# Lame question about British underwear vs. American
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 2, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119 "2005-11-02T18:31:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/1 "2005-11-02T18:31:18Z")
Sometimes in British books, you read about ‘vests,’ which are, I suppose, the same as American undershirts. But in pictures they seem to be made of some kind of mesh or something. I know this is incredibly lame, but can someone explain what a typical vest is made of? A picture, perhaps?
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/2 "2005-11-02T18:47:22Z")
Just pointing out that, in the USA at least, under shirts can be made of several different styles of fabric. I used to have some mesh under shirts that were supposed to provide greater warmth than regular knit fabric.
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### Author:  [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/3 "2005-11-02T18:54:19Z")
[String vests?](http://www.pagan.clara.net/rab.htm)
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/4 "2005-11-02T19:16:24Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#):
>
> [String vests?](http://www.pagan.clara.net/rab.htm)
That could have contained a warning. This page may contain a image that you will dream about in your nightmares.
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### Author:  [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/5 "2005-11-02T19:22:50Z")
Just remember that “pants,” at least in pre-1960s British writings, will refer to what are known as “underpants” in North America. “Trousers” are (or were) worn over one’s pants.
So “standing in your pants and vest” would mean that you had only your underclothes on.
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### Author:  [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/6 "2005-11-02T21:38:16Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#):
>
> [String vests?](http://www.pagan.clara.net/rab.htm)
Yeah! Only hopefully not so hideous. 🙂 I’ve never heard of a string vest before. What is the purpose of such an item? Is it supposed to be cooler, or healthier, or something? Why wear an undershirt that is mainly made of hole? Surely it isn’t generally meant as public wear, as in this picture?
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### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/7 "2005-11-02T21:58:00Z")
> [@dangermom](#):
>
> Why wear an undershirt that is mainly made of hole?
Don’t knock it, it saved Frodo’s life when he was in Moria.
(Then again, it _was_ made of mithril.)
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/8 "2005-11-02T22:27:22Z")
They used mesh in sports uniforms. Then mesh shirts were for the beach. Then as a way to show off in bars. Then to irratate the establishments people didn’t like.
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### Author:  [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/9 "2005-11-02T23:40:14Z")
> [@dangermom](#):
>
> Is it supposed to be cooler, or healthier, or something?
They are actualy supposed to be quite warm as they trap a layer of air between torso & shirt.
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### Author:  [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/10 "2005-11-03T03:52:39Z")
My mother-in-law, born and raised in N. Ireland, refers to diapers (either disposable or cloth) as ‘pants’ as in “C’mon, kiddo, let’s go change your pants.”
Now complicate things: In Australia, a ‘tank top’ is a ‘singlet’ and I have no idea what an American Singlet (worn for wrestling matches) would be called. An American ‘undershirt’ is a British ‘vest’, while an American ‘vest’ is a British ‘waistcoat’. When my in-laws went to visit Belfast (Carrickfergus, actually), they went to a wool shop and hired a little granny to knit a sweater-vest for me, only they called it something else because the idea of a sweater-vest was too confusing. I think they called it a sleeveless jumper. Of course saying ‘jumper’ in the US will just make people blink, unless they think maybe you mean a sleeveless dress of heavy fabric, worn over a blouse, or maybe a ‘jumpsuit’ like guys wear when they work on your car.
I do like my sleeveless jumper. I can tell people it was knit by a little old granny-lady in a sweatshop in Northern Ireland, and that’s not far off. It’s simply beautiful, too.
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### Author:  [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2005, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/11 "2005-11-03T09:24:19Z")
Sleeveless jumper is exactly what they would call it.
A jumper is another word for a woollen sweater.
It would be a sleveless cardigan if it had buttons down the front.
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### Author:  [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lame-question-about-british-underwear-vs-american/329119/12 "2005-11-03T19:56:22Z")
OK, thanks for the help. I’m not at all convinced that an undershirt made of holes would keep me warm in winter, but it sounds good for summer.
I don’t know what a wrestling outfit is called either, but the one-piece suits might be called singlets. Most Americans would just go blank if asked for a singlet, however.
I own many jumpers, but they are all light sleeveless dresses worn over t-shirts. Is there some reason a jumper should be heavy? True, jumpers are mostly made of denim, but they don’t have to be.