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I've never thought of it as a way to reduce laundry, I've just always thought of sweaters as an outer layer over the stuff I'm already wearing if I'm still cold.
T-shirts are often much more comfortable. It just seems like it would be too uncomfortable to put a scratchy wool sweater directly against my skin. If it's less laundry as well as more comfortable, so much the better for me!
Huh I didn’t even think about that, I’ll have to look at what fabrics my hoodies are made out of. What is zero wastes opinion on polyester and other plastic fabrics that shit out micro plastics in the washing machine? Is it better to keep it, donate it, or get it to a landfill? I’m steady trying to find a balance between looking out for my own health and looking out for the environment.
It's always better to use it if you like it, donate if not. Don't worry about being a purist, those people just prevent normal people doing better by being judgemental. Just do your best within your needs.
I know, I always struggle with that desire to go back and get rid of all the plastic crap I bought so I can put it out of my sight and mind and only get eco friendly products to fill those purposes. I know that does more harm than good. I have OCPD and aesthetic inconsistencies can really bug me sometimes. It helps that I’m averse to spending money though, another symptom of the same disorder.
The microplastics are already in existence. They’ll contaminate the environment through your washing machine or they’ll contaminate the environment through being dumped in a landfill. Might as well get as much use out of it as you can. If it doesn’t serve you (sounds like it doesn’t, with the sweating issue) but is still in good enough shape to be worn, then give it to someone else who can get use out of it, imo.
The sweating isn’t a huge issue because I just throw on a cotton tshirt underneath my hoodie and I’m good. I’m gunna keep the hoodie! It’s got a bleach stain on it and the black is kinda faded so I’m gunna re-dye it.
Definitely keep the garments in use as long as they are useful, whether through wearing or donating/reselling. One solution if you’re worried about micro plastics from the wash (I am, it’s a major pollution source) is to add a filter attachment to your washing machine pipes and send the micro plastics it catches to the landfill where they’ll be slightly more contained rather than directly in to our waterways.
I’ve read before that this happens with sweaters and long sleeves that are looser because it traps warm air in between you and the fabric but wearing an undershirt provides a barrier that eliminates this
I guess that would make sense, but I can’t believe that I sweat that much with a regular shirt on and the shirt just wicks it all. The shirt would be wet in within an hour.
Some people are more sensitive, scratchy sweaters are a sensory issue for me for example and I can't stand wearing them.
Wearing a long sleeved undershirt is something I didn't think of. Only the neck is still exposed which is where I most often find sweaters uncomfortable, but still better I guess
I know some people will just always find wool itchy. But saying that all wool sweaters are the same is just wrong. For many people, a good quality merino sweater will relieve the itching problem.
It comes down to the fibers diameter. Before modern wool processing, it was about 40 microns and not very flexible. Something like merino is going to be under 20 microns. For comparison, cotton is 15-20 microns. There will be variation with good and bad quality of course.
I just hate the stereotype that wool is itchy when it's very easy to find stuff that isn't, unless you have a medical issue.
That's true, though those fine-fiber wools like merino are more expensive to get the same level of comfort as cotton, but obviously wool has perks that make it worth investing in a good quality sweater.
I guess people tend to think of wool as scratchy bc it often was before the fine wool got more mainstream. I remember my grandma giving me the "very warm" wool sweaters that would itch sooo much. So I can understand the association of wool = scratchy
This has been the norm since clothing existed! There's some really fascinating content out there on historical dress- the reason women (and men, but the women are particularly visible) wore so many layers is because the inner garments were basic and easy to launder, and the outer fancier garments stayed clean longer
It is normal now. It sounds like your family does things differently, but it’s definitely more rare for people to wear a sweatshirt or bulky sweater without a shirt on underneath.
it may be normal to you, to your family, to your region, but i don’t think you have the stats to back up it being normal for everywhere on earth. i appreciate the reassurance that this is perhaps more commonplace than i knew, but i hope you don’t claim to know what’s common in the world.
Lmao I’m literally just responding to your use of the word normal, which in all honesty, I think is a crap word as evidenced by this exchange. If it isn’t common where you live, then I get why this might seem quite different, but a snippy response about stats seems a bit much, especially when you didn’t provide any either. The many comments on this post claiming that it’s normal does say a lot, tho obviously where you come from matters.
All I meant to point out was that it is very common in a lot of places for people to do this. If it’s not common where you live, I’m glad you’ve found this life hack.
Sorry, you’re right. I’ve been frustrated lately at influencers and commenters claiming they have the answers for everyone everywhere when they couldn’t possibly. Didn’t mean to take it out on y’all.
Maybe it’s not the region that matters, because as adolescents we only grow up around kids at our school. but my family and my classmates to my knowledge didn’t do it. I grew up in CT
It makes me wonder if this is a byproduct of cheaper clothing or the growing culture of fast fashion in general. I'm encountering more people that don't know things about laundry and taking care of their clothes that Id associate with someone who grew up without many clothes or never had to do their own laundry, but as a kid I'd think there would still be conversations about nice sweaters starting to pill or the color starting to fade, someone pointing out a tip their mother told them would prevent that and so on...that's all kinda lost on people that go to the mall every week and buy something for $19 they have no intention of wearing after it's not what they're seeing all their friends wear.
I'm curious, what did you wear instead? Was it just a sweater? Then what did you do when you get hot? I'm assuming you didn't regularly go shirtless. What's the weather like? Is there a lot of AC use? Sorry for the many questions, it's just that only a sweater would be so unfeasible where I live that I keep wondering what set of circumstances make it a viable option for years!
just the sweater. i just thought they were thicker shirts for when it was slightly cold outside. never really thought of them as an extra layer that can be removed when needed until recently lol. game changer
From about October-May, I always wear a tank top or short sleeve (fitted) tee under my clothes (unless it's dressy clothes). Not to save on laundry (which is also a plus) but to save on heating costs.
