We know that feeling: You only want to put on a thin second layer because it looked stylish, and next thing you know, you have the entire pacific ocean on your underarms. Yeah… that’s all she’s going to notice once she sees it. It’s okay, though! Here at Shortsides, we’ve compiled some of the best clothes for people who sweat a lot, and how to wear them to maximize style points!

What you’ll need.

1. Wear a light-weight shirt with a deep V-Neck.
2. Use an Rx_ Strength Antiperspirant.
3. A cotton or linen button shirt.

Note: If you don’t like light-weight T-shirts because they show off too much “man-titty”, just stick to using cotton or linen button up shirts. There’s also a method of hiding nipples under shirts which includes using a gray-colored shirt underneath a white shirt, but that means layering two shirts (which might make you more hot and therefore more sweaty.) That’s why we recommend a light-gray “Airism” shirt that feels like nothing underneath a cotton and linen blend shirt.

Instructions

1. Put on your Rx- Strength Antiperspirant.

Okay, yeah. We know this is an article about the best clothes for people who sweat a lot, but can you blame us? If you’re sweating a lot, you should at least put something on!

Put on your Rx- Strength Antiperspirant the night before, so that when you wake up in the morning and go about your life in the afternoon, the product will already be in effect at it’s prime. Most people who put on antiperspirant on the morning do not feel the effects until much later, when their sweating has already come and passed. That’s why it’s important to put it on the night before: so you don’t end up wasting the effects.

2. Wear a light weight undershirt with a deep V-Neck, preferably in gray.

You should use this as a “base” before wearing your cotton or linen button shirt. It will serve to both absorb your sweat and neutralize your skin tone underneath the button shirt on top.

Why must it be a V-Neck? Well, first of all, you don’t want to look like this guy.

Having your crew neck stick out under your button shirt makes you look like you just got into semi-formal fashion and have no experience with button shirts but have far too much experience in graphic ones. It makes you look uncomfortable wearing anything seemingly clean and put-together.

So why does it have to be in gray? Well, if you’re wearing light and bright colors like white, ligh blue, or salmon, your skin tone will be revealed underneath the shirt. If you’re trying not to sweat, light fabrics and light colors like white cotton linen shirts are a must; the problem is that these are too light and too gentle in fabric to cover up your skin color. This will give you a semi-naked look comparable to girls with white shirts and water: people can see their nipples and skin underneath, all for the world to see.

When you use a gray shirt, it combines with light colors like white to make your skin appear invisible.

3. Wear a cotton or linen button shirt.

Probably the most important part of your wardrobe, the cotton or linen button shirt is the first thing that pops up in mind when thinking of the best clothes for people who sweat a lot.

This should be a stable in every man’s wardrobe. Not only does it look nice, it also makes for a good piece that is lightweight enough to prevent you from sweating a gallon over it. Plus, your undershirt underneath will keep the sweat off the actual button shirt. Another plus to having a cotton or linen button shirt is that it will stay relatively off of your skin. It doesn’t hug you like a regular t-shirt or a muscle shirt. You don’t have to worry about the shirt absorbing all your sweat from your armpits because the loose structure avoids contact with the skin naturally.

Not that you’re wearing a piece that’s so loose that you’ll look like a ghost with a tablecloth over it. Cotton and linen buttons shirts can be slim cut too, and they’ll still stay off your skin because of its natural composition and structure!

4. Tuck your light-weight V-Neck shirt underneath your pants but over your underwear.

Then tuck your button shirt over your V-Neck and under your pants. This is to avoid giving yourself a wedgie and preventing people from seeing your boxers. Of course, there’s “sagging” as a “style”, but we don’t do that here.  

Tucking in your button shirts is also practically a must. If you don’t tuck in your shirt, you risk looking like you just got out of bed in the morning or a college student who doesn’t want to look like they came out of church. Tuck it in! But, let the shirt hang a little bit too. There should be some fabric flowing out whilst still tucked, it balances professional and relaxed tones. (it also makes you look more slim!)

Here’s a visual of how this should look.

A Note to Koreans and East Asians

But we can’t have a conversation about sweat without a conversation about deodorant! So, here’s a short PSA to those Asians who use deodorant every day:

You might not need it.

Of course, it depends on a few factors, but one thing is for certain: you can test if you really need it by checking your earwax!

Wet vs Dry Earwax

Yup, whether you are cursed to add another routine to your everyday grooming is determined by your earwax. Why? It’s in a gene called ABCC11.

If you’re lucky enough to have the gene, that means that you don’t have to wear deodorant because you won’t smell.

According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the presence of the gene in the body prevents the armpits from producing a chemical that, when combined with sweat, produce bacteria that make up body odor.

This is a gene that is said to be inside about 2% of Europeans and most if not all East Asians and Koreans. It is a gene that also determines whether you have wet or dry earwax. So here’s how it works:

               Do I need deodorant?

1. wet earwax: the wax feels oily or moist
   1. you don’t have ABCC11
   2. you have to wear deodorant.
2. dry earwax: the wax feels flaky or sandy
   1. you have ACBB11
   2. you don’t need to wear any deodorant. 

And that’s it! So in short, we’ve provided our take on the best clothes for people who sweat a lot and what the best routine for them is: apply Rx-Strength Antiperspirant the night before, wear a light-weight grey V-neck and tuck it over your underwear, and wear a cotton or linen button shirt with light colors to tuck underneath your pants and over your undershirt. People with dry, sandy and flaky earwax will have no worries about their smell. People with oily, wet, or waxy earwax, on the other hand, have to deal with applying products and avoiding sweat as much as possible. If you’ve got any questions about what to wear or styling advice in general, shoot us a message!