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Crew neck vs V-neck undershirts

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Ale House

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I've searched the threads on here and it seems the majority of posters are fans of v-necks.. I've ALWAYS worn crew necks. Reason being... tracheotomy scar I've had since I was 4. A crew neck covers it, a v-neck doesn't. I'm in a business casual environment now, so it's a button down every day with no tie. On days I'm not wearing a sweater (which isn't often this time of year), the undershirt is obviously visible.

Honestly I haven't thought about it much until recently. Is it frowned upon among the trad community?
 
#2 ·
I wear crewnecks when wearing a tie and v-necks when wearing an open collar. I don't personally like visible undershirts and I find the look a bit sloppy. In your case, you have a good reason for doing it and in your circumstances, it might be ideal. Otherwise, I'd suggest wearing ties or giving ascots a try.
 
#5 ·
hardline_42 said:
I wear crewnecks when wearing a tie and v-necks when wearing an open collar. I don't personally like visible undershirts and I find the look a bit sloppy. In your case, you have a good reason for doing it and in your circumstances, it might be ideal. Otherwise, I'd suggest wearing ties or giving ascots a try.
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This. Except bow tie instead of ascot
 
#7 ·
Indeed, the shirt collar can remain open but (and perhaps this isn't an issue) an ascot would draw a lot more attention. I can safely say I've never seen one at work or on the street going to and from work.

hardline_42 said:
I'm not sure the bowtie would be any better than a regular tie for a business casual workplace, though. At least, with the ascot, the shirt collar can remain open for a more relaxed look.
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#8 ·
The op has a good reason for a visible crew neck under an open collar, so I would suggest colored t's to match the shirts. Anything but white, which does, indeed, look like the underwear it is. Lacking that good reason, I wear v-necks under open collar shirts.
 
#12 ·
hardline_42 said:
I wear crewnecks when wearing a tie and v-necks when wearing an open collar. I don't personally like visible undershirts and I find the look a bit sloppy. In your case, you have a good reason for doing it and in your circumstances, it might be ideal. Otherwise, I'd suggest wearing ties or giving ascots a try.
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Ascots at work??? Really???

Maybe if you had a colored Tshirt, the visual would be less jarring. I would not worry about the TShirt, too much. If it bothers you, get colored Tshirts that either match or coordinate with your shirt.
 
#13 ·
Eric W S said:
An ascot would look eccentric in any business situation. You do not want to stand out by wearing one.
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It depends on the nature of the business and the way it's worn. A neatly tucked ascot worn under the collar and not "poufed" could be quite understated and maybe even look like a thin turtleneck (which, come to think of it, is also a viable option in cold weather). The ascot here doesn't seem too intrusive to me (no comment on the rest of the outfit).
 
#14 ·
I like crew necks, wear them with open collars and don't really give a whip about what other people think. I'm usually dressed way better than them anyway (engineering department). The worst look IMO is the sleeveless or wife beater undershirt. Don't get those at all.
 
#15 ·
forsbergacct2000 said:
Maybe if you had a colored Tshirt, the visual would be less jarring. I would not worry about the TShirt, too much. If it bothers you, get colored Tshirts that either match or coordinate with your shirt.
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This seems even more foppish and overdone than the ascot IMHO. A colored t-shirt gets me thinking one is wearing their gym clothes underneath or something. I can see oatmeal or light gray heathers to minimize the starkness of the white, but I'm thinking that coordinating underlayers is more eccentric and foppish than the casual bit of silk (or cotton or wool...) of an ascot.
Also, one is bold and the other well, half-assed. Trying not to draw attention with something unconventional is bound to be odder than just going all-out.
 
#16 ·
hardline_42 said:
It depends on the nature of the business and the way it's worn. A neatly tucked ascot worn under the collar and not "poufed" could be quite understated and maybe even look like a thin turtleneck (which, come to think of it, is also a viable option in cold weather). The ascot here doesn't seem too intrusive to me (no comment on the rest of the outfit).
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I am no spring chicken, but ascots just seem so out of place to me. I keep thinking of Thurston Howell. Still have yet to see an ascot in the wild...
 
#17 ·
Eric W S said:
I am no spring chicken, but ascots just seem so out of place to me. I keep thinking of Thurston Howell. Still have yet to see an ascot in the wild...
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I agree. If you work in the corporate world, save your ascot for non-working hours. You'll not only stick out like a sore thumb, but wear it just once and you'll forever be compared to frumpy and aloof status-obsessed WASPs or Roland Martin.
 
#18 ·
I must point out the baseless nature of all the timid people that have never ever seen one wearing an ascot but are certain that if anyone ever did that they would suffer all sorts of associations with...all the other people that nobody ever saw wearing an ascot.

I suspect there is a somewhat narrow age band of Gen-Xers that is hung up on the Thurston Howell thing. The young will think of Gossip Girl and the current crop of celbrities that have adopted it. The old will recognize it as classic and useful. If surrounded by neurotic class-obsessed middle-agers, then there may be an issue. Their issue.
 
#19 ·
Ale House said:
I've ALWAYS worn crew necks. Reason being... tracheotomy scar I've had since I was 4.
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And always wearing crew neck undershirts may violate a general rule about your undershirt not being visible, but the general rule does not take into account tracheotomy scars.

If you'd rather have a small amount of undershirt visible, than have your scar visible, that's a perfectly legitimate choice. As has been suggested, you might want to try non-white undershirts. But either way, you've got a solid reason for choosing to ignore the general rule.

As for wearing an ascot to the office... well, if some guy at work started doing that, it'd leave me free to wear bow ties more often. Since ascot easily outscores bow tie, on the business wardrobe eccentricity scale. Instead of my being known as "the bow tie guy," he'd be known as "the scarf guy." :)
 
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