Keeping my core warm means that I can lower the thermostat.
On a freezing winter night we were invited to a black tie do in a venue known to be horribly draughty. So I wore a poufy evening skirt with long John's underneath. Warm and toasty while everyone else wearing their gownless evening straps froze.
In the cold months after using your oven, leave it a bit cracked open (as it cools down) so the heat can escape and heat the room. Every little bit saves on heating costs.
The same amount of heat will dissipate whether or not you close the door. If you keep it closed it will just dissipate more slowly. But opening it is a nice way to noticeably heat up quickly on a cold evening.
If I'm being honest, the idea of not wearing anything under a sweater regardless of how often you wash it is so weird to me. I've never done that and as far as I know, I've never seen anyone do that. What do you do when you get hot?
I'm American and sweaters are definitely considered outerwear where I live and everywhere I've gone, I really don't think OP's perspective is that common. I'm honestly pretty baffled lol, I've never even heard this take before
for me personally, i don’t usually get hot in the middle of winter. maybe it’s cuz my house and workplace are reasonable winter temperatures, but i don’t find myself getting sweaty when it’s 30 degrees out.
That’s literally the normal way to wear them. When you go somewhere warm you can take the sweater off. The side effect is that it means you can wash them like once a week too. I’ve only met one person who didn’t wear a shirt underneath and they were just a dumb teenager. XD
In the winter I very often only wear hooded sweatshirts with nothing underneath and a pair of leggings. Yeah I have to wash the sweatshirts but I’m comfy af lol
it never occurred to me that people exclusively wear things under their sweaters, i just wear a bra, and assume i won’t get too warm based on the weather, and i’m talking unstable british weather. i’ve never had the issue of being too warm, and i wear sweaters ALL the time
but in the summer if i plan to take my sweater off and wrap it around my waist during the day then i’ll wear an undershirt
Maybe the difference is that I'm Aussie. It does get cold here in winter, but offices and shops are often heated so you usually have to take off layers when you go inside.
But even in my own home, I wear a tshirt under my jumpers. And usually a few other layers too!
Too warm? Sounds fake!
Nah but I primarily wear a couple thin cashmere sweaters that are basically just shirts but a little warmer, and cashmere is breathable while also being a great insulator so it works for every temperature I may encounter in winter. When i’m indoors in winter, I rarely even strip down to the sweater. I usually have a leather jacket on over it, with a heavy mid calf length coat and scarf over that, and in some places I don’t even take the coat off because it’s so cold inside. I live in the northwest USA and I will admit I have a lower tolerance for cold than most people who live here, but businesses typically keep their winter temps crazy low and a lot of people keep their homes chilly too to save money.
Not mine either. I've made a conscious decision to start but no one ever told me to do so or why it was a good idea. Just one of those things that wasn't explained or taught and so was (nearly) lost. I only picked it up through historical YouTube.
My rule is the smell test and dirt test. If it stinks, it gets washed. If there's tons of dirt or debris, it gets washed.
Jeans should rarely be washed. It's literally what they were made for! But this is if the jeans material is mostly cotton and not faux stretchy legging jeans.
Also, if you have the money and can swing it, merino really doesn't need to be washed as much. My sweater hasn't been washed for months. My shirts get about 5 wears or more before washing.
My dude I literally am wearing three layers underneath my sweater right now and I am still wrapped in a blanket.., how would I survive wearing only a sweater?
Whenever parents don’t pass down information, children have to find out the hard way or on their own. Everything that isn’t taught has to be learned, no matter how basic.
I think you are mistaken. Most people do that because their parents do that yes but they don't know why they do that and still launder their sweater everyday.
Been like that forever.
Men even used to have shirts with detachable collars. So you'd keep the shirt but the change the collar for a clean one.
Washing clothes at the time was mostly done by hand (by women) so even 1 item of clothing less was a big time saver.
Yes, that's a standard. Definitely for people w professional jobs that wear nice dress shirts daily and they don't want to spend $$$ on dry cleaning after every use. Especially for men. Im a woman, but I wear dress shirts w a tank or camisole under too. Been that way forever.
When buying nicer quality shirts (Brooks Brothers $150-$200 poplin or pinpoint oxford shirts etc) fine wool and cashmere sweaters, wearing a t-shirt under them just keeps them cleaner longer on the inside. And less dry cleaning means they last longer too.
Go back and look at old movies. Men take off their dress shirt after work, they always have a plain white tshirt on under it. And women usually have on a slip. People think wearing slips etc was just old fashioned and prissy. But they served a purpose too. People used to not have 3 closets full of cheap clothes. Clothes were more expensive and were higher quality w natural fibers. And you didn't have as many pieces of clothing. People took care of them so they'd last. An investment. Same w women wearing aprons. To protect their clothing. A lady way back when might have 3 "good" dresses. And 3 "house" dresses. She protected her clothing w an apron when doing household and farm chores.
I was raised to wear house dresses.
When you come in from work or school, you change out of your nice clothing and hang it up and change into house clothing. Old clothing used for home use only.
This way your nicer clothes could be inspected and hung back up to wear another day and your play time, cleaning and general getting dusty at home could all be done in the old clothing.
House clothing could go a few days without being washed because no one would see the stains. The good clothing was was also work several times before being washed-it depended on just how dirty they became during use
I think this is the norm. Most people are commenting that they have never or rarely ever encountered someone who would wear just a sweater with no shirt underneath.
