Undershirts
6Our sale on t-shirts reminded me that I'm wanting to replace the t-shirts I wear as undershirts. In large part this is motivated by me having lost a lot of weight over the past 10 months, about 70 to 75 lbs. (as a comparison, last fall I was buying Meh shirts in size XXL; this time around I bought M). I've always found undershirts to be terribly annoying to purchase. Generally the sleeves are too long, so if one is wearing a short sleeved shirt, the undershirt will protrude beyond the outer shirt's sleeve. Also, the shirts tend to not be long enough in the torso, so the body of the shirt comes un-tucked easily. It's pretty annoying to feel a shirt roaming freely inside another shirt. Of course, the shirts are sold pre-packaged in sealed plastic bags, so it's difficult to really check them out and try before purchasing them (not that I'd really want to try on any sort of undergarment after someone else).
I measured the medium undershirt I wore today and it had sleeves that were 7.5 inches from the top of the seam along the shoulder to the cuff; I'd say 5 inches would be a better number. The torso looked to measure about 23 inches at its longest; 26 or 27 would seem better. Of course, this is an older shirt, so it might have shrunk some over time.
Since these can prove to be tricky to purchase, I decided to call upon the collective wisdom (?) of my fellow Mehricans. Have you found any brand of t-shirt/undershirt that adequately addresses these problems?
Also, if any Mediocre employees know of any extra cracked flask shirts in size medium laying around the office, I'd love to swap out my now too-large shirt! 😉
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Congratulations, that couldn't have been easy. At places like Ross or Marshall's sometimes you can open the packages (covertly) and check them out. Or maybe Goodwill or thrift stores to get a sense of the dimensions and make note of the brand?
Great going !
Re the T shirts : Do guys really wear short sleeve shirts that need Tshirts under them ? I thought that was an old guy thing that no one did anymore. You might want to up your look and stick w/ button downs and roll up the sleeves. Much nicer imo.
@ceagee It, counterintuitively, makes a big difference on hot days, especially days where being outdoors is all it takes to get sweaty. The undershirt will keep you cooler, and keep your outer shirt from getting visibly soaking wet. That's not such an issue this time of year, and I'll probably be wearing more long-sleeve shirts soon anyway. I'll try the roll up, though.
TASC Performance
Feel like cotton got silk pregnant under the bleachers and had an organic bamboo baby.
Don't stink.
Seem to last forever.
@saodell Great description!
@saodell http://www.amazon.com/Tasc-Performance-Carrollton-Running-Shirt/dp/B0068VMENG
Carrollton? The land of meh? Coincidence?
first off, congrats. about 2 years ago, i lost a little over 100 lbs and have kept it all off, so, nice work! just out of curiosity, what did you do to lose the weight?
now, for the shirts, i randomly bought a 3-pack of Puma because they were on the clearance rack. best undershirts i've ever owned.
@carl669 I got ulcers and essentially stopped eating for three months (typically less than 200 calories a day, often much less than that). It was a terrible way to do it, but the end result isn't so bad. I lost another 20 pounds after I finally healed up just because not eating for that long had a similar effect to getting one of those stomach shrinking surgeries. I couldn't eat nearly as much as I used to. The lowest I got was 170 in July, I'm back in the mid-upper 170s now, but still looking thinner as time passes, oddly. I hope I can keep it off! I'm actively working on that now with more healthful food choices and exercise. I have a lot more energy now than I did when I was in the 240s!
I've had pretty good luck with the latest batch of Fruit of the Looms I bought in terms of torso length, but I think their arms are a bit long. I used to swear by Hanes and can attest their sleeves are a bit shorter but it seems like they shrink up in the torso quite a bit. For a while I really enjoyed a couple Gap v neck undershirts, but they've shrunk up as everything does.
I personally love the undershirts that Old Navy and The Gap makes. If you wanna get pricey, I love my Tommy John undershirts. I have always worn undershirts, I just prefer the feeling of them. When I dropped my weight about a years ago (about 65 lbs.) I had a hard time finding what fit me best. The Old Navy brand were inexpensive and quite comfortable.
I agree with @carl669 - Pumas. I have a kid in military school, and undershirts are mandatory. We find them at discount places like Marshall's or Burlington, and they seem nigh indestructible even with the commercial laundry methods used on campus. Year 2 and they still look NICE.
Great job on the weight loss!
I wouldn't recommend the method, though, because that shit hurts bad. (I know that's grammatically incorrect, but that's how it is.)
I like the Hanes, but I buy them one size too large, then after a few washings, they fit well enough.
Congrats on the weight loss!
If I'm wearing a t-shirt, I wear a "beater" under it.. I think the ones I buy are called an A-Shirt. I usually find ones that are labeled to either "stay tucked" or "extra long torso" or something like that.. They work great!
Under jerseys, polos, or button downs, I wear Hanes t-shirts. Some of the ones I have are too short, and some are great, but I don't know the difference in the labeling of them.. So I'm not sure which ones to buy..
Saying congrats on the weight loss feels wrong, because it sounds painful and miserable. So I will say instead, congrats on keeping that weight off! That's all you, baby. Great job!
I usually go with tanks for this exact reason plus that they're thinner, which is nice for the heat
@Lotsofgoats I like having a sleeve, probably because when I was a teenager I had some shirts ruined from antiperspirant stains. I changed brands, but I'm still paranoid about ruining shirts and figure an extra layer is a good barrier.
@jqubed Agree completely. I don't understand the purpose of tanks/A-shirts/beaters as undershirts at all. With no sleeve, there's nothing to stop armpit sweat, which is the biggest benefit of the undershirt. To each their own, but I just don't get it.
Really appreciate this thread! I had been buying Nautica t shirts at Marshalls for about $15 for a three-pack. Then, started buying Jos A Bank tshirts when they had a buy one, get two free. (of course the first pack was $50). Now Jos A Bank only offers "by two, get one free", which increases the price per shirt to about $9 or $10. Too rich in my opinion. And now I've discovered the Nautica shirts are different that what I remember. I guess I'll try the Pumas someone else recommended.
I usually go to Kohls and buy packages. If they don't fit the way I like I return them and try another brand/size. They've always taken them back with no issue. Just keep trying until you find one you like.
@DaveInSoCal TJ Maxx also has a great policy on taking back just about anything you get from them.
Just keep the receipt and packaging and you are good to go. I think the policy is within 30 days same as cash returns and after that TJ Maxx store credit.
Of course with anything at TJ Maxx if you find something you really like it may not be there next time you go there but you could find it somewhere else.
Everyone is different so I won't give my favorite brand which is why I love my TJ Maxx. It is huge and the mark downs are sometimes enormous. Sometimes I can find a Polo 3 pack of heavy duty tees for under $10.
I've been buying tall Stafford undershirts from JCPenney for my husband for 40 years. They seem to lay nicely around the neck. Also come in different weights.
@pooflady Agreed, JCPenney Stafford tall sizes are my brand too. The one negative, the sleeves are too long, and I often have to roll them up. But the torso is nice and long, and they hold up very well.