The String Vest revisited… Fishnet Mesh Underwear

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Boucaneer

Forager
Dec 2, 2012
209
5
London
Did you get the Jamaican flag model?

They write that XL is size 42-44


No, I got an Olive Green colour.

The advertising on the Ebay I used said this below, hence the confusion regarding sizing.

“ Crystal Men's 100% Cotton String T-shirt Mesh Cotton Net Tee Perfect for keeping cool in the summer, and warm in the winter! Show off those abs as you work out in the gym. Keep cool while you look great! Girls - these t shirts make a fab bikini cover at the beach, or wear over a vest for that sexy fishnet look!! M L XL Chest 34" 36" 38" Length 31" 32" 33" Measurements below are approximate, due to the nature of the fabric. These garments have stretch to shape to the wearers body. Trim colours may vary on Stripe Style. It is recommended washing the garment in cold water before use.“

But the Size Medium was 38 Chest.
 

Boucaneer

Forager
Dec 2, 2012
209
5
London
I certainly do enjoy wearing it.
It was cooler than just wearing the Army Surplus Polyester Baselayer, with the Cotton String Vest worn underneath I am warm and do not overheat.

The Cotton fairs better than the polyester baselayer in the stink department, protecting the polyester surface.

I have purchased a second one as I will have to wash this one soon and I would like a replacement whilst the other is drying.

I looked on the eBay.com site, different description I guess!

Good price though, 6.99 UKP!

Once you get used to wearing one, you will love it!
I looked on the eBay.com site, different description I guess!

Good price though, 6.99 UKP!

Once you get used to wearing one, you will love it!
 

bigbeewee

Full Member
Dec 18, 2010
32
9
worldwide
Are there any U.K. suppliers of string vests.

I’m an ex Bootneck medic who works in all the worst places and interested in temperature management

I currently wear a normal cotton vest for all environments from Siberia to Yemen

A vest system that gives some “air space” is helpful in hot and cold environments
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,186
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
The last time the string vest topic came up I was reminded of Colin Fletcher's anecdote in his book The Complete Walker. where he discusses string underwear. I think it's worth repeating for those who may have missed it.

"During World War 2, I was with a British unit that had been issued with fishnet vests as special mountaineering equipment. Eventually the unit was converted to cliff assault duty and moved to a Cornish fishing village. Our string vests astonished the fishermen and their wives. For several years they had, as experienced netmakers, been producing these strange devices for the war effort in great secrecy but they had never been able to guess what the peculiarly shaped nets were used for. No one, when sober, had seriously entertained the notion that they may be some kind of clothing."

I inherited a couple of string vests from my father but found they sawed my nipples off.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
They do that unless a very snug fit. also, if you wear them for prolonged time ( say - every day during the cold season) the nipple skin thickens.

I think they have been worn for over a century in Scandinavia. Climate. In UK your propriety is to stay dry!
( only fishermen in Scandinavia wore waxed outerwear, nobody else had such clothes)
 

Monk

Forager
Jun 20, 2004
199
7
outandabout
Janne,
I take it you wore these whilst in the military.
What was the procedure for wearing these...the older mesh vests are cotton-were they only worn for cold weather and what layers were you wearing over them? Lightly dressed in cold weather while on the move?

Summer and warmer hot weather...were they worn?

I ask this because the older versions are made of cotton...which will absorb moisture. Did you ever note any difference between the thin cotton mesh versus the thicker cotton mesh types?

I have been doing trial and error methods and would value your insights and experience.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
I am no Janne but had mesh vests in the military here too and I have used them ever since.

In short, a good idea that works but there are some limitations. Like the shoulders have to be solid if backpacks are used.

In summer I found that a loose shirt works well, a tight one quite not so. If outer clothing is wet, a net underneath is a good idea regardless of the temp.
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
Are there any U.K. suppliers of string vests.