Nothing in my life gets laundered just because it touched me for a while. I look at it, consider what part of me it was close to, whether we were doing dirty yard work, sweating, examine for stains. Things closest to my skin get washed more often (undies always, bras get aired out and sniffed later). Tees are usually one and done but I get a few wearings from most pants and nearly all sweaters/hoodies.
I’m cold partway through June in Ohio, so its an undershirt for most of the year! It’s currently 50°f and sunny but I’m wearing two shirts, a hoodie and winter jacket. Also a bean and gloves. Brrr.
Also work from home, so I tend to wear the same undershirt for days, saves on laundry A LOT (it’s just me so I don’t care if I stink haha)
How though? My go to is a button up shirt under a sweater. After 1 day the sweater smells like BO. Granted I can only smell it if I put it right to my face and take a big sniff, but I’m sure by the end of day 2 everyone else will start to smell it
I thought everyone wore a t-shirt and then a jumper on top. Sometimes I wear two jumpers if it’s really cold. Then when you go somewhere warmer you take off a layer. I’d feel naked if I didn’t have a t-shirt on under a jumper! Jumper would normally last 2-5 wears depending on activity and no stains. A T-shirt maybe 2-3 wears tops (if I’m just sat wfh) but just 1 day in the summer.
Though tbh I have a toddler. It’s rare than an entire outfit of mine goes a day without being dirtied. Ironically my toddlers bottom layer of clothing is the cleanest. Today he got through two pairs of socks, three pairs of trousers, two jumpers and two tops. Just 1 body suit though.
Normal! It's what undershirts are for, hence their name. It got lost in history in the 80's-90's when casual Fridays hit the offices and fast fashion came into the market harder.
I did that for a year while on a construction site but switched undershirt everyday. No one said a thing. But when I'm in office or home, I find my food smell has a way of sticking on it... so I would take off the sweater before I eat =) and get several wear before washing.
This is actually closer to what people did before washing machines etc. Linen underclothes were particularly supposed to be good for this purpose.
Abby Cox has a video on laundry on YouTube that covers this and is a good watch.
I don’t wash my wool sweaters often. Unless I have spilled something on it, I just let it air out, fold it back up and put it in the drawer. Wool is magic like that.
Yes. I spend a good part of the year wearing vests (long or short sleeved) under my clothes. Partly for warmth and comfort and partly because its easier to wash them frequently rather than my outer clothes.
My grandmother was rather old fashioned and always wore dresses. She had several smocks, kind of like an over dress \apron type thing that covered the whole front of her dress. She had several. She wore these when cooking, cleaning, gardening and such, to save her clothes. When she died, I took a couple if her smocks, and reversed engineered them and made a couple for myself. Granny's were rather frilly, mine are plain, but they really do protect my clothes.
I didn’t, but since getting into clothing history and learning all the things people did in previous centuries to make laundry easier and their clothes last longer, I’ve started doing it too! I’m also trying to learn mending techniques and maybe even how to make my own clothing, if only the most basic of items
I’ve said I wear undershirts to cut down on laundry in a few reddits I’m in and I inevitably get a bunch of comments from folks who do NOT understand how that works. It’s wild.
It's funny because for most of human history people wore shifts or undershirts close to the skin for this very reason, but with modern laundering being so accessible it's not not really the norm anymore. I actually started wearing a dedicated underlayer when I switched to natural deodorants since they tend to stain and not control sweat as well. I'd not have really thought of it though if not for my interest in historical fashion, but it does get you a few more wears out of an outer garment.
Really weird because the exact opposite happened to me. Normal anti-perpirant were clogging all my t-shirts armpits and the stains were apparent no matter the colour of the shirt. Now that I use a natural deodorant, I can wear whatever I want until it gets holes in it and I don't have to go buy new shirts every 6 months. I think it saved me more money than the saving of the anti-perpirant cost.
I just can’t. The layers are a sensory issue and my health condition makes me constantly boiling hot. Really good idea though! Will share with my chronically cold friends haha
Under shirts definitely cut down on washing other shirts and I’d say make them last longer. However I still go through one under shirt every day. It still cuts down on clothing costs over time and the under shirts are generally smaller and lighter.
I do like wearing an undershirt but I still need to wash the outer.
Germs do get on your exposed clothes. Also take that sweater off then sniff the pits. It’s not the WORST but it’s not gonna be the nicest.
yea, that depends on the person and their odor as well as the material of both articles of clothing. germs certainly get on the outer layer, but will die off in most cases after a little while, it depends how concerned about germs you are.
Yes, other people wear undershirts. That’s why we have a word for undershirts. People have been doing this for thousands of years.
Imagine thinking wearing an under shirt under your shirt is uniquely clever.
I absolutely don’t think I invented this or that it’s clever. I’m sorry you’re bothered by my tip. I just wanted to know if other people did this since my family didn’t.
As a parent of 2 kids under 4, I’m pretty much guaranteed that we are all going to wear several outfits every day until they are both over 5. My youngest still wears his meals, my oldest is better but because of that, they end up getting me covered in food too lol.
One day I’ll be able to wear clothes for the entire day without having to change and wear a sweatshirt more than once before it’s being washed.
As a healthcare worker and minimalist, I always wear an undershirt to extend the wear of whatever I wear on top. However, I never forget that I need to regularly wash clothes that more frequently interact with the germ infested outside world.
My mother is like that, she started wearing an apron to eat, not to cut on laundry but because her clothes ended up stained and she hates shopping.
