a major factor in cleaning clothes.  Cold water washing is quite popular these days due to cost and/or environmental concerns, but it cannot always get the job done on tough stains and smells.  Normal human body temperature is 98.6F.  It's at this temperature that body oils and sweat get stuck into our clothes.  If you are washing these garments in cold water that ranges from 45 - 65 degrees, it is going to be difficult to remove these types of stains from clothing.  The warmer the temperature of the water, the easier it is to remove stains and general nastiness from clothes. 

I really like the Kirkland undershirts from Costco.  They are normally priced at $19.99 for a six-pack, but go on sale twice per year for around $15.00.   The ones I'm wearing now I've had for almost two years, and they are still in great shape! 

freeazabird

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #34 on: May 23, 2016, 10:17:01 PM »
I'm back to update you all. The suggestion to add vinegar to the wash worked! Thanks So much.

Laserjet3051

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #35 on: May 24, 2016, 09:48:32 AM »
I have never worn an undershirt beneath a dress/work shirt ever in my adult life. I don't own any and dont ever recall buying one. My work/dress shirts last a long time (years).  I prefer to wear as little clothing as possible, that which serves a utilitarian purpose can be justified; undershirts are not in this class. Living in socal, when not engaged in work, sports, or the like, I typically limit clothing to a pair of shorts.

Chris22

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Re: Men's Undershirts
« Reply #36 on: May 24, 2016, 10:37:45 AM »
I have never worn an undershirt beneath a dress/work shirt ever in my adult life. I don't own any and dont ever recall buying one. My work/dress shirts last a long time (years).  I prefer to wear as little clothing as possible, that which serves a utilitarian purpose can be justified; undershirts are not in this class. Living in socal, when not engaged in work, sports, or the like, I typically limit clothing to a pair of shorts.

It really depends on sweat.  If you're not a person that sweats a lot, an undershirt is superfluous.  If you do sweat a lot, an undershirt is invaluable.