I’m an ex Bootneck medic who works in all the worst places and interested in temperature management

I currently wear a normal cotton vest for all environments from Siberia to Yemen

A vest system that gives some “air space” is helpful in hot and cold environments

In the 1980’s the British army issued an airtex vest for under tropical shirts certainly can vouch for their worthiness in temperatures of 130 F. Don’t know if they are still on issue surprised if not as they were invaluable for protecting you skin from being burnt by the heat of your shirt and a barrier
 

Monk

Forager
Jun 20, 2004
199
7
outandabout
bigbeewee,

On Ebay and Amazon are sources for string vests.
I tried a Crystal cotton mesh T-Shirt...was too tight around shoulders/upper arms compared to a Crystal cotton mesh tank top in the same size!

Pendeen and Crystal are 2 brands that I have found are good cotton mesh tank tops...sizing is good and the quality is good.
You can find cheaper brands on Ebay which I tried out but the quality is not there..poor sizing and the garment is poorly stitched...waste of money.

There is also a polyester mesh t-shirt design by either Crystal or Pendeen(forget which) which is fairly decent...the mesh holes are not as large as their cotton tank tops but the polyester mesh t shirt is a loose cut and does work in colder weather...loose fit and open neckline...a loose button shirt over it.
One downside that I have found is the slide effect...your trousers secured by a belt will start to slip down at times because the inner garment is slippery.

Boucaneer,
I prefer these types of garments for the same reason...found I was overheating too easily in a solid synthetic base layer.

oldtimer,
do you have any idea the manufacturers of those old string vests you inherited? I have thought about researching the military version to see if I can find the original instructions on how to make one...an updated version in soft nylon thread would be interesting. The original British military version had a clever design...the loops were not tied together except at the bottom and the shoulders thus allowing the wearer flexibility-the garment "moved."

Had thought about there has to be a source of info out there or someone who knows about these items from WWII.


The chaffing effect does occur but Janne is correct-one does get used to it. One thing I do recall is that the older generation and in WWII era especially used to wear braces to hold up their trousers which were wide and baggy which would mean the vest would not be held as close to the user's body as compared to a belt thus maybe avoiding chaffing. Had an uncle from WWII but I never thought to ask him these types of questions!
 

Monk

Forager
Jun 20, 2004
199
7
outandabout
TLM,
thanks for the information.
Are there any companies in Finland that make the cotton mesh shirts?
Especially the shirt that has the solid shoulder patch area for carrying a backpack?
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
The Finnish military vests were cotton and had solid shoulders, I have no idea who made them but the best guess is someone local. The ones I have used since army were/are mostly made by Brynje that is a Norwegian company. They originally had no solid shoulders but have added those models later. Well made from. synthetic materials. There are some made from merino wool mixture on the market by Aclima but I have no experience on those.
 

SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
1,631
1,177
Ceredigion
We've got some aclima tops with the knitted mesh lining and they are warm and cosy for their weight/bulk but not as hard-wearing as we'd expect.
 
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Monk

Forager
Jun 20, 2004
199
7
outandabout
SaraR,
The Aclima mesh tops...are they wool or synthetic?

I ask because in my limited experiences of trying Aclima wool mesh-it's a nice garment...but too delicate-not as hard wearing as synthetics.

At the same time that I purchased the Aclima wool net mesh I also purchased the Aclima Coolknit mesh synthetic top. No complaints at all about the Cool Net and wear-it's still holding up. For these types of garments synthetic seems to hold up better in the long run. The Crystal and Pendeen cotton vests-the cotton is fairly hard wearing.

Unfortunately Aclima seem to have discontinued the synthetic cool Net(was similar to Brynje but had shoulder patches) on their site. No longer around.
 

Monk

Forager
Jun 20, 2004
199
7
outandabout
A site called upperty.com is one source for the cotton mesh string vests.
They have Resterods Original cotton Swedish Brynja White S-XXL
and also the Dovre cotton Net Singlet S-XXL.

I tried out the Resterods Brynja. The cut is generous and length is long. The mesh is smaller than the Crystal/Pendeen cotton mesh and the Resterods cotton string is also thinner. I did wear one of these outdoors and did get it damp from sweat but over time it had dried itself out from my body heat and movement when I finally took it off later.
 

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