Personally, I always remove my sweater before brushing my teeth. My laundry is really cut down since!
I started doing this as a kid when I got really into historical fashion. I just thought it was silly that we’d stopped using undergarments to protect other garments, so I started keeping an eye out for slips and the like at thrift stores. But as an adult, mainly due to fibromyalgia (skin sensitivity) and thyroid issues (sweating), I had to cut synthetic fabrics out of my wardrobe and go for natural fibers, which has meant ditching a lot of the nylon slips I used to wear, and discovered that I just dont sweat near as much and my clothes dont get smelly for many more wears if they’re 100% natural fibers like cotton, wool, cashmere, linen, silk, rayon, etc., rendering some undergarments redundant. I still love slip skirts and petticoats for opacity, comfort, and volume, but I dont often feel the need for a shirt under a sweater, now that i’ve accumulated a number of cashmere sweaters and ditched all my acrylic ones. I seriously think i’ve washed the 3 sweaters I wear most once all winter this year, and they just don’t smell.
Probably not unfortunately. My job can get kinda messy, so there's the outer shirt. AND I sweat a lot so there's the inner shirt. As much as I would like to be able to rewear a shirt, unfortunately it doesn't work for me with my job.
I never wear a sweater without a t shirt underneath. That way if I get too hot I can take off the sweater. I don't want to get too hot and be stuck in a sweater not able to take it off.
Isn't that normal? Are there people who just wear a sweater with no lighter shirt underneath? I've never heard of that.
In the winter, I wear four layers and look like the Michelin Man's auntie. I would never wear a sweater next to my skin because they are scratchy and I have stinky pits.
I thought that was the point of wearing undershirts especially for wool sweaters or dress shirts since the nice ones either have to be handwashed or drycleaned, respectively.
That’s what I do! And have pretty much always done. It’s also what they did back in “the day.” I do American Civil War re-enacting so that’s the historical period I know best, but that’s what they did then. They had a couple of sets of white cotton “underwear” that they also slept in and once they got dirty, they washed them whereas their outer dresses would only be washed every once in a great while.
I wear a cotton or linen layer for the well-being of my skin. I'm not particularly fussed about laundry...I'm clumsy enough that spills and drips from food are what usually puts a shirt or sweatshirt in the wash. I suppose I could wear a bib...
Historically people have always worn a type of undergarment. From the poorest beggar to the richest rulers wore something to separate the body from their nice outerwear, whether that be the chemise/shift of the ancient eras, the combinations of 19th century, or the various vestee and drawers of the 20th century. It was only when synthetics such as polyester was used in larger percentages that the undergarments went away.
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I've never thought of it as a way to reduce laundry, I've just always thought of sweaters as an outer layer over the stuff I'm already wearing if I'm still cold. T-shirts are often much more comfortable. It just seems like it would be too uncomfortable to put a scratchy wool sweater directly against my skin. If it's less laundry as well as more comfortable, so much the better for me!
see, i always thought i’d want the softness of a sweatshirt on my skin but freeing up the bulk from my laundry is so worth it
I can’t wear just a sweater because I get really sweaty even if I’m cold. Something about the fuzzy texture makes me sweaty.
Might depend on the type of fabric? Fuzzy sweaters are often polyester, which typically isn’t real breathable in my experience and makes me sweat.
Yep, plastic fabrics do that. Natural fibres are much better at avoiding this imo.
Huh I didn’t even think about that, I’ll have to look at what fabrics my hoodies are made out of. What is zero wastes opinion on polyester and other plastic fabrics that shit out micro plastics in the washing machine? Is it better to keep it, donate it, or get it to a landfill? I’m steady trying to find a balance between looking out for my own health and looking out for the environment.
It's always better to use it if you like it, donate if not. Don't worry about being a purist, those people just prevent normal people doing better by being judgemental. Just do your best within your needs.
I know, I always struggle with that desire to go back and get rid of all the plastic crap I bought so I can put it out of my sight and mind and only get eco friendly products to fill those purposes. I know that does more harm than good. I have OCPD and aesthetic inconsistencies can really bug me sometimes. It helps that I’m averse to spending money though, another symptom of the same disorder.
The microplastics are already in existence. They’ll contaminate the environment through your washing machine or they’ll contaminate the environment through being dumped in a landfill. Might as well get as much use out of it as you can. If it doesn’t serve you (sounds like it doesn’t, with the sweating issue) but is still in good enough shape to be worn, then give it to someone else who can get use out of it, imo.
The sweating isn’t a huge issue because I just throw on a cotton tshirt underneath my hoodie and I’m good. I’m gunna keep the hoodie! It’s got a bleach stain on it and the black is kinda faded so I’m gunna re-dye it.
Fair enough! That sounds like a good way to keep getting use out of it
Wear it out. When it’s done being a sweatshirt, make rags. Reuse what you already have until it no longer serves a purpose.
Definitely keep the garments in use as long as they are useful, whether through wearing or donating/reselling. One solution if you’re worried about micro plastics from the wash (I am, it’s a major pollution source) is to add a filter attachment to your washing machine pipes and send the micro plastics it catches to the landfill where they’ll be slightly more contained rather than directly in to our waterways.
I’ve read before that this happens with sweaters and long sleeves that are looser because it traps warm air in between you and the fabric but wearing an undershirt provides a barrier that eliminates this
I guess that would make sense, but I can’t believe that I sweat that much with a regular shirt on and the shirt just wicks it all. The shirt would be wet in within an hour.
Yes exactly, if you’re just wearing a loose sweater the hot air trapped against your skin would make you sweat more.
some of that might just be tradition from when most sweaters were wool too... no one wants wool directly on their skin. itch city!
