Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Wifebeaters?

Men: Do you wear a so-called "wifebeater" regularly?

  • Yes - of course! Just like my father did.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Eww.... not for me.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sometimes I do, depending.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .

Geesie

Practically Family
Messages
717
Location
San Diego
I wear v-neck t shirts under open-neck long sleeve shirts
I wear crew-neck t shirts under closed-neck long sleeve shirts
I wear the 'beater under short sleeved shirts in the summertime.
I wear the 'beater under nothing in my apartment in the summertime when it goes above 90.
 

theinterchange

One Too Many
Messages
1,673
Location
Why do you ask?
John in Covina said:
*****

Onslo is one of my heros!

Oh, NICE!

2074519206_13eb2cbe69_z.jpg


I seriously hate seeing men [or women] in a-shirts in public... [Onslow is an exception... but "How do you love an Onslow?" lol ] and I can't stand wearing them under my clothes... they rank up there with flip-flops and swimming trunks as the ultimate fashion no nos in my book. :eek:

Randy
 

Mario

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,664
Location
Little Istanbul, Berlin, Germany
I wear them all the time, albeit only in the ribbed variety. Due to the ribbing the garment is partly held away from the skin, thus allowing for better heat dissipation. In that respect it actually bears a close resemblance to seersucker fabric.
 

KenDale

New in Town
Messages
26
Location
Atlanta
Mario said:
albeit only in the ribbed variety. Due to the ribbing the garment is partly held away from the skin, thus allowing for better heat dissipation.

Definitely in the ribbed cotton. Any other fabric does not work the same.

Any particular brand that you prefer?
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
The least I'll wear in public, even to the beach, is a t-shirt. And I'll never wear a plain white T with nothing over it. Under a suit, or dress shirt, I like a white t-shirt for underarm protection, so no, I never wear 'wife-beaters.' And aside from the practical reasons, the negative connotations associated with them are just too much (for me).
 

Gilboa

One of the Regulars
Messages
172
Location
United Kingdom, Midlands
Smuterella said:
Ying Ko said:
Then I told her that if she were my wife I would make it a point to beat her every day.


Is that supposed to be funny?


Reading his entire post, I would say it was a sarcastic reply to the comment made by the cashier.


My grandfather always wore a 'wifebeater' (I never knew that this is what they are called!) under his shirt and suit. I think it makes perfect sense in cold weather.


But openly displayed, only a few can get away with it (requirement are sportive curves):
Bruce Willis and Bruce lee

Or Gene Kelly in plain white t-shirt.
 

Mario

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,664
Location
Little Istanbul, Berlin, Germany
KenDale said:
Any particular brand that you prefer?

Not really. Any of the inexpensive local (read: German) brands. Of course I could go with the original "Schiesser Feinripp" (introduced in 1923) but I think they are way too overpriced. Plus, I'd never wear their drawers... :eek:
 

DAJE

One of the Regulars
Messages
144
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I used to wear them when I was a young kid and they were called "singlets".

Wouldn't wear one now. I don't hate them, but while they look OK on people with a large &/or muscular build, on scrawny old me it would look ridiculous.
 

Bebop

Practically Family
Messages
951
Location
Sausalito, California
The problem is that movies and T.V. have made them into something that only a certain type of person would wear. Ergo the name "wifebeater". The whole style has taken a "beating" (pun intended).

My father wore them and I guess I have been wearing them since I was a child. I find them to be perfect for those in between days of the seasons. Not too cold and not too hot. Also when wearing a casual shirt in the summer, it allows me to wear it unbuttoned in public to let a breeze in, yet not show off my sweaty chest and belly.
 

Not-Bogart13

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,501
Location
NE Pennsylvania
Bebop said:
The problem is that movies and T.V. have made them into something that only a certain type of person would wear. Ergo the name "wifebeater".

To my mind a "wifebeater" is only called that if it's worn as a shirt, rather than an undershirt. As an undershirt, it should be called by it's other, equally insulting name, the "guinea-t". :eusa_doh:

Anyway, I wear them (strictly as undershirts) most of the time that would need an undershirt. And I call them "tank-toppy-like-things."
 

Undertow

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,126
Location
Des Moines, IA, US
I only wear them in the summer, and only around the house or under a casual button up.

*I've always seen them called A-shirt (which stood for Athletic Shirts).
 

Talbot

One Too Many
Messages
1,855
Location
Melbourne Australia
For me, 'wifebeater' is a fairly modern term. When I was a kid we called singlets singlets or 'Garbo's'.

Garbo's come in two colors, the 'white garbo' and dark blue, the 'blue garbo'.

These are what the Garbo's (trashmen) wore when they ran from house to house emptying the bins.

To me, nothing says hard toiling man more than a faded and worn blue garbo.

I hate the 'new' name. Just another signpost on the road to the popular questioning of male worth.

Seems these days any name's OK, so long as its mean or extreme.

Gripe over.
 

KenDale

New in Town
Messages
26
Location
Atlanta
A-shirts, singlets, tanks, vests, wifebeaters, etc.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder what the range of age groups is for wearers of athletic undershirts (A-shirts, singlets, tanks, vests, wifebeaters, or whatever you refer to them as) in this thread. I just turned 50 a few months ago and, here in Atlanta, there seem to be few of my contemporaries who wear A-shirts on a regular basis. I tend to see either gentleman who are older than I am or those that are much younger who wear them.
 

Mav

A-List Customer
Messages
413
Location
California
KenDale said:
Just out of curiosity, I wonder what the range of age groups is for wearers of athletic undershirts (A-shirts, singlets, tanks, vests, wifebeaters, or whatever you refer to them as) in this thread. I just turned 50 a few months ago and, here in Atlanta, there seem to be few of my contemporaries who wear A-shirts on a regular basis. I tend to see either gentleman who are older than I am or those that are much younger who wear them.

I've observed the same thing. 51, here- I think the social stigma affects our age group more than the others.
All you need to do is wear one (the ribbed variety) as an undershirt on a hot summer day to realize their worth.
 

shortbow

Practically Family
Messages
744
Location
british columbia
I believe it was shortly after I joined FL a couple of years ago that the topic of this type of garment was discussed. One poster claimed that worn year-round under a shirt they were cooler in summer and warmer in winter. I tried it and found this counter-intuitive bit of wisdom to be true. Since then I wear them as regularly as my jockey's. As an undershirt. I never go out in public in anything less on top than a collared shirt. Even when I'm home alone I like wearing them even if I've little else on because I no longer have a Bruce Willis body (did I ever?) and I embarrass myself a little less than I otherwise would.lol A good bit of kit.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,130
Messages
3,074,681
Members
54,104
Latest member
joejosephlo
Top