HEWI - underlayer for blouses!

I’m a huge fan of the crisp white shirt, but have struggled to find the proper under layers. Years ago LLBean sold short sleeve (not sleeveless), v-neck silk pointelle tees in a nude color, which were perfect under layers. Lightweight and invisible under my shirts, they protected my shirts from antiperspirant stains, smoothed out the lumpy bits without compression and help hide any gaping in the bust area. Yes, they were pricey, but I wore them to bits completely.

The key is the color: tee shirts with sleeves are rarely offered in a beige/nude doesn’t show under my white shirts.

I finally found a suitable replacement: Uniqlo’s men’s beige v-neck undershirts, Airism for warmer weather and Heatech for cooler.

They are offered in a beige color, and best yet, the price is so very reasonable. The Airism tee is mesh with no hems, so it lays nice and flat on the sleeves and on the neckline. The v-neck is deep enough to fall below my top button. No hem on the bottom also allows it to lie flat when I tuck.

I also wear them under sweaters or silk shirts for the same reasons. I find that they help protect the outer shirt/sweater from body odor and oils and the tops stay fresher longer.

I have a 43” bust (size US 14 usually, and I’m 5’10”) and chose a size men’s large. They are fairly long in length, but it works for me.

(Is it weird that their women’s Airism tees aren’t offered in beige?)

Anyway, I thought I would share since there have been several discussions on button front shirts lately - these men’s undershirts solve some of my issues.

6 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

Good to know! I’ll have to check them out!

Anonymous

I use cheapie Target tanks under blouses and everything. They are a available in an ever-changing variety of colors. So I stock up when something nude like blush or beige is available. White under white is a crisp clean look.

Style Fan

Great idea. I have a couple of old tanks and camis that are hanging in. I dread the day I have to replace them.

The Cat

Interesting solution. Thank you for reminding me to look in men's departments for certain HEWIs.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Great idea. Thanks for the tip and the review! Layering under clothing is something I've come to rely on, too.

Greyscale

I read partway through your post and was about to suggest Uniqlo!

Sometimes they also have beige nylon seamless Airism undershirts for women. They’re not the usual Airism fabric. The beige is a little darker than my pale skin so they’re not perfectly invisible, and they’re very light so they won’t provide much smoothing.

Adriana

I discovered something similar. The German brand Mey had camis in its sale in all kind of strange colors like taupe, beige and other palish brownish mix. To try the shape I bought a few, because cheap. And then I learned how much easier these colors were to wear onder colored sweaters than my usual black and white.

April

Yes, Uniqlo can be maddening in their color options. Their HeatTechs, for example, come in a true white for men but only a cream/ivory for women. Go figure.

Beth Ann

Thanks for the detailed recommendation! I wear a cami under my tops all year round, but sometimes it would be better to have sleeves for just the reasons you mentioned.

viva

I am generally not a cami wearer but I am finding that I have a decreasing tolerance for wool (even cashmere) next to my skin -- it's all part of being "of a certain age" and running warmer than I ever have. This is good info for me to file for future use. Thank you!

Kate

Good solution, ChrisM; thanks.
I'm a big fan of Uniqlo's Airism camis, and wear them in the winter. Even though I run cold, I don't like the Heatech camis under sweaters—I find myself getting too warm when I'm indoors.

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