A Lesson in the Adult Undershirt

And why I wear one every single day

Thesis: the origins of layering begin with the undershirt tic.

Growing up, my mother made me wear an undershirt every single day. When pushed on this, she would communicate a confident and strong-willed belief that you get sick without one (“you must cover your chest!”)

I can without a doubt say my consistency with undershirts began as a deeply rooted, generational fear, which eventually turned into a tick, and in adulthood evolved into a love of layering.

To me, the basis of good layering begins with an undershirt. And what I really mean by this is a true layered outfit always has a little bit of this:

Vintage Prada Blazer, Brandy Melville Thermal Long Sleeve Shirt, Still Here Everyday Jeans in Milk, Marcelle Boots

A thermal underneath a blazer is a great trick to dress a look down. You look put together, but not uptight.

Still Here Pointelle Short Sleeve Sweater that was never made, Still Here Colors Tee, Still Here Cool Jeans

I always wear an undershirt under sweaters, even if they’re light sweaters and even if they’re short sleeve. I love how the double layering looks here. I even wish the undershirt extended a little past the sleeve for a subtle roll up.

Vintage Eileen fisher blazer, Grey long sleeve kids shirt from Target, Vintage wool beret (x2)

Grey undershirts on woman are strangely fancy unlike on men they read pajamas.

Vintage Herringbone Worker’s Jacket, Still Here Good Tee, Still Here Cool Jeans, Mango Black Thong Sandals

On sweaty shoot days I always wear a shitty (yellow underarmed) white undershirt under anything I wear.

Vintage Wool Coat from Lord and Taylor, Vintage Worker’s Jacket, Still Here The Good Tee, Still Here Everyday Jeans in Milk, Old American Apparel Beanie, Vintage Coach Duffle, Nikon, Yeti

The undershirt here is for my comfort, not so much a loud styling note. But a white collar under a fit goes a long way..

Alex Mill Cashmere blend cardigan, Still Here Good Tee, Still Here Pear Jeans and Slim Clip Belt in Black

This is me “dressing up.” I actually ended up buttoning the sweater all the way up that night, and so in this instance, the undershirt is solely for my anxiety.

Old American apparel fisherman knit, Brandy Melville long sleeve beige shirt, Uniqlo vest, Still Here Milk Everyday Jeans

Undershirts + chunky knits are a great texture combination.

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The best undershirts are made of all natural fibers, ideally 100% Cotton, so it’s breathable and can actually function as a comfortable layer underneath your outfit.

Undershirt closet staples + links crowdsourced from team Still Here:

1. white tee-shirts (2-3) - The Good Tee, Gildan Cotton Tee, Gap Tee (weird sleeve length)

   *can go underneath pretty much any outfit

2. color tee shirts (grey, navy, blue, red) - The Shirt in Red, James Perse Little Boy Tee in Navy

   *always a nice pop around the collar when you’re dressed in a more minimal or monotone color pallet

3. a white and grey long sleeve thermal - Gap Waffle Long Sleeve, Uniqlo Waffle, Brandy Melville Tori Thermal

   *a great subtle layer to pop out of sleeves, and bottom hem. Also works well to dress an outfit down

4. a long white long sleeve henley - Old Navy Henley

   *great for any V neck sweaters or underneath blazers

5. tank top - Hanes Boys Tank (pack of 3), Uniqlo Men’s Tank, Pontielle (so sweet)

   *tank tops in any color to pop out from under your shirt hem

6. optional if you’re feeling spicy: a long sleeve white thumb-y shirt

Here are some candid undershirt moments from my camera roll:

This post is written by Sonia Mosseri