The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Testing the Sweat-Proof Tee

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    Ruth Carter

    A few weeks ago, I was watching a video on Real Men Real Style (I’m interested in having more masculine options for work clothes), and I learned about the Thompson Tee. They claim their patent technology “stops 100% of underarm sweat.” This sounded too good to be true. I sweat constantly, even when doing mundane things like eating a warm meal and walking my basset hound.

    I reached out to Thompson Tee and asked to test their shirt. They sent me the shirt of my choice to put through the ringer of my life and share how it did. I selected the men’s slim fit v-neck undershirt in black, size small. The fabric is super soft and you can tell by the seams in the shirt and how the shirt fits that there is padding through the armpit. It was super comfortable to wear, but I had to see how it would hold up in sweaty situations.

    Photo by Jay Chatzkel Photography
    Used with permission

    Test #1 – Modeling
    People who aren’t involved in modeling or photography may not know that modeling makes you sweat, between the lights and having to hold awkward poses. This shoot was my first time doing male modeling. I wore a chest binder, my Thompson Tee, and a dress shirt and tie for most of the shoot. Towards the end, I did a few shots in just my Thompson tee and slacks. I was pleased that at the end of the night, there was no sweat on my dress shirt.

    Test #2 – Phoenix Driving
    In case you didn’t know, it gets hot in Phoenix. During the day, our cars turn into ovens under the sun. When I first get in my car on a warm day, I often blast the A/C, or risk sweating buckets. I tested my Thompson Tee while wearing it with a dress shirt, and driving around with a friend visiting from out of town. After I dropped him off, I even turned off the A/C just see how the shirt would hold up while I was baking. Even after driving on a sunny day in Phoenix in a closed car with no A/C for 10 minutes, my dress shirt was still dry, even though I was definitely not dry inside my Thompson Tee.

    Photo by Leslie Easton Photography
    Used with permission

    Test #3 – Mid-day Love Rally
    The ultimate Thompson Tee test was Improv AZ’s Love and Complements Rally – standing at an sunny intersection (without shade) while holding a happy sign for 45 minutes in at least 95-degree heat. I could feel sweat sliding down my skin inside the shirt, but on the outside, I was completely dry. I even had friends touch my armpit to verify it. (They said I didn’t smell either – and these aren’t people who would be shy about that.)

    Does the Thompson Tee work for containing armpit sweat? Yes.

    Is it comfortable? Very. (And their sizing chart made it easy to discern which size I wear)

    Thanks Thompson Tee for sending me a shirt and letting me test it out. It has definitely become part of my wardrobe (and that’s saying something given that I’m a minimalist).

  • Living the Sweaty Life

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    Ruth Carter

    For anyone who doesn’t know, I sweat . . . a lot. I sweat when it’s hot. I sweat when it’s cold. I have to be careful about my wardrobe choices otherwise it’s painfully obvious how much I sweat. I own almost no white or other light colored shirts because I know I’m going to stain them the first time I wear them. (Thank goodness I look good in jewel tones.) I also don’t own silk shirt or any other fabrics that stain easily. I don’t wear women’s cut shirts because the arm holes are cut too close to my armpits so it makes the sweat transfer even more efficient and obvious.

    Sweat is Sexy by Dawn - Pink Chick from Flickr
    Sweat is Sexy by Dawn – Pink Chick from Flickr

    My situation has a fancy name – hyperhidrosis – and technically it’s a condition but I just accept it as a state of being. It’s something I live with and that I’m mindful of.

    I’ve learned to keep my right hand in my pocket or pressed against my leg when I’m at networking events so my hand won’t be wet when I go to shake someone’s hand.  I know to keep the car’s A/C turned up too high to keep my sweating under control when I’m driving to a business meeting or an important event and to turn the vents in the car towards my hands on the steering wheel so my hands don’t get too slick while I’m driving. I often don’t put on my work shirt until right before I leave the house.

    Looking back, I’ve had this for as long as I can remember. I sweat just walking between classes at school (and it wasn’t a big school). In gymnastics, one of my nervous habits was blowing on my hands. I never really had an answer when my teammates asked why I did that, but I’m pretty sure I was trying to keep my hands dry.

    People with hyperhidrosis can get Botox in their armpits, but this is only a temporary fix. I can think of better ways to spend up to $3000/year. It’s cheaper to use a men’s unscented antiperspirant (it works better) and buy new shirts.

    I got one suggestion on how to deal with hyperhidrosis in professional settings that made a lot of sense. Katy Goshtasbi  suggested I invest in some plain dri-fit shirts and wear them under my professional clothes. This is a great suggestion when I wear sweaters and oxford shirts, but it probably won’t work for other fashion tops. I have my eyes peeled for a close fitting men’s dri-fit shirt. Women’s shirts tend to have cap sleeves, which means the sleeves are not long enough to stop all the sweat. I learned that the hard way when I tried layering a simple white shirt under a dress shirt before an important interview. Thank goodness for jackets.

    If you sweat like I do, just know that you’re not alone. I know others have it worse than me and I’m lucky that this is only a big deal if I let it be.