Cool weathers usually call for sweaters. Sweaters, when worn, always come with a shirt underneath. This is actually called layering. Some may not mind the laundry or the dry cleaning itself. But a sweater without anything underneath needs both of these. Technically, one can always wear nothing underneath. But this is highly discouraged.
Nobody has ever told anyone how to wear sweaters. One can actually wear it any way he chooses.
But the most popular weather when sweaters get out of the closet is cold weather. And most of the time, there is always something underneath the sweater. This is what everyone refers to as layering.
When the weather warms up a notch, one can always take off the sweater. Out with the sweater. And what remains is the shirt inside.
To be fair, shirts underneath sweaters look great. And not only that, but this has a practical purpose as well.
One of the purposes, why there should be something underneath is the sweat.
When one sweats, the sweat may attach itself to the sweater. This comes with a need to dry, clean, or laundry the sweater.
Some don’t really mind the laundry or dry cleaning. But for most, this would be an added cost.
Besides, when a sweater gets laundered far too much, there runs the risk of shrinking. Plus, the garments get their wear and tear far too soon.
Because aside from the cost, there is far too much bleach that goes into cleaning. As much as possible, one sets its goals into extending the garment’s life as much as possible.
To answer the question, one can go about without layering. But layering is highly recommended.
But the concern remains. If layering is recommended, how does one go about it without jeopardizing fashion?
Here are a few tips.
Style
Sweaters come in different styles.
What kind of sweater do you have? What type of sweater are you planning to buy?
Casual cardigans pair well with an undershirt.
A crew cut would work well. But a V-neck works better. This would be able to complement the collar on the cardigan.
When it comes to the tee, you can wear the same type with a V-neck sweater. For the crews, any tee would do.
But if there is one thing to remember, it is this. The tee should never stick out under the bottom.
Materials
Sweaters can keep one warm in cooler weather. Aside from that, sweaters are cozy and comfortable. The material should always be smooth to the touch.
But throwing sweaters into the laundry with the rest of your clothes is not advisable.
Suffice to say; it is actually recommended that one should always go in layering clothes. This is to maintain the quality of the sweater.
Sweaters come with delicate fabrics. This means that too much washing and drying shrinks it. In turn, too much washing and drying destroy it faster.
This is where an undershirt comes into the picture.
Layering minimizes the need for one always to throw the sweater into the laundry. This is because the shirt underneath works as a barrier. It should be a barrier between the perspiration and the sweater.
Remember that with every contact of one’s skin to the sweater, sweat and scent get transferred.
Dry cleaning is an option. But this is an expensive option.
When one wears a shirt underneath the sweater, the need to launder is not as often.
The Fit
Those that live in warmer climates own at least one sweater. It may have been a gift some Christmas a long time ago. Or it may have been something one bought during the cooler weather.
Layering is not as popular in warmer climates compared to colder destinations.
But this is not reason enough for one to buy sweaters that fit as snug as tailored shirts.
Sweaters should have extra room inside. No matter whether layering is popular or not, there should be space for a shirt inside.
No matter the reason, sweaters should not be tight-fitting. The rule is that there should always be space beneath the sweater.
And no matter the reason, one should never wear a muscle top underneath a sweater.
Imagine yourself in an overheated room, and you have to take off the sweater. When this happens, you don’t really want to look like you’re just about to work out.
List of Contents
What do you wear under a sweater?
V-neck sweaters pair well with a dress shirt. Either that or an Oxford button-down dress shirt. These two are the best options that pair well with a V-neck sweater. This means that one should never wear a tee, a polo shirt, or any other kind of shirt. Unless, of course, one is wearing a crew-necked sweater.
There would always be questions about a sweater’s fit. There are also questions about what kinds of shirt should pair well with which sweater.
Here are a few things everybody should remember.
But before anything else, here are a few things to note.
Most sweaters are of cotton or wool. Cashmere is also a popular fabric used for sweaters. Either it is 100% cashmere or cashmere mixed with other types of fabrics.
This is a common problem amongst tailors. This is because these types of fabrics are fragile. This makes it hard for tailors to work with.
So, when looking for a sweater, one should always find something that perfectly fits.
This is because it would always be hard for tailors to fix sweaters. Unless what one has is a cotton crew neck. These are those easier to alter.
So, going back, what type of shirt should one wear under that sweater?
We start with a V-necked sweater.
What do you wear underneath a V-necked sweater?
Read on to find out.
V-Neck Sweater
When sporting a V-neck sweater, one should wear a dress shirt underneath. An Oxford button-down dress shirt would also pair well.
These are the only two shirts that one should wear under a V-neck sweater. Out goes the tees, polo shirts, or whatever kind of shirt.
