The Over-Under On Shirts

8 min readOct 13, 2022

Undershirts, overshirts, why can’t shirts just be shirts anymore?

There’s actually always been a distinction between these garments, but if you’re like most men, you’ve spent your life oblivious to these terms and the clothing they refer to. Thankfully, this guide will break it down and immediately level up your style if you put this knowledge to practice!

So, what’s an undershirt?

An undershirt is exactly what it sounds like AND MORE!

When it comes to dress shirts, it’s not uncommon for men to wear a layer between their skin and said garment to protect it from sweat and natural oils. This can protect the dress shirt and enhance its longevity. As we’ve all surely experienced, enough sweat stains renders them unwearable.

Ultimately an undershirt is an undergarment, and like other types of underwear, they should remain unseen. An unfortunate number of men don’t realize this and opt to stuff any ol’ tee under their dress shirts, which don’t remain as covert as they ought to.

For the undershirt — whether a plain hanes or a tanktop — to be perceptible is a blight on any man’s appearance. It will unequivocally detract from the perception of competence and capability he was probably trying to convey in wearing a dress shirt in the first place.

The only way it get worse is…

This is, as the kids say, “an automatic L.”

Yup, when you flaunt it. That’s how it gets worse. Having your undershirt visibly print beneath your dress shirt is an accident, an honest mistake. Does it make you appear less competent? Absolutely.

But is that as bad as DELIBERATELY showcasing it over the unbuttoned collar of your dress shirt? Not. Even. Close.

Trying to incorporate your undershirt as part of the outfit conveys poor decision making and social ineptitude — which is a far worse liability than style ineptitude. This aesthetic is the visual equivalent of that awkward friend you can’t bring anywhere because he kills vibe every damn time.

No matter how perfectly-fitted, color-coordinated, and well-composed an ensemble may be, the undershirt poking over the top is an automatic -2 points on a 10 scale.

The Solution

Okay, so how does one protect their clothes from sweat stains without looking like a doofus? Surely there’s a way.

Indeed there is: deep-v, flesh-toned undershirts! These are properly designed as an undergarment and remain appropriately covert.

A deep v-neck will prevent these shirts from showing, even when multiple buttons of your dress shirt are left open. Furthermore, choosing a color similar to your skin tone will prevent the debacles depicted above. And of course a trim, Under Armour-esque fit prevents additional bulk from marring the contours of your dress shirt.

My first recommendation is from Sloane; aside from being the pioneers of these products, and offering the highest quality, they’re the only ones who bother to accommodate melanated complexions — which definitely warrants support.

Sloane: The Invisible Undershirt

While these are worth every bit of the investment, a lot of guys who haven’t delved into this problem are a little turned off by the $38 price tag (including tax and shipping). For men with fairer skin and leaner wallets, this budget option from Uniqlo is a great choice as well. And it’s s bit more breathable for those who run hot.

Uniqlo: Airism Mesh V-Neck

Suffice it to say, if you find yourself wearing a shirt under your shirt, investing in an invisible undershirt will be an immediate and dramatic upgrade to your current style and presentation.

Alternatively, you can skip the protective layer altogether and just sweat in your shirts. Nothing lasts forever. But if you plan on wearing an undershirt, just do it the right way for god’s sake!

So what should I do with my plain tees?

Now that you’ve graduated from stuffing them under your button ups, it’s time to start wearing them as they were intended: as actual shirts!

For me, that apparently necessitates cloudy days and a field jacket.

Case closed.

But wait! I know I’ve seen a stylish outfit with a solid tee under a button shirt somewhere…

Yes, you have. Wearing tees as a base layer underneath an open or semi-open button up shirt, no less. And it was aesthetic. What gives?

This man looks stylish, yet his “undershirt” is visible. What gives?

Now would be a good time to recap: a visible undershirt with a dress shirt is a bad move 100% of the time. In fact the only good undershirts are ones that won’t print against the dress shirt and has a deep enough V-neck so as not to show atop it. Tee shirts are simply not up to the task.

Tee shirts are, however, a legitimate base layer for casual outfits. They look great under sweaters, jackets, and shirt-jackets or overshirts.

Taylor Stitch: The Yosimite Shirt

Rugged and handsome; the shirt’s not bad either.

This style has its roots in rugged blue-collar workwear and rural apparel, but is a part of the general American male fashion vernacular. In fact, its influence is present even in streetwear subcultures far removed from hands-on labor.

H&M: Twill Overshirt

One indicator of an overshirt’s categorization is that they typically have two chest pockets and are woven from a thicker, rougher material than a shirt you’d actually want on your bare skin. Just as tee shirts are base layers, not undergarments — overshirts are layering pieces, not base layers.

Taking this a step further, we have shirt-jackets, which are exactly what they sound like: jacket-weight garments constructed like shirts. These often feature additional lining to bolster insulation.

Everlane: Fleece-Lined Overshirt

Banana Republic: Corduroy Chore Coat

Faherty: Blanket-Lined CPO

So while these shirt jackets, overshirts. chore coats, CPO’s — whatever — are worn over tees and bear some resemblance to a proper shirt, they are a different beast altogether. These look all the better when the tee shirt is a visible component of the outfit. In fact, overshirts look pretty awful when the base tee is hidden and they’re misconstrued as an actual shirt.

The moral of the story — if this dead horse hasn’t been beat enough — is that tee shirts aren’t undergarments and overshirts aren’t shirts. So style them accordingly.

Okay, but then why have I seen guys style tees under flannel shirts without looking stupid?

At this point, we are diving deep in our quest for style knowledge. If your attention is waning, and you walk away understanding the difference between undershirts, tee shirts, and overshirts you will leave this article a more stylish man.

But if you absolutely must get to the bottom of how flannel button up shirts are somehow the exception to the rule, then you must first learn to distinguish a dress shirt from a sport shirt.

Sport shirts are casual tops that are buttoned and collared, but vary from their dressier counterparts in every other respect. Their collars will be shorter and/or flimsier; the fabric will be rougher, more textured, and boldly patterned in comparison; some can be worn untucked.

Before the advent of tee shirts and the hyper-casualization of menswear, sport shirts were regarded as tee shirts are now — something to wear off-duty, when you aren’t dressed to impress.

Of course, nowadays, any shirt that has buttons and a collar is seen as dressy. And because most men are unfamiliar with traditional clothing etiquette, they misconstrue sport shirts to be dress shirts.

Elevated, stylish, and “dressy” — but not “dress shirts”.

Most folks legitimately don’t perceive the difference between wearing a tee under a dress shirt and wearing one beneath an overshirt. Which, as we now know, is are two very different propositions.

So when it comes to flannel shirting, things get a bit interesting. Flannel is not a genre of shirt, but a material that can be used to make dress shirts, sport shirts, overshirts, and shirt jackets (among many other things). Obviously the latter two are layering pieces, yet sport shirts can actually serve as a versatile hybrid.

Which is to say a flannel sport shirt works great as a base layer atop chinos or jeans, but can also be worn open over a tee shirt.

Bonobos: Stretch Lightweight Flannel Shirt

Cozy lightweight flannel for transitional weather.

That bring us to our final point: other sport shirts made from sturdy (rather than fine) fabrics can double up as layering pieces to be worn over a tee. Take denim and chambray, for instance.