It is a common site on the streets, in the cafe, nightclubs, banks, and even weddings and funerals to see men dressed in a T-shirt as their only uppermost garb. Time was that you only saw a man in his T-shirt when he had removed his actual shirt to do some heavy labour or in preparation for intimate times.
Don Draper in a T-shirt (Work)
Fast forward to today and the T-shirt has become ubiquitous for the male look, regardless of age. It certainly no longer signifies a man about to do anything strenuous. Remember this guy from South Park…
Computer Nerd Wearing a T-shirt and Playing Warcraft (Not Work)
Why bring this up?
The other day as I was off to my favourite breakfast place out-of-town when a man wearing no shirt, cigarette dangling from his mouth drove his pickup truck ahead of me. After I recovered from this awesome display it occurred to me that the only thing that separates most men from straying into that heinous look is one bad decision. They look down and instead of picking one of their T-shirts to wear they think, “Screw it,” and leave the house without a shirt. A gentleman has his jacket and his shirt to remove before he’s down to only his undershirt. This provides him plenty of time to think about why he is disrobing and to consider the ramifications along the way. The guy who insists on dressing like he did in grade school does not have this style fail-safe.
Oh, and before you start thinking about how a guy driving his vehicle sans shirt is sexy, like this:
Fantasy Shirtless Man in a Truck Smoking a Cigarette
remember that this is pure fantasy like the seductive nurse or sex-crazed librarian. Reality looks more like this:
Real Shirtless Man in a Truck
I am the last person to pass judgement on what one may find sexually stimulating. That is not the point. What is the point is that a gentleman does not inflict his nakedness on the general public, and certainly never in such a crass manner. In order to avoid this colossal mistake, a gentleman restricts his T-shirt wearing to a minimum and to the select purposes to which they are best suited. If you’re not sure a T-shirt is appropriate for a situation then don’t. Just don’t.
You’ve been warned.
Very well. I am glad you have taken your time to write this much here!