Crew Neck Sweater
When one dons a crew neck sweater, one should always wear a t-shirt. A V-neck shirt also looks great.
Remember that these are the only options one should wear with a crew neck sweater.
One can get away with a collared shirt. But if one can do away with that, avoid it. It is risky. And it is an ensemble hard to carry.
A Tight Sweater
As earlier discussed, a sweater should never be too tight. It should never be too small. But when one wants to pursue this thought, imagine this by reading on the points below.
Shoulders – if the seams sit on top of the shoulder when the collar is tucked under the sweater collar, this is tight. When you see the seam located way too high on the shoulder, get something bigger.
Arm Hole – when the armhole is way too tight, one should opt for a size bigger. It is obvious in a way that it bunches underneath the armpit. This is way uncomfortable. And it is actually recommended to get a bigger size.
Body Length – when getting a perfect size sweater, the body length should be just right. The shortest point of a sweater should be past the bottom of the belt buckle. Only then would one know that the body length is perfect.
When the Sweater is Too Big?
Here are a few things to imagine when the sweater is too big.
Shoulders – when the seams are way past where the shoulders start to slope down, this is big already. Another thing to note is when the seams just rest on the upper parts of the arms. This size is too big. One should go with a smaller size.
Neck or Collar – one can tell when the sweater is too large by looking at the neck or collar. When one can see the sides of the collar, this is too big. Also, try pulling the sweater forward. Aim for the V to rest against the shirt collar. If the V goes way past the top of the armpits, this is a bigger size and should not be an option.
Sleeves – the sleeves should end at the end of the wrist. When it goes beyond that part, the size is too big. One thing to also note is when the sleeves are too big and baggy. This should look floppy as well.
Body Length – if the sweater goes about 2 inches below the belt buckle, this is too big of size already.
How long should a sweater be?
Sweaters should be somewhere around the belt buckle. It should not go beyond 2 inches below the buckle. For most garments, the length usually varies. Most of them depend on the wearer’s height. But for sweaters, it does not matter. This should be the standard way to measure the length. The sweater should hit the belt buckle, go a bit past that, and not go beyond 2 inches.
We have identified the sizes too small and sizes too big for sweaters. But what exactly is the perfect size?
Here, we talk about the perfect sizes.
Sleeves (Length) – imagine wearing the sweater. Try bending the wrist and have the palm facing the ground. The sleeves should always end at the location where the wrist ends. Make sure that the sleeves end at the bend of the wrist. It should not end before the bend or after the end of the wrist.
Sleeves (Fit) – the sleeves should always fit closer to the arm. But the sleeves should not be too tight either. When the muscles already show, the sleeves are too tight. When the sleeves flop and fold on themselves, it is also too big. When one has muscular arms, it is always tempting to show their form with tight sleeves. But with sweaters, this should not be the case.
Shoulders – a good shoulder fit is when the shoulder seams hit just when the shoulders slope. Look at the part when the shoulder starts to slope down into the arms. This is where the shoulder seams hit.
The Body Size – most people would want to pinch in more than 2 inches of extra fabric on garments. This is not supposed to be the case with sweaters. Because when wearing sweaters, the end should not be more than 2 inches below the buckle. Also, when pinching the fabric around the rib cage area, the fabric pinched should not be more than 2 inches. When pinching the same area and the extra fabric is less than an inch, the sweater is too tight.
collar – this specification is only applicable to V-neck sweaters. This is for the reason that crew neck sweaters are always universal. When checking on V-neck sweaters, it is important to note where the bottom of the V ends. If it ends lower than the armpits, this is not a good size. The bottom of the V should not be lower than the top of the armpits.
Neck Opening – here, we begin with V-neck sweaters. The opening should be wide enough. When one tucks the collar tips in these V-neck sweaters, the collar tips should stay in place. These should never move much. When the opening is wider than that, it will never look good. It will be able to show too much shirt on the outside of the collar. The sweater will look too big. For sweaters that are crewnecks, the standard size is pretty obvious. It should not be stretched out. Stretched out openings for crew neck sweaters will show too much shirt underneath. And that is not a good fit.
Armholes – the armholes should never be too high. They should not be too high to cut into your armpits. Having this would make it look like there is a lot of excess fabric situated around the chest area. And that is not a pretty sight to look at.
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Sweaters should be comfortable and cozy garments. They should be able to keep one warm during cold weather.
As such, it is common for everyone to wear sweaters with shirts underneath.
While technically, one can don a sweater without anything underneath, it is impractical. It is not advisable. Doing so would be expensive and can result in early wear and tear.
And we don’t want that to happen, do we?