A crew neck (crewneck or crew-neck) is a type of

shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist). Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. I ...

or sweater that has a round neckline and no collar, often worn with other layers. The name dates back to 1939 and was named after a type of sweater worn by rowers. The

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

crew neck was developed in 1932 as an

undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...

that would absorb sweat and prevent

shoulder pad Shoulder pads are a type of fabric-covered padding used in men's and women's clothing to give the wearer the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. In the beginning, shoulder pads were shaped as a semicircle or small triangle and ...

s of

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

players from causing

chafing Chafing can refer to: * Chafing (nautical), damage to sails or other parts of a boat from rubbing * Chafing (skin), skin irritation from rubbing or sweat See also * Chafing dish * Chafing fuel Chafing fuel is a fuel used for heating food, typ ...

. The U.S. Navy was the first of the

U.S. armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

to adopt the crew-neck T-shirt or "Gob Shirt".

References

Tops (clothing) Necklines {{clothing