Cool men's T-shirts for hot weather?
June 17, 2024 2:19 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to get a bunch of men's t-shirts which will keep me cool when I'm out in the heat. Ideas?
I was thinking of getting a bunch white t-shirts, but what I'm finding are undershirts. Will undershirts work as single-layer shirts, or will they look bad by themselves? I only have like two light colored t-shirts and I want to get at least 6-10. Any specific brands/items which you would recommend for staying cool?
I was thinking of getting a bunch white t-shirts, but what I'm finding are undershirts. Will undershirts work as single-layer shirts, or will they look bad by themselves? I only have like two light colored t-shirts and I want to get at least 6-10. Any specific brands/items which you would recommend for staying cool?
Patagonia's various flavors of Capilene Cool Tech t-shirts are all good.
posted by box at 3:06 PM on June 17 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 3:06 PM on June 17 [1 favorite]
My workout shirts are Uniqlo's Dry-Ex fabric. They're woven with some kind of technology that results in different zones in the fabric so the parts where you sweat more (the armpits and the middle of the back, primarily) are more ventilated than the rest. They're pretty airy and they dry fast. The fancy weaving is more obvious in white than in black, so that may or may not be appealing to you.
posted by fedward at 3:10 PM on June 17
posted by fedward at 3:10 PM on June 17
I've got a bunch from 6dollarshirts. I found the 50/50 blends to be more form-fitting and pretty good at wicking away sweat. But if you often sweat through your clothes you might want 100% cotton.
posted by credulous at 4:36 PM on June 17
posted by credulous at 4:36 PM on June 17
No, most men wouldn't want to wear an undershirt as a single layer. It can be done and some guys can pull it off, but there's a high likelihood of it looking strange for most men. Their fabric is much thinner (not necessarily in a stylish way) and they'll be very tight-fitting compared to a t-shirt. Also, if you wanted to wear them untucked a lot of undershirts would be weirdly long — they're usually cut longer because they're meant to be tucked in. So I'd recommend going with t-shirts.
posted by theory at 6:13 PM on June 17 [3 favorites]
posted by theory at 6:13 PM on June 17 [3 favorites]
I like these Tek Gear T-shirts, which have "dry tech" - they wick some moisture away
posted by TimHare at 9:15 PM on June 17
posted by TimHare at 9:15 PM on June 17
There is such a thing as "summer-weight" t-shirts. Lightweight fabric, basically. Usually applies to merino-wool or wool-blend t-shirts. It's counter-intuitive, but merino-wool is anti-odor and moisture-wicking. IceBreaker have two-colored shirts that don't look like pure t-shirts, but their entire line of wool-blend shirts are expensive as **** at about $75-80 EACH. Allbirds have some that's only like 20-30% wool (rest is cotton and polyester) but it's also half the price.
To be moisture-wicking the shirt usually need to be near-skin-tight. Not exactly muscle shirt, but tighter than "loose-fitting" for sure. It could be a single layer fabric, and could be some formulation of polyester with fancy name like "Dri Fit"(tm), though bamboo cellulose fiber shirts are also quite moisture wicking and costs less than wool-shirts (not as cheap as polyester ones though).
Then there are fabric that are designed to feel cooler against the skin, though it's technically not temperature regulating. But they get really fancy. Some use evap cooling, some are just moisture-wicking, some offer air permeability and ventilation, and some really fancy ones rely on phase change material, but these are usually made into leggings, not shirts due to high cost. But this one actually *does* help regulate temp.
So, what's your budget, and use case? Just "daily wear"? Or do you have certain activity in mind? And just how hot *does* it get in your area?
posted by kschang at 10:06 PM on June 17
To be moisture-wicking the shirt usually need to be near-skin-tight. Not exactly muscle shirt, but tighter than "loose-fitting" for sure. It could be a single layer fabric, and could be some formulation of polyester with fancy name like "Dri Fit"(tm), though bamboo cellulose fiber shirts are also quite moisture wicking and costs less than wool-shirts (not as cheap as polyester ones though).
Then there are fabric that are designed to feel cooler against the skin, though it's technically not temperature regulating. But they get really fancy. Some use evap cooling, some are just moisture-wicking, some offer air permeability and ventilation, and some really fancy ones rely on phase change material, but these are usually made into leggings, not shirts due to high cost. But this one actually *does* help regulate temp.
So, what's your budget, and use case? Just "daily wear"? Or do you have certain activity in mind? And just how hot *does* it get in your area?
posted by kschang at 10:06 PM on June 17
Response by poster: Thanks all!
Budget: I'd be open to getting one or two of the $75-80 shirts if they are really worth it, preferably less than that though.
Use case: Maybe two use cases: 1. Just going out for a walk, in which case comfort/coolness would be the only factor, not how I look. 2. Going somewhere to meet people which requires 15 to 30 minutes of walking, in which case coolness would be important but I would at least not want to look actively bad.
Area: Washington DC proper. Sunday it will be 99 (f), real feel 106.
posted by catquas at 8:30 AM on June 18
Budget: I'd be open to getting one or two of the $75-80 shirts if they are really worth it, preferably less than that though.
Use case: Maybe two use cases: 1. Just going out for a walk, in which case comfort/coolness would be the only factor, not how I look. 2. Going somewhere to meet people which requires 15 to 30 minutes of walking, in which case coolness would be important but I would at least not want to look actively bad.
Area: Washington DC proper. Sunday it will be 99 (f), real feel 106.
posted by catquas at 8:30 AM on June 18
Duluth Trading has a line of shirts that may work.
posted by inviolable at 8:35 AM on June 18 [1 favorite]
posted by inviolable at 8:35 AM on June 18 [1 favorite]
I have a few of the Brooks Brothers T-shirts, available at Nordstrom Rack. Very lightweight and cool and the fit is good.
posted by Clustercuss at 11:18 AM on June 18
posted by Clustercuss at 11:18 AM on June 18
I like these Tek Gear T-shirts, which have "dry tech" - they wick some moisture away
Seconding this. I have similar shirts (in fact they look identical but are different brands) and they are amazing in hot weather. They are super cool, dry very fast to the extent they don't really seem to get sweaty at all and they last forever - some of mine are 8+ years old and still look as good as new. They are quite a bit thinner than many t-shirts, so be aware they will show the contours of your body a bit.
I bought the ones I have really cheap and wish I'd known how good they are - I would have bought 50 and never bought another t-shirt ever.
posted by dg at 5:33 PM on June 18
Seconding this. I have similar shirts (in fact they look identical but are different brands) and they are amazing in hot weather. They are super cool, dry very fast to the extent they don't really seem to get sweaty at all and they last forever - some of mine are 8+ years old and still look as good as new. They are quite a bit thinner than many t-shirts, so be aware they will show the contours of your body a bit.
I bought the ones I have really cheap and wish I'd known how good they are - I would have bought 50 and never bought another t-shirt ever.
posted by dg at 5:33 PM on June 18
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posted by dobbs at 3:04 PM on June 17 [1 favorite]