After four years and five seasons, the restaurant-world drama Bear Has hung up his apron. Since 2022, the FX hit has turned its cast of stars into bona fide stars and changed the national conversation about professional kitchens and the people who work in them. But for a certain kind of audience, the show’s appeal was entirely about the men’s attire. Starting with the first episode, when Jeremy Allen White’s protagonist Carmi pays for a supply order by selling a pair of rare Levi’s, showrunner Chris Storer and costume designer Courtney Wheeler’s keen interest in style is on full display. (Never forget Sid luxurious thom brown chef white From season two.)
Wheeler has been with the show since day one and had a hand in every single costume decision made during production. He built Carmi’s wardrobe as a longtime menswear staple that moved beyond logos and designer labels in favor of sheer quality and utility. “He wears almost the same things every day, but he has a good eye and good taste,” she says. “No matter which version of it he wears, it will go together. It’s a realistic and practical way to dress.”
with Bear Coming to a conclusion, gq Wheeler about his favorite menswear moments from the show — including the white tee heard ’round the world and He Viral NN.07 Jacket.
white tees
“The Bear” – “Sunday” – Season 2, Episode 3 (aired Thursday, June 22) Pictured: Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmi” Barzato. CR: Chuck Hodes/FX.Courtesy of FX/Chuck Hodes
If you were Googling “meaning of loopwheel t-shirt” in the summer of 2022, there’s a good chance it was because Bear. Carmi’s day-to-day uniform made us all white-tee obsessed, with everyone trying to track down the character’s ultra-flattering silhouette. After trying out several options, including some from renowned label Velva Sheen, Wheeler landed on models from two under-the-radar manufacturers: Germany’s Merz B. Schwann & Whitesville, a mid-century American brand now owned by Japan’s Toyo Enterprise. Both tees are made on a century-old circular knitting machine using – you guessed it – a loopwheel, which is responsible for their throwback, Brando-esque look and feel.
Whenever a new season of the show premiered, the T-shirt models would sell out rapidly and would often not be restocked for several months. (It took me until January 2023 to track down some Whitesville tees from a Japanese retailer on eBay — a full six months after the first season premiered.) Both were already iconic brands, but Marz B. in particular. Schwanen has had his profile substantially raised by the show. “Merz is being sold at Nordstrom in Chicago. Seeing them in such a big place, I’m really happy for them,” says Wheeler.
