My new position involves wearing a long sleeve white button-up dress shirt under an external armor carrier. We've only seen temps in the high 70s and low 80s so far, and I'm already soaked in sweat.

So regular cotton dress shirts aren't cutting it, even though I'm wearing my usual Under Armor undershirts.

My previous uniform shirts were made of moisture-wicking material, and wearing it under an external carrier wasn't so bad (at least for body armor). I'd still be warm from the extra insulation, but at least I wasn't soaking in a wet shirt all day.

I've found a few "performance dress shirt" companies so far - like Mizzen+Main, State and Liberty, or Rhone - who offer moisture-wicking button down dress shirts, but theirs are all $100-$150 per shirt.

So does anyone have a source of dress shirts made of lightweight, moisture-wicking material that won't break the bank?

(Preferably available in athletic cut, but at this point I won't be as picky about fit if I can find the right reasonably priced option otherwise.)

Years ago the VA used to carry these shirts in their commisary. No military insignia and they did a great job in the San Antonio summers.

How dressy does the shirt need to be under a carrier? Polo? Fully button down?

I use Adidas and Puma moisture wicking Polos for work shirts (Adidas’s version is climalite), all made of polyester. Then the same kind of t-shirt made of the same as undershirt. So if you need long sleeve, I would check long sleeve golf shirts made of the same types of material.

Maybe the Vertx Capitol dress shirt. Or could you get away with a white uniform shirt without epaulettes? If you’re wearing plates they would cover the flap chest pockets. 5.11 makes a couple that don’t look too bad.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
How dressy does the shirt need to be under a carrier? Polo? Fully button down?

Needs to look like a dress shirt, with long sleeves and cuffs. A long sleeve polo won't cut it, unfortunately.

quote:

Originally posted by cooger:
Or could you get away with a white uniform shirt without epaulettes? If you’re wearing plates they would cover the flap chest pockets. 5.11 makes a couple that don’t look too bad.

That was going to be my Plan B, if I can't find workable dress shirts. The collar and sleeves are all that are seen of the shirt anyway. So what's on the chest/shoulders doesn't matter.

As FOP union chief for my department, I often to deal with nutty (Corfam dress shoes in 95 degree weather, for example) uniform regs and changes.
So... I have to ask.... Whose idea is this? And whats the intent?

How about long sleeve fishing shirts, such as the Columbia PFG series? With a plate-carrier on, you can't see the pockets and back vents.

https://www.columbia.com/p/men...ar_1286061_color=596

https://www.columbia.com/p/men...ar_1928961_color=470

Here's an REI house brand white L/S travel shirt.
https://www.rei.com/product/19...ng-sleeve-shirt-mens

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
So... I have to ask.... Whose idea is this? And whats the intent?

My thoughts exactly! We recently had a uniform addition that clearly shows the brains behind the idea has been a paper pusher all their career.

As for the shirts I like Jos A Bank Travelers.
https://www.josbank.com/p/trav...d-collar-dress-shirt

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Whose idea is this?

Someone who doesn't have to wear it all day, 17 layers removed from the guys who do.

quote:

And whats the intent?

To blend in with all the lawyers and judges, I guess.

I'm thinking I might give the Blauer Armorskin base shirts a shot. They're basically moisture-wicking polo shirts, but designed to look like a Class A uniform shirt when worn under an armor carrier. Has the requisite collar and buttoned cuffs.

https://www.duluthtrading.com/...60489.html?color=RCI

https://www.duluthtrading.com/...64508.html?color=LFD

https://www.kuhl.com/kuhl/mens...?color=BLUE%2520MIST

If you're looking for your plain ole' white button-down dress shirt, it's going to be kind of hard, unless you want to look like a fisherman.
(see here)

https://www.amazon.com/JMIERR-...s%2C117&sr=8-28&th=1


I'm a HUGE fan of Duluth Trading's Armachillo line

Start with their T-shirts-
https://www.duluthtrading.com/...94255.html?color=WHI

Yeah, none of those shirts are quite what I need. I'm finding plenty of options for casual hiking/fishing shirts like that, but not nearly as many for long sleeve white button down shirts.

And I'm good on undershirts. I have plenty of quality Duluth and Under Armour undershirts already. It just doesn't do much good to have high quality, high tech moisture wicking undershirts when the shirt on top just soaks it all up instead!

Check out the First Tactical Pro Performance shirts. I think they are exactly what your looking for. Its moisture wicking material on the body with dress shirt sleeves. Even dressier option would be the PDU shirt from them

https://www.firsttactical.com/...ro-performance-shirt

Cool. Similar to the Blauer Armorskin shirts above. I might grab one of each and see which one I prefer.

CSO gig?

I use Roundtree and Yorke 100 percent cotton at my CSO gig.

Yep.

I’m wearing my vest underneath the dress shirt. I’m using 100 percent cotton undershirts and I’m pretty comfortable in my area. Our building does get hot but the blazers seem to breathe well.

I did try moisture wicking undershirts but didn’t care for them.

Congratulations on the job. I’m pretty happy with it.

Polo makes one

shirt

it is stretchy and way better in the hot.
Im in south Florida so trust me this is not a regular cotton shirt

DXL prices are high so look elsewhere to buy but I think this is what you want

Believe it or not JC Penny Stafford Cool Max. These do well in southern summers.

https://www.jcpenney.com/p/sta...06?pTmplType=regular