Undershirts still rebellious?

[TSP13]

As a precoussor to this story I'm sixteen, I don't consider myself to be a teenage rebel or anything, I'm really not even that big into the rocabilly subculture or even the 1950's, but I thought this was a story to share. I usually wear pressed dress shirts, but recently one day I had been sitting around the house all day not doing much of anything and I was only in my undershirt. Around dinner time my parents got home from work and decided we were all going to Cookout, so I put my boots on, touched up my hair and walked outside, and my mom went ballistic! She said I might as well strip down to my boxers if that was all I was wearing, and she doesn't usually complain about things like this. If anything she hates that I overdress all the time and begs me to wear tee-shirts. So apparently white cotton undershirts make the same statement today as they did in the late 1950's to some mother's across the nation.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Rebellious? Not so much. I'd say they would be viewed as inappropriate wear for going out to dinner with the family.

 

[Fastuni]

Funny isn't it?
A white T-Shirt is seen as underwear not to be worn outside,
but put a silly print on it (or if it is any color other than white) and it is the standard clothing for the great majority.

I know people whose "wardrobe" for spring/winter consists solely of various non-white T-Shirts.

 

[Rudie]

I think he was referring to one of those undershirts without sleeves, wasn't he?

 

[herringbonekid]

I think he was referring to one of those undershirts without sleeves, wasn't he?

if we're talking about a sleeveless undershirt (the charmingly named 'wifebeater' in the US or 'vest' in the UK) then i would agree that it's an inappropriate garment for dinner with the family.
if you're a greaser / rockabilly and it's a hot day at the beach and / or you're working under the car then it's acceptable.

 

[Feraud]

She said I might as well strip down to my boxers if that was all I was wearing, and she doesn't usually complain about things like this. If anything she hates that I overdress all the time and begs me to wear tee-shirts.

So she complains about you overdressing all the time but also went ballistic when you wore a tshirt to a cookout? Reminds me why I hated being sixteen.

 

[Fading Fast]

So she complains about you overdressing all the time but also went ballistic when you wore a tshirt to a cookout? Reminds me why I hated being sixteen.

I found this a bit odd too - is her clothing-acceptability meter so refined that it is only a certain type of T-shirt that she finds acceptable? Also, as you mentioned, if you are upset that your kid dresses up too much, then going ballistic when he doesn't seems odd. I'm sure your mom is great - everyones mom has her quirks - but like Feraud, it reminds me of why I prefer being an adult.

 

[Matt Crunk]

I too would like to know just what type of "undershirt" your mom had a problem with.

To me a white tee shirt is just a white tee shirt whether it's worn underneath another shirt or not. Those sold as outerwear may be of a slightly heavier knit than those sold as underwear (shirts sold as underwear are usually cheaper), and may have a round neck instead of a v-neck, but for all practical purposes they are both just tee shirts. I often wear a plain white tee shirt in the summertime, paired with jeans, chinos or shorts, as very casual "weekend" attire, and have no problem wearing it anywhere I'd wear a colored tee shirt.

Now, as another poster already stated, a ribbed tank top or "wifebeater" would be a different story.

By the way, I once heard that the reason they're called "tank" tops today is because WWII era tank crews would wear them sans an outer shirt because it would get so hot inside the tanks. Any truth to that?

 

[smoothsailor]

It would be cool if white undershirts were still rebellious.
When the weather here finally became nice around here, I started wearing plain white t's again. After fall, winter, spring in button shirts with a henley underneath. I first tought about to just wear a short sleeved henley, but it felt like going out the door in underwear, but a plain white t I don't mind. I have to say to that with the white t-shirt its a bit rebellious , especially there are so many people wearing printed t-shirts

 

[Edward]

if we're talking about a sleeveless undershirt (the charmingly named 'wifebeater' in the US or 'vest' in the UK) then i would agree that it's an inappropriate garment for dinner with the family.
if you're a greaser / rockabilly and it's a hot day at the beach and / or you're working under the car then it's acceptable.

My reading was that it's one of the sleeveless kind, which do carry the sort of negative associations that the "wifebeater" label implies. I'm sure the OP will enlighten us in due course.

 

[Hal]

if we're talking about a sleeveless undershirt (the charmingly named 'wifebeater' in the US or 'vest' in the UK) then i would agree that it's an inappropriate garment for dinner with the family...

In my opinion, such a garment is NEVER appropriate as an outer layer. But its synonym in British English is "singlet" rather than "vest". Singlet is a subset of vest - a T shirt is also a kind of vest. UK "vest" = USA "undershirt".

