We are living in a golden age of T-shirts. Time to find the one that’s just right for you.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received an email from a new brand claiming to have “perfected” the T-shirt. It’s always something like, “We tried every mainstream brand out there and just couldn’t find the fit/finish/comfort/quality we wanted, so we decided to make it ourselves!” But this is a T-shirt we’re talking about—how hard can it really be?
Here’s the good news: We are in a golden age of T-shirts, and it began in 2022 with the arrival of The Bear. As soon as Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy Berzatto started doing his troubled muscled chef thing in a white crew-neck tee by the German brand Merz b. Schwanen, the menswear world went into meltdown, reframing the very notion of a T-shirt altogether. It was no longer just a basic cotton garment; it was now a luxury item with a rich, artisanal history, something you should spend good money on. A totem of good taste. “Oh, you buy your tees at Target? Tsk tsk...”
Jeremy Allen White’s character on The Bear, Carmy Berzatto, kicked off our current golden age of T-shirts when he wore this version by Merz b. Schwanen.
How Much Should You Spend?
Let’s take Carmy’s influential tee as an example. Made in Germany, the 215 classic-fit tee by Merz b. Schwanen features a number of details that set it apart from a run-of-the-mill tee. First, the fabric is made from organic cotton woven on a century-old loopwheel machine, which creates a tube of cloth rather than a sheet. Those tubes form the body of the tee, meaning it has no side seams, which reportedly makes the tee more comfortable and better fitting. (The fabric is also woven horizontally, so the weave wraps around you, rather than going from top to bottom.) There is a triangular inset under the armpit to improve movement and fit, and at 7.2 oz per square yard, the fabric is a mid-weight that will soften, like denim, after a few washes. (It will likely shrink a bit the first time you launder it, too.)
So is it worth £80? Well, you can definitely spend more on a T-shirt: Loopwheel cotton tees by the Japanese brand Freewheelers & Co. retail for £109, and a plain cotton tee from the Row is £550. If you’re big into the Brandoesque, moody-dockworker-in-a-white-tee look, then sure, the Merz b. is a fail-safe. (I’d recommend a gym membership, too.) But there are cheaper alternatives.
- Charlie Teasdale / Esquire
