What to Wear to a Massage (and What to Take Off)

TL;DR: wear loose, comfortable clothes to get to your appointment, then undress to whatever level you feel comfortable with underneath. Most people leave their underwear on. You will always be covered with a towel or sheet except for the exact area being worked on, so there is no single right answer, only what makes you relaxed enough to actually benefit from the massage.

What to wear to a massage worries first-timers more than almost anything else about booking one. The honest answer is that it matters far less than people expect.

What should you wear to get there?

Loose, comfortable clothing that is easy to get in and out of. Think what you would wear to the gym: leggings or joggers, a T-shirt, nothing with a lot of buttons or a dress that needs help getting out of.

Avoid tight jeans, restrictive underwear or anything that leaves marks on your skin before you have even started, since those marks can make it harder for a therapist to see and work on the muscle underneath. Skip heavy makeup, fake tan and strong perfume too, as most treatment rooms are small and the oils used can react with them.

If you are coming straight from work, a change of top is worth packing if your job involves a shirt and tie or anything structured. You want to be able to lie face down comfortably without fighting your own clothing to get there.

What do you actually wear during the massage?

This is entirely your choice, and a qualified therapist will never push you either way. Roughly half of clients undress fully and half keep underwear on, according to most UK massage clinics, and both are completely normal.

There is no scoring system for this. A therapist working on your back does not need to know, or care, what you have chosen underneath the towel, because their attention stays on the muscle in front of them, not on judging your decision.

You will be given privacy to undress and get onto the table, and you get to decide your own comfort level, full draping and all. A properly trained therapist keeps you covered with a towel or sheet throughout, uncovering only the specific area they are working on, then covering it again before moving to the next.

If your problem area is your hips, lower back or glutes, tight underwear can occasionally get in the way, so briefs or a thong tend to work better than shorts-style underwear for that particular session. For a neck, shoulder or back-focused massage, it makes no real difference.

Some clients bring their own shorts specifically for glute or hip work, and that is a completely reasonable thing to ask about in advance. A therapist would rather you feel settled and covered than distracted by worrying about it for the whole hour.

Does it depend on the type of massage?

• Deep tissue massage usually needs bare skin over the area being treated, so the therapist can see and feel the muscle properly. Draping still applies everywhere else.
• Swedish massage works the same way, full-body coverage with the area in progress uncovered.
• Sports massage sometimes uses shorts or leggings if the focus is legs and you would rather stay covered, particularly for a pre-event session.
• Pregnancy massage is usually done side-lying with pillows for support, and clients often keep more clothing on for comfort, not because it is required.

If you are ever unsure, ask when you book. A good therapist would rather answer that question in advance than have you turn up worried about it.

Does it change if the therapist comes to you?

Not really. A mobile massage at home uses the same draping rules as a clinic visit, the only difference is that the treatment table is set up in your own space instead of a treatment room. Wear whatever you would wear to a clinic appointment, and have a robe or loose layer handy for moving between rooms if you need the bathroom mid-session.

Make sure the room is warm enough before your therapist arrives. You will be undressed to some degree for up to an hour, and a cold room makes it much harder to relax into the massage, whatever you have chosen to wear underneath.

What if you feel exposed or embarrassed?

Say so. You can ask for extra draping, keep more clothing on than is typical, or stop the session entirely at any point, no explanation required. This is your appointment, not a test you can fail by being modest.

If a therapist makes you feel pressured to undress more than you are comfortable with, that is worth raising with their professional body afterwards, or simply not rebooking. Our guide to checking a therapist is qualified and insured covers what a properly registered therapist should and should not do.

What happens to your clothes during the session?

You will usually be shown a hook, chair or small changing area to leave your clothes, folded, within easy reach of the table. Clinics generally provide a locker or a private corner rather than a shared changing room, since most massage appointments are one-to-one.

Oils and lotions used during the massage can occasionally mark fabric, so it is worth choosing an outfit you would not mind getting a small oil mark on, rather than your newest top. Most therapists will offer a tissue or wipe afterwards so you are not putting oily skin straight back into clothing, but a little residue on your top layer is normal.

What should you bring or leave at home?

Bring nothing more complicated than yourself and a form of payment. Leave jewellery, watches and anything bulky in your bag rather than on the table, since rings and bracelets can dig in during a deep tissue session, and a watch strap can catch on a sheet mid-turn.

If it is your first visit anywhere, arriving 10 minutes early to fill in a health form is more useful preparation than any particular outfit. See our full guide on what to expect at your first massage appointment for the rest of the process, from booking to paying.

It also helps to know roughly what you want out of the session before you arrive, such as whether you want firm pressure on a specific area or a general relaxation massage, since that shapes what your therapist recommends far more than anything you have chosen to wear.

Ready to book? Our directory of UK massage therapists lets you check treatment type, price and location before you arrive, so the only thing left to think about is what is comfortable to wear.