Now, as another poster already stated, a ribbed tank top or "wifebeater" would be a different story.
By the way, I once heard that the reason they're called "tank" tops today is because WWII era tank crews would wear them sans an outer shirt because it would get so hot inside the tanks. Any truth to that?

"Tank top" has also meant slipover/sleeveless pullover (in American. "sweater vest"). I have no idea of the origin of this expression.

 

[jamespowers]

I suppose undershirts are rebellious out here. I cannot recall the last time I have seen anyone wearing one under their regular shirt. I haven't worn one since I was ten.
Maybe not rebellious but definitely not something I see every day unless it is just a t-shirt, under shirt worn as an outer shirt but those are usually gangsta types so I can see why your mother might not like that.

 

[Stanley Doble]

You say you were going to "Cookout". Does that mean a restaurant named Cookout or you were going to a family or neighborhood cookout? In either case, it does not sound like a formal occasion. Were there any other casually dressed teens there?

 

[Smithy]

Undershirts still rebellious?

Nope.

Wearing a singlet round home whilst you work on the car or chop down a tree in 35+ Celsius heat is fine, wearing one into town is slobbishness.

Popular here in Oz especially with bogans and their ubiquitous Bintang singlet that they got on the last jaunt to Bali.

 

[andy b.]

I have no idea what type of shirt the OP was wearing, but I think a distinction needs to be made. I own a bunch of "undershirts". They have short sleeves, are made of thin cotton, and are worn under dress shirts. I also own a lot of "t-shirts". The t-shirts are heavy cotton (or even a few cotton/poly blends) and have logos or pictures on them (although several are monochrome with no logos or printing). I do wear t-shirts when going out to run errands on occasion. I never leave my yard or house wearing just an undershirt, because it looks like I took my dress shirt off and forgot to put it back on.

 

[galopede]

Is this the look?

 

[dh66]

It's plenty hot down south in the summertime, and I noticed the o.p. is from S.C., so wife-beater shirts aren't that particularly rebellious to see out and about in, but definitely they are a little unnaceptable for dining in company. Even at a cookout, sweaty armpit hair and possibly hairy and/or pimply shoulders don't make for the most appetizing ambiance.
A plain white T-shirt, on the other hand, is no different than a printed on one for apparently all but the swankiest joints, and these days you're more of a rebel if you don't wear just a T-shirt to go out.

 

[EliasRDA]

I too am interested in what type of shirt she got upset about. If it was a plain jane t-shirt, that's surprising. If it was a muscle shirt (sleeveless tee) or what used to be known as a A shirt known (hatingly in my book) called a wife beater or some still call them tank tops (sleeveless with thin strap on shoulder) then well maybe I can sort of understand her.

I used to wear tshirts all the time when I was in my 20's until my early 30's, I'm late 40's now & I used to get carded all the time when I ordered liquor at meals or brought liquor or cigerettes. Since I look like I'm in my late 20's or early 30s the tshirts didn't help & they were graphic tshirts, nothing profane.

But to get upset if you are overdressed in her book or underdressed is umm, going overboard I guess. Unless the tshirt was a true undershirt, very thin & showing everything then maybe that got to her. But if it was one of the thicker (heavier) ones then its not much different what I see the youth up here in lower Delaware wearing on hot steamy days.

I do feel sorry for you, it could be she is realizing you are growing up & may soon be out of the "nest" so she is trying to extert some last control on your life since you may be going off to college, the military or your own life in just a couple years. Good luck to you in the meantime.

 

[LuvMyMan]

It's plenty hot down south in the summertime, and I noticed the o.p. is from S.C., so wife-beater shirts aren't that particularly rebellious to see out and about in, but definitely they are a little unnaceptable for dining in company. Even at a cookout, sweaty armpit hair and possibly hairy and/or pimply shoulders don't make for the most appetizing ambiance.
A plain white T-shirt, on the other hand, is no different than a printed on one for apparently all but the swankiest joints, and these days you're more of a rebel if you don't wear just a T-shirt to go out.

There are some individuals that believe a T shirt with a pocket, is formal wear!

 

[LuvMyMan]

The "norm" for anyone wearing a T shirt is simply casual wear, as we Gals wear T shirts just as much as you Fellows do. However, I can say there are some instances where you would not justify wearing such attire to some social events. Hitting a bowling alley, or a store to go shopping would be fine, but if you are engaged in a social function, such as meeting up with someone to have a dinner, or even a cook out, would maybe not be very appropriate. In such a situation, even in some serious hot weather, a short sleeve shirt would be far better.