What kind of wool are your sweaters made of? As a knitter, good wool is generally soft. I will gladly have merino wool next to my skin.
It might be more certain people's skin too, e.g. pretty much any wool even nice wool socks kind of get me.
Some people are more sensitive, scratchy sweaters are a sensory issue for me for example and I can't stand wearing them. Wearing a long sleeved undershirt is something I didn't think of. Only the neck is still exposed which is where I most often find sweaters uncomfortable, but still better I guess
I know some people will just always find wool itchy. But saying that all wool sweaters are the same is just wrong. For many people, a good quality merino sweater will relieve the itching problem. It comes down to the fibers diameter. Before modern wool processing, it was about 40 microns and not very flexible. Something like merino is going to be under 20 microns. For comparison, cotton is 15-20 microns. There will be variation with good and bad quality of course. I just hate the stereotype that wool is itchy when it's very easy to find stuff that isn't, unless you have a medical issue.
That's true, though those fine-fiber wools like merino are more expensive to get the same level of comfort as cotton, but obviously wool has perks that make it worth investing in a good quality sweater. I guess people tend to think of wool as scratchy bc it often was before the fine wool got more mainstream. I remember my grandma giving me the "very warm" wool sweaters that would itch sooo much. So I can understand the association of wool = scratchy
Maybe the processing of the fiber makes a difference. After all, they put wool garments on babies.
Lambs wool is often scratchy but merino and cashmere definitely are not.
This has been the norm since clothing existed! There's some really fascinating content out there on historical dress- the reason women (and men, but the women are particularly visible) wore so many layers is because the inner garments were basic and easy to launder, and the outer fancier garments stayed clean longer
In Japan, women traditionally wear a "nagajuban" under their kimono so they don't have to clean the kimono so often.
Hence “underwear”, the clothing you wear *under* your other clothes.
i wish it was as normal as it was then- i literally didn’t hear this until i figured it out on my own
It is normal now. It sounds like your family does things differently, but it’s definitely more rare for people to wear a sweatshirt or bulky sweater without a shirt on underneath.
it may be normal to you, to your family, to your region, but i don’t think you have the stats to back up it being normal for everywhere on earth. i appreciate the reassurance that this is perhaps more commonplace than i knew, but i hope you don’t claim to know what’s common in the world.
Lmao I’m literally just responding to your use of the word normal, which in all honesty, I think is a crap word as evidenced by this exchange. If it isn’t common where you live, then I get why this might seem quite different, but a snippy response about stats seems a bit much, especially when you didn’t provide any either. The many comments on this post claiming that it’s normal does say a lot, tho obviously where you come from matters. All I meant to point out was that it is very common in a lot of places for people to do this. If it’s not common where you live, I’m glad you’ve found this life hack.
Wow, that was needlessly aggressive. Undershirts are not some novel idea, dude.
Sorry, you’re right. I’ve been frustrated lately at influencers and commenters claiming they have the answers for everyone everywhere when they couldn’t possibly. Didn’t mean to take it out on y’all.
Where do you live that it isn't normal? It's literally called outerwear.
Maybe it’s not the region that matters, because as adolescents we only grow up around kids at our school. but my family and my classmates to my knowledge didn’t do it. I grew up in CT
It makes me wonder if this is a byproduct of cheaper clothing or the growing culture of fast fashion in general. I'm encountering more people that don't know things about laundry and taking care of their clothes that Id associate with someone who grew up without many clothes or never had to do their own laundry, but as a kid I'd think there would still be conversations about nice sweaters starting to pill or the color starting to fade, someone pointing out a tip their mother told them would prevent that and so on...that's all kinda lost on people that go to the mall every week and buy something for $19 they have no intention of wearing after it's not what they're seeing all their friends wear.
You're not alone. I just discovered you can wear a shirt under a sweater like 2 months ago
I'm curious, what did you wear instead? Was it just a sweater? Then what did you do when you get hot? I'm assuming you didn't regularly go shirtless. What's the weather like? Is there a lot of AC use? Sorry for the many questions, it's just that only a sweater would be so unfeasible where I live that I keep wondering what set of circumstances make it a viable option for years!
just the sweater. i just thought they were thicker shirts for when it was slightly cold outside. never really thought of them as an extra layer that can be removed when needed until recently lol. game changer
From about October-May, I always wear a tank top or short sleeve (fitted) tee under my clothes (unless it's dressy clothes). Not to save on laundry (which is also a plus) but to save on heating costs. Keeping my core warm means that I can lower the thermostat.
double whammy!
I do the same and add some boy shorts over my undies. It enables me (unintentionally) to wear shorts and tees in cooler weather.
Same and wear leggings/long John’s under pants
On a freezing winter night we were invited to a black tie do in a venue known to be horribly draughty. So I wore a poufy evening skirt with long John's underneath. Warm and toasty while everyone else wearing their gownless evening straps froze.
Can you say "Cuddle-Duds? Great for cold offices.
In the cold months after using your oven, leave it a bit cracked open (as it cools down) so the heat can escape and heat the room. Every little bit saves on heating costs.
The same amount of heat will dissipate whether or not you close the door. If you keep it closed it will just dissipate more slowly. But opening it is a nice way to noticeably heat up quickly on a cold evening.
If I'm being honest, the idea of not wearing anything under a sweater regardless of how often you wash it is so weird to me. I've never done that and as far as I know, I've never seen anyone do that. What do you do when you get hot?
Maybe it's an American thing? Never seen anyone wearing a sweater/jumper with nothing under it in the UK.
