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View Full Version : Do Baselayers Have to Fit So Tight?



mister pooh
11-13-2009, 10:33
I've been shopping around for baselayers for a while and have noticed that most tend to emphasize their "form-fitting" or "slender" cut. Unfortunately for me, with my bit of a gut any tight shirt makes me look like I swallowed a bowling ball :)

Why are baselayers so tight? Do you lose any of the wicking benefits etc by having a shirt with a more "relaxed" fit?

Manwich
11-13-2009, 10:35
Less air in between the insulative layer and the skin = less air to get cold.

Alligator
11-13-2009, 10:54
They are tight so that you can layer.

klpicktown
11-13-2009, 11:55
I got a few looser fitting 'dry-fit material' shirts at Target.....love em. Gave me less of the ingested bowling look.....

Mags
11-13-2009, 14:05
Besides the other reasons listed, if they are against the skin they are going to wick sweat away more effectively.

saimyoji
11-13-2009, 14:56
they fit snug to remind us we are fat arses.

Doooglas
11-14-2009, 07:23
they fit snug to remind us we are fat arses.:D:D:D
It's the Amurkin way !:rolleyes:

Deadeye
11-14-2009, 09:33
Nope... they're tight 'cause I look so good in them:eek:

Toolshed
11-14-2009, 12:10
they don't call me "BULGE" for nuthing!!!!

Fiddleback
11-14-2009, 12:47
You think new baselayers fit tightly? Shoot, you should see my old baselayers! Those really fit tight!:o

FB

mister pooh
11-14-2009, 14:49
Thanks to a PM I got, I found that the Champion C9 lightweight duo-dry tops at Target fit me pretty well. Or, at least well enough for my fashion advisor(fiance) to let me out of the house wearing it!

I was a little concerned browsing at Icebreaker's website and seeing all of the oh so European looking male models wearing what looks like wool Saran wrap :)

Thanks again for the info.

Wise Old Owl
11-14-2009, 15:49
they don't call me "BULGE" for nuthing!!!!


I thought it was Toolshed....:confused:

Toolshed
11-14-2009, 17:16
Realty check.... :) They both refer to the same thing.....:cool:

Compass
11-14-2009, 17:17
I think the tight concept in baselayers is for shorter hard excertion sports where you have to "look good". For something you are going to wear for days on end a taylored fit would be nice but not snug. Tight just gets itchy.

Maybe slightly loose fitting is more applicable to those with some body hair because that is an effective natural base layer untill squashed flat.

Jack Tarlin
11-14-2009, 17:19
Get your stuff one size larger that what you normally buy.

Going from X to XX in a shirt will make a tremendous difference in fit and comfort, and in most cases there's enough elastic in the top of your pants/long johns that you can go a size larger there as well without them falling off. But it's always better to have stuff a bit too large than a bit too snug. Feels better and God knows it looks better, too.