Undershirts have around for 100+ years. They were invented by the US Navy as something the troops could functionally wear while working. They were functional and effective. The short sleeves kept you cool. The cotton was relatively light. It was an inexpensive piece of clothing, so it wasn’t a big deal if it got dirty or stained. It could be cheaply replaced. The undershirt progressed from the Navy to the masses. They were manufactured in bulk and became a stable for dads doing yard work on warm Saturday afternoons. I can vividly remember my dad sweating completely through his Hanes undershirt while digging holes in the back yard. Undershirts Solve Problems As the years went on it adjusted to be an item worn under clothing. It was functional and to most effective. It absorbed potentially embarrassing sweat. It kept the outer fabric off your skin, which could sometimes be scratchy and irritating. In absorbing body soils it would allow button down shirts to last longer. It solved important issues for guys What has happened is the functionality of the undershirt has overshadowed what it does to style. There are downsides of the undershirt and they don’t go unnoticed by others. People are put in situations where they have to decide between the hit to their style versus the consequences of not having an undershirt. They choose the undershirt. Even Obama chooses an undershirt! There are so many stories of situation where undershirts are critical. Do you want perspiration to show through your button down during critical moments? Work meetings? A date? A wedding? Out at a cool club with friends? Absolutely not! Here is Mario Lopez (aka. SLATER!) sweating through his button down at an incredibly hot pre-awards show event. No One is Immune I was notorious for sweating ever since I was a kid. I would bring a change of clothes to dances because I would sweat through what I originally wore. If I got anxious in the least bit I would start sweating. If the temperature was above 73 degrees outside I would start sweating. It was incredibly embarrassing and I definitely have scarring stories over the years. An undershirt was a necessity for me to keep these incidences to a minimum. I wore undershirts with everything. Work. Dinner. Drinking. Dancing. Here I am at a cool club in Hollywood with a business school friend. Rocking the wife beater. It was either this look or risking the sexy sweaty guy look. 96 million guys wear undershirts. Most have the same need for it to functionally work for them. The upside of the undershirt is bigger than the downside in that people can see the undershirt underneath their nice polos or button downs. Style is sacrificed for function. It’s time that guys own their style and look their absolute best. White cotton undershirts are functional, but they are not stylish. It's time that form and function unite. There's a better way! 
The White Undershirt: Functional Savior to Style Killer
