Crewneck Shirts
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What is a crewneck shirt? A crew neck - sometimes spelled as two words, crew neck - is a shirt or sweater with a round neckline and no collar. The crewneck T-shirt was developed in 1932 as an undergarment that would absorb sweat, and athletes took to wearing it under uniforms or as a uniform itself. Today the crewneck tee is a layering staple: worn under a long-sleeve flannel shirt, under a businessman's dress shirt in its lightweight form, and on its own - and the same round neckline appears on sweatshirts and sweaters, in short-sleeve and long-sleeve versions alike.
What are crewneck shirts? Also spelled on occasion as two words “crew neck”.
A crew neck is a type of shirt or sweater that has a round neckline and no collar. The T-shirt crew neck was developed in 1932 as an undergarment that would absorb sweat. The crewneck tee is often worn by athletes under uniforms or as a uniform for sports.
A crewneck t-shirt is often worn with other layers. For example, a t-shirt being worn under a long sleeve flannel shirt. Light weight crew neck t-shirts are often worn under a businessmen’s dress shirt.
Although crew necks are very common for t-shirts, they also are used with other types of tops such as sweatshirts and sweaters. This type of round neckline is used on both short sleeve & long sleeve varieties.
This construction of neckline can also be used on raglan shirts and ringer tees.
See examples of this type of shirt:
Crew neck t-shirts can be made in various fiber contents and fabric constructions. They are commonly made in 100% cotton, polyester, spandex, blends, etc. This category of shirt styling can be made in either natural fiber or synthetic fibers.
Learn more about shirt necklines in our apparel definitions section.
In summary, crew necks are a close-fitting round neckline on a sweater, T-shirt, or other type of top. It is regarding the neckline of the top.
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Wearing and Layering the Crewneck
The crewneck earned its place by being useful in layers. Because the neckline sits close and round with no collar to bunch or show, a lightweight crew neck T-shirt disappears under a dress shirt while still absorbing sweat and protecting the outer shirt - the job it was designed for in 1932. Under an open flannel shirt or overshirt, a slightly heavier crewneck tee reads as a deliberate casual layer, and the same trick works in reverse in cold weather, where a long-sleeve crewneck becomes the base layer under sweaters and jackets.
Fit is judged at the neckband first. A good crew neckband lies flat against the collarbone, neither gaping nor choking; ribbed bands hold their shape wash after wash, while a stretched, wavy band is the first sign a shirt is worn out. Shoulder seams should sit at the shoulder point, and because the style has no collar or buttons, the fit of the body - slim, regular or relaxed - does all the work of deciding whether the shirt reads as an undershirt or as a top in its own right.
Crew Necks Beyond the T-Shirt
Although the T-shirt made the style famous, the crew neckline is a construction used across tops. Crewneck sweatshirts pair the round neckline with a fleecy or loopback body for warmth, and crewneck sweaters in wool, cotton or cashmere are the most formal of the collarless knits - plain enough to sit under a blazer, and a standard frame for showing a collared shirt underneath when one is layered below. Short-sleeve and long-sleeve versions follow the same pattern, which is why neckline guides treat the crew neck as a category of its own rather than as a single garment.
Common Questions
What is a crewneck shirt?
A top with a close-fitting round neckline and no collar. The style began with the T-shirt - developed in 1932 as a sweat-absorbing undergarment - and the same neckline is used on sweatshirts and sweaters as well as tees.
What fabrics are crewnecks made from?
Almost any shirting fabric: 100 percent cotton, polyester, spandex and blends are all common, in both natural fibers and synthetic fibers, in jersey knits light enough to layer under a dress shirt or heavy enough to stand alone.
How is a crewneck different from a raglan or a ringer tee?
The crew neck describes the neckline, not the sleeve or trim. The same round collarless neckline can be used on raglan shirts, whose sleeves run diagonally to the collar, and on ringer tees, which add a contrasting band at the neck and sleeves - both are linked from this page.