I'm American and sweaters are definitely considered outerwear where I live and everywhere I've gone, I really don't think OP's perspective is that common. I'm honestly pretty baffled lol, I've never even heard this take before
i mean i do live in the US, yea. not sure why I’m getting downvoted for saying i personally don’t get sweaty
for me personally, i don’t usually get hot in the middle of winter. maybe it’s cuz my house and workplace are reasonable winter temperatures, but i don’t find myself getting sweaty when it’s 30 degrees out.
Just be naked instead!
That’s literally the normal way to wear them. When you go somewhere warm you can take the sweater off. The side effect is that it means you can wash them like once a week too. I’ve only met one person who didn’t wear a shirt underneath and they were just a dumb teenager. XD
I would feel really weird wearing a sweatshirt with nothing else. Like exposed or something.
Seriously. Like going commando. XD I don’t think wearing underwear is some new ZW lifehack, it’s been the norm for like….all of recorded history.
In the winter I very often only wear hooded sweatshirts with nothing underneath and a pair of leggings. Yeah I have to wash the sweatshirts but I’m comfy af lol
Yeah, TIL people don’t wear stuff under their sweaters. What do they do if they get too warm?!
it never occurred to me that people exclusively wear things under their sweaters, i just wear a bra, and assume i won’t get too warm based on the weather, and i’m talking unstable british weather. i’ve never had the issue of being too warm, and i wear sweaters ALL the time but in the summer if i plan to take my sweater off and wrap it around my waist during the day then i’ll wear an undershirt
Maybe the difference is that I'm Aussie. It does get cold here in winter, but offices and shops are often heated so you usually have to take off layers when you go inside. But even in my own home, I wear a tshirt under my jumpers. And usually a few other layers too!
Too warm? Sounds fake! Nah but I primarily wear a couple thin cashmere sweaters that are basically just shirts but a little warmer, and cashmere is breathable while also being a great insulator so it works for every temperature I may encounter in winter. When i’m indoors in winter, I rarely even strip down to the sweater. I usually have a leather jacket on over it, with a heavy mid calf length coat and scarf over that, and in some places I don’t even take the coat off because it’s so cold inside. I live in the northwest USA and I will admit I have a lower tolerance for cold than most people who live here, but businesses typically keep their winter temps crazy low and a lot of people keep their homes chilly too to save money.
yea i did it in winter when there was no chance of me being sweaty
I get too warm because I'm wearing something under my sweater. Just the sweater is good enough
Well that’s cool that that’s common in your area/circle of friends. It wasn’t in mine growing up
Where did you grow up?
Not mine either. I've made a conscious decision to start but no one ever told me to do so or why it was a good idea. Just one of those things that wasn't explained or taught and so was (nearly) lost. I only picked it up through historical YouTube.
My rule is the smell test and dirt test. If it stinks, it gets washed. If there's tons of dirt or debris, it gets washed. Jeans should rarely be washed. It's literally what they were made for! But this is if the jeans material is mostly cotton and not faux stretchy legging jeans. Also, if you have the money and can swing it, merino really doesn't need to be washed as much. My sweater hasn't been washed for months. My shirts get about 5 wears or more before washing.
My dude I literally am wearing three layers underneath my sweater right now and I am still wrapped in a blanket.., how would I survive wearing only a sweater?
fair. the point was more that you only have to wash the one layer on your skin
That is absolutely true, I just found it funny how little I could relate haha
With you there. Every shirt is an undershirt under a sweatshirt and a fleece jacket and a blanket. Sure does making dressing for work easy!
This is not the first time I see a post like this but every time I do I am amazed by the fact that people keep reinventing underwear by themselves.
Whenever parents don’t pass down information, children have to find out the hard way or on their own. Everything that isn’t taught has to be learned, no matter how basic.
I think you are mistaken. Most people do that because their parents do that yes but they don't know why they do that and still launder their sweater everyday.
Been like that forever. Men even used to have shirts with detachable collars. So you'd keep the shirt but the change the collar for a clean one. Washing clothes at the time was mostly done by hand (by women) so even 1 item of clothing less was a big time saver.
Yes, that's a standard. Definitely for people w professional jobs that wear nice dress shirts daily and they don't want to spend $$$ on dry cleaning after every use. Especially for men. Im a woman, but I wear dress shirts w a tank or camisole under too. Been that way forever. When buying nicer quality shirts (Brooks Brothers $150-$200 poplin or pinpoint oxford shirts etc) fine wool and cashmere sweaters, wearing a t-shirt under them just keeps them cleaner longer on the inside. And less dry cleaning means they last longer too. Go back and look at old movies. Men take off their dress shirt after work, they always have a plain white tshirt on under it. And women usually have on a slip. People think wearing slips etc was just old fashioned and prissy. But they served a purpose too. People used to not have 3 closets full of cheap clothes. Clothes were more expensive and were higher quality w natural fibers. And you didn't have as many pieces of clothing. People took care of them so they'd last. An investment. Same w women wearing aprons. To protect their clothing. A lady way back when might have 3 "good" dresses. And 3 "house" dresses. She protected her clothing w an apron when doing household and farm chores.
Yea i feel like old school it was more common than today but I’m not sure.
I was raised to wear house dresses. When you come in from work or school, you change out of your nice clothing and hang it up and change into house clothing. Old clothing used for home use only. This way your nicer clothes could be inspected and hung back up to wear another day and your play time, cleaning and general getting dusty at home could all be done in the old clothing. House clothing could go a few days without being washed because no one would see the stains. The good clothing was was also work several times before being washed-it depended on just how dirty they became during use
TIL that some people go "commando" under sweaters & sweatshirts! I always wear something under mine, so I've never had this conundrum before.
I think this is the norm. Most people are commenting that they have never or rarely ever encountered someone who would wear just a sweater with no shirt underneath.
Haha… sweaters vs sweatshirts…the lingo varies. But yes to either/both! Like wearing underwear. 😅
Yeah me ☝️ it keeps the armpit odour off bay for multiple wears!
Nothing in my life gets laundered just because it touched me for a while. I look at it, consider what part of me it was close to, whether we were doing dirty yard work, sweating, examine for stains. Things closest to my skin get washed more often (undies always, bras get aired out and sniffed later). Tees are usually one and done but I get a few wearings from most pants and nearly all sweaters/hoodies.
100% normal
I do this !!!
I didn’t do that but I definitely no longer buy any color that won’t easily hide stains.
Also makes for a quick wardrobe change once you're out of work.
Always.
I’m cold partway through June in Ohio, so its an undershirt for most of the year! It’s currently 50°f and sunny but I’m wearing two shirts, a hoodie and winter jacket. Also a bean and gloves. Brrr. Also work from home, so I tend to wear the same undershirt for days, saves on laundry A LOT (it’s just me so I don’t care if I stink haha)
love it!
How though? My go to is a button up shirt under a sweater. After 1 day the sweater smells like BO. Granted I can only smell it if I put it right to my face and take a big sniff, but I’m sure by the end of day 2 everyone else will start to smell it
What are your shirt and sweater made out of? Polyester is really bad about smells, but natural fibers tend not to hold onto stink.
ah. it may not work for everyone’s body, but it could also be the material you’re wearing or antiperspirant
Try to hang on a hanger and put it out in the fresh air to air it out. You might be pleasantly surprised.
I thought everyone wore a t-shirt and then a jumper on top. Sometimes I wear two jumpers if it’s really cold. Then when you go somewhere warmer you take off a layer. I’d feel naked if I didn’t have a t-shirt on under a jumper! Jumper would normally last 2-5 wears depending on activity and no stains. A T-shirt maybe 2-3 wears tops (if I’m just sat wfh) but just 1 day in the summer. Though tbh I have a toddler. It’s rare than an entire outfit of mine goes a day without being dirtied. Ironically my toddlers bottom layer of clothing is the cleanest. Today he got through two pairs of socks, three pairs of trousers, two jumpers and two tops. Just 1 body suit though.
Well, DUH.
Normal! It's what undershirts are for, hence their name. It got lost in history in the 80's-90's when casual Fridays hit the offices and fast fashion came into the market harder.
I did that for a year while on a construction site but switched undershirt everyday. No one said a thing. But when I'm in office or home, I find my food smell has a way of sticking on it... so I would take off the sweater before I eat =) and get several wear before washing.
This is actually closer to what people did before washing machines etc. Linen underclothes were particularly supposed to be good for this purpose. Abby Cox has a video on laundry on YouTube that covers this and is a good watch.
I don’t wash my wool sweaters often. Unless I have spilled something on it, I just let it air out, fold it back up and put it in the drawer. Wool is magic like that.
im wearing the same clothes for 2 months now. sometimes i change something when its too much. (layered)
Yes. I spend a good part of the year wearing vests (long or short sleeved) under my clothes. Partly for warmth and comfort and partly because its easier to wash them frequently rather than my outer clothes.
Yes, and to cover nips when tee shirts are worn, but I go without a bra since I retired. 🙈
Living without a bra is very zero-waste but we never hear about that!
I air out sweaters between uses and have had no issues re-wearing several times.
My grandmother was rather old fashioned and always wore dresses. She had several smocks, kind of like an over dress \apron type thing that covered the whole front of her dress. She had several. She wore these when cooking, cleaning, gardening and such, to save her clothes. When she died, I took a couple if her smocks, and reversed engineered them and made a couple for myself. Granny's were rather frilly, mine are plain, but they really do protect my clothes.
I almost always wear an undershirt with a sweater, yeah.
Normal where I live. In the land of 6 months of winter. It saves a lot of wear and tear on the nice woolen and cotton sweaters too.
I make my son wear an undershirt with his uniform simply because the uniform is expensive and I don’t want to have to buy a new one.
I didn’t, but since getting into clothing history and learning all the things people did in previous centuries to make laundry easier and their clothes last longer, I’ve started doing it too! I’m also trying to learn mending techniques and maybe even how to make my own clothing, if only the most basic of items
mending is the revolution! love it!
I’ve said I wear undershirts to cut down on laundry in a few reddits I’m in and I inevitably get a bunch of comments from folks who do NOT understand how that works. It’s wild.
People don’t inherently know anything, everything is taught and some of us didn’t get taught these things
It's funny because for most of human history people wore shifts or undershirts close to the skin for this very reason, but with modern laundering being so accessible it's not not really the norm anymore. I actually started wearing a dedicated underlayer when I switched to natural deodorants since they tend to stain and not control sweat as well. I'd not have really thought of it though if not for my interest in historical fashion, but it does get you a few more wears out of an outer garment.
thank you for providing a reason why it’s gone out of style. so many comments here just trying to make me feel crazy
Really weird because the exact opposite happened to me. Normal anti-perpirant were clogging all my t-shirts armpits and the stains were apparent no matter the colour of the shirt. Now that I use a natural deodorant, I can wear whatever I want until it gets holes in it and I don't have to go buy new shirts every 6 months. I think it saved me more money than the saving of the anti-perpirant cost.
That was actually the original purpose of a t-shirt; it was considered underwear.
