A henley is a collarless pullover with a short buttoned placket, two to four buttons, no collar. Think of it as a t-shirt with a neckline you can open. It sits between a tee and a knit polo: more considered than a t-shirt, less formal than anything with a collar. Worn alone with the placket half-open, or layered under an overshirt or chore coat, it is one of the most useful things in a wardrobe. The catch is that the cheap ones look cheap fast. The placket sags, the fabric pills, the buttons fail. This note covers what makes a good one and which brands actually deliver.
Short