Undershirts are offered in crew neck and v-neck. Men often have strong opinions on why they like each. We will explore why the v-neck is the best option and considerations that should be made when looking for the right depth and width of the v-neck.
The Crew Neck
The standard crew neck is the standard for undershirts. That's how undershirts were first designed 100 years ago and the majority of what you will see in store. They offer a nice fit at the neck just like a normal t-shirt. Most guys wear this look because it's comfortable and that's what they're used to. I wore this look for most of my life.
The biggest downside of the crew is it's visible. You can clearly see it at the neck. Since it's white it's very noticeable with everything else you're wearing. Many people might not care about that. I think there are many guys that don't know the impression they're giving to others by having their crew neck showing.
The question we asked ourselves when starting Sloane was why would you spend so much on your outfits (button down, pants, shoes, belt, etc) and then people notice your crew neck undershirt that usually costs less than $5? If you're conscious of your style and your appearance you'd want people to notice the items of clothing you're actively buying to look your best.
Crew neck undershirts are considered basic. I don't know what would more clearly show this than a Kia Super Bowl ad from 2016. The main character is depicted as a basic guy who loves boring beige colors. He's standard. It shows him with a crew neck undershirt on.
Here's the full spot. This spot alone will make you not want to wear a white crew neck undershirt or beige socks anymore.
Guys don't want to be basic. They want to stand out for their style and not be noticed for their visible undershirt. This is why the v-neck is the way to go. Within the v-neck space there are a lot of options.
V-Neck Options
In the world of v-neck undershirts there are a lot of options. SNL did a hilarious classic digital short showing ALL the options that guys have for v-necks. These aren't undershirts, but does show the various options on the market.
Now getting back to the v-neck undershirt options available. The 2 that need to be considered are the short standard v-neck and the longer deep v. Our recommendation is going with the longer v for a few reasons.
Short is Visible
The standard v-neck undershirt that you'll get from Hanes and Jockey are shorter. They're made for function and less for style. Many are close to being crew necks because they're so high.
What happens when the undershirt is this high is that it can still be seen at the neck if you have 2 buttons unbuttoned and sometimes one buttoned of your button down. You don't want the undershirt visible at the neck based on what was written above about crew necks.
Here's a perfect example of a stylish buddy of mine. He has a cool button down on and a high v-neck undershirt. You can see that it's very visible at his neck.
Deep-V is Ideal
If you want to avoid this visible look you need to look at a deeper v. It doesn't need to be absurdly deep, but it should be deep enough to not be seen when two buttons are unbuttoned on our button down. You don't have this look all the time, but it's a good rule of thumb because you might want that look when it warms up at least.
Here's a good example of the right depth for a v-neck. It might be a little deeper than you're used to, but it's perfect for whatever style you're trying to pull off.
It has a nice depth and also is wide at the neck. The width make it not visible at the more shoulder area. You can see that this doesn't look ridiculous. It's just deep enough to not show with 2 buttons unbuttoned. And just wide enough that it's not seen on the shoulders. This can be purchased at the Sloane Men website (https://sloanemen.com/products/the-invisible-undershirt?variant=13633345030)
The result of this width and depth is a perfect v-neck. It's ideal because you never have to worry about it. You won't be the beige guy anymore. You can let your style speak for you and not that visible undershirt.