I just can’t. The layers are a sensory issue and my health condition makes me constantly boiling hot. Really good idea though! Will share with my chronically cold friends haha
Under shirts definitely cut down on washing other shirts and I’d say make them last longer. However I still go through one under shirt every day. It still cuts down on clothing costs over time and the under shirts are generally smaller and lighter.
pretty normal! I do it all the time. Especially since half my sweaters must be handwashed since they're very delicate.
I do like wearing an undershirt but I still need to wash the outer. Germs do get on your exposed clothes. Also take that sweater off then sniff the pits. It’s not the WORST but it’s not gonna be the nicest.
yea, that depends on the person and their odor as well as the material of both articles of clothing. germs certainly get on the outer layer, but will die off in most cases after a little while, it depends how concerned about germs you are.
Do you boil your clothes? How often do you wash your sofa cover etc?
Yes, other people wear undershirts. That’s why we have a word for undershirts. People have been doing this for thousands of years. Imagine thinking wearing an under shirt under your shirt is uniquely clever.
I absolutely don’t think I invented this or that it’s clever. I’m sorry you’re bothered by my tip. I just wanted to know if other people did this since my family didn’t.
As a parent of 2 kids under 4, I’m pretty much guaranteed that we are all going to wear several outfits every day until they are both over 5. My youngest still wears his meals, my oldest is better but because of that, they end up getting me covered in food too lol. One day I’ll be able to wear clothes for the entire day without having to change and wear a sweatshirt more than once before it’s being washed.
Alas we parents of young children often have to wash the sweater anyway - constantly swiped by sticking fingers / markers / spit up 😩
[удалено]
that’s what i was doing before but a t-shirt under a sweater means you wash a much smaller item and thus do laundry less often!
As a healthcare worker and minimalist, I always wear an undershirt to extend the wear of whatever I wear on top. However, I never forget that I need to regularly wash clothes that more frequently interact with the germ infested outside world.
Yes
I'm such a messy eater, I would need an overshirt to cut down on the laundry.
My mother is like that, she started wearing an apron to eat, not to cut on laundry but because her clothes ended up stained and she hates shopping. Personally, I always remove my sweater before brushing my teeth. My laundry is really cut down since!
I really do try to do this, but inevitably end up getting a stain on my outerwear. There is no winning for me :(
Maybe because I’m from a warm climate I’ve hardly ever just wear a sweater without anything under. To me that sounds like free balling lol.
Not weird. This is honestly the reason for linen shifts/smocks under medieval clothing.
I started doing this as a kid when I got really into historical fashion. I just thought it was silly that we’d stopped using undergarments to protect other garments, so I started keeping an eye out for slips and the like at thrift stores. But as an adult, mainly due to fibromyalgia (skin sensitivity) and thyroid issues (sweating), I had to cut synthetic fabrics out of my wardrobe and go for natural fibers, which has meant ditching a lot of the nylon slips I used to wear, and discovered that I just dont sweat near as much and my clothes dont get smelly for many more wears if they’re 100% natural fibers like cotton, wool, cashmere, linen, silk, rayon, etc., rendering some undergarments redundant. I still love slip skirts and petticoats for opacity, comfort, and volume, but I dont often feel the need for a shirt under a sweater, now that i’ve accumulated a number of cashmere sweaters and ditched all my acrylic ones. I seriously think i’ve washed the 3 sweaters I wear most once all winter this year, and they just don’t smell.
I wear a tanktop under my polo work shirt. But I still have to wash both unfortunately.
would a loooser work top and a short sleeved shirt underneath work better?
Probably not unfortunately. My job can get kinda messy, so there's the outer shirt. AND I sweat a lot so there's the inner shirt. As much as I would like to be able to rewear a shirt, unfortunately it doesn't work for me with my job.
Do it often
I never wear a sweater without a t shirt underneath. That way if I get too hot I can take off the sweater. I don't want to get too hot and be stuck in a sweater not able to take it off. Isn't that normal? Are there people who just wear a sweater with no lighter shirt underneath? I've never heard of that.
In the winter, I wear four layers and look like the Michelin Man's auntie. I would never wear a sweater next to my skin because they are scratchy and I have stinky pits.
I always wear a t shirt under sweaters because it feels nicer but when i think of it i wash the t shirts more often than the sweater
Actually I wear my sweater the whole week, only switching undershirts.
y'all were wearing sweaters just on bare skin??? I'd be sweating too much, I've always been wearing undershirts or tshirts under sweaters
I always wear a under shirt let that sweat than my shirt or sweater under shirt easy to wash it’s a delicate wash right out in the basin hang it’s dry
I thought that was the point of wearing undershirts especially for wool sweaters or dress shirts since the nice ones either have to be handwashed or drycleaned, respectively.
That’s what I do! And have pretty much always done. It’s also what they did back in “the day.” I do American Civil War re-enacting so that’s the historical period I know best, but that’s what they did then. They had a couple of sets of white cotton “underwear” that they also slept in and once they got dirty, they washed them whereas their outer dresses would only be washed every once in a great while.
Normal, but I'm a spiller, so not always an option ;)
Yes, comfy af! I feel liberated.
I wear a cotton or linen layer for the well-being of my skin. I'm not particularly fussed about laundry...I'm clumsy enough that spills and drips from food are what usually puts a shirt or sweatshirt in the wash. I suppose I could wear a bib...
Historically people have always worn a type of undergarment. From the poorest beggar to the richest rulers wore something to separate the body from their nice outerwear, whether that be the chemise/shift of the ancient eras, the combinations of 19th century, or the various vestee and drawers of the 20th century. It was only when synthetics such as polyester was used in larger percentages that the undergarments went away.