Wifebeaters?

[Packin' Heat]

I wonder if someone would take pity on my rather provincial grasp of such things, but provide a list of what this type of undergarment is called in each major geographic location? Ie. Europe, England, US., Canada, Oz, NZ and whichever other local is appropriate?

The term 'wifebeaters' just gags me.

I'm talking about civilized names as in what one would ask for in a men's shop.

Ta.

Clothing manufacturers use the term "a-shirt."

 

[RobT]

As I previously mentioned, I see vests & singlets as the same item, having no sleeves. The garment with very short sleeves and three buttons at the front, I refer to as a "grandad shirt".

 

[Hal]

As I previously mentioned, I see vests & singlets as the same item.

I see singlet (the subject-matter of this thread) as a subset of vest.

The garment with very short sleeves and three buttons at the front, I refer to as a "grandad shirt".

This undergarment can also have long sleeves. Grandad shirt often also refers to a collarless shirt.
No doubt the meaning of such terms varies with time, place and even with the age of the user!

 

[Edward]

No doubt the meaning of such terms varies with time, place and even with the age of the user!

Indeed. I remember well one day about twelve years ago, my eyes nearly falling out of my head when a young, Australian lady then of my acquaintance told me that she'd once been asked to leave a pub, 'when [she] was only wearing thongs'. Of course, she then explained that in Aus, a 'thong' is a flip flop, rather than, er... a [¡]thong[/¡].

 

[shortbow]

Thanks Gents. So far, I will go for Singlet in UK and A Shirt for the US.

Now, Oz and Europe please?

Either of those sure beats:eusa_doh: wifebeater.

 

[avedwards]

I never wear any form of undershirt because I rarely see any need to. If I'm cold and want an extra layer I would rather wear a warm overcoat as I can take that off when I go indoors to a heated room. I've never experienced any problems with sweat stains on my shirts because I wear a clean shirt every day in summer. I've been doing this for years and none of my shirts have any stains - even my white shirts are as white as the day they were bought and my oldest ones are ones my father wore twenty years ago.

Maybe it also helps me that the UK is relatively temperate compared to the US and Australia so our warmest days in summer may even be cold by some people's standards.

The other reason I don't wear sleeveless vests (vest being undershirt in the UK just to clarify) is because I associate them with workmen, or people who earn a living through hard manual labour. I am not prejudiced against these people, rather I respect the jobs they do and would feel like I was trying too hard to look like them if I wore a sleevelss vest. I'm tall and thin and whilst I don't mind getting my hands dirty when neccessary I am not built for manual labour and am unlikely to earn a living doing it in the future. I realise this is a slightly irrational personal feeling, but it is a big reason why I don't wear vests.

 

[Hal]

The other reason I don't wear sleeveless vests (vest being undershirt in the UK just to clarify) is because I associate them with workmen, or people who earn a living through hard manual labour. I am not prejudiced against these people, rather I respect the jobs they do and would feel like I was trying too hard to look like them if I wore a sleevelss vest. I'm tall and thin and whilst I don't mind getting my hands dirty when neccessary I am not built for manual labour and am unlikely to earn a living doing it in the future. I realise this is a slightly irrational personal feeling, but it is a big reason why I don't wear vests.

I have already given my reasons for wearing a sleeveless vest (singlet) in summer, but would never wear one not covered by a shirt.

 

[StetsonHomburg]

I never wore one but they do like nice for just lounging around the house

 

[HHCassius]

My wife hipped me to the term "A-shirt", but somehow, it just SOUNDS lame. I dig "singlet", as vest to me means a sweater vest or the innermost part of a three-piece suit. BTW, I'm wearing one right now. Apparently I'm the spitting image of the grandfather I never met, and I hear he used to wear them. I started wearing them in college, and while I still dig v-neck T-shirts, I just find that singlets are quite versatile in regards to my expanding and contracting waistline.

Regarding undershirts in general, I feel their function is to absorb whatever bodily secretions come from one's skin, be it sweat or sebum (the oil that secretes from one's skin). It helps preserve an outer shirt from necessarily needing to be washed after the first wear. And the same way I believe it's improper to see the outline of a woman's nipples poking out, I feel it looks disgusting to see the outline of a man's nipples in a golf shirt because he's not wearing an undershirt. And being a more stout gentleman at this stage in life, I think the insulation against seeing the silhouette of my navel from the outside is definitely a good thing.

I have always just found it more proper to wear an undershirt as a sign of almost hygiene.

 

[Michael Carter]

I wouldn't be caught dead in a wifebeater. I wear t-shirts and have ever since I was an Air Force member. Always under a short and long sleeved shirt, and sometimes even under a polo shirt depending upon the fit.

 

[docneg]

I find the term "slobbish drunk husband with food stains on his vest " to be highly offensive and see it as a put down to all slobbish drunk husbands with food stains on their vests.

I'd shake your hand if I wasn't laughing so hard.

 

[Packin' Heat]

Anyone know where I can order 1930's styles of these?

 

[Charlie74]

Only as an undershirt. I realized long ago my tanktop days were over

 

[Packin' Heat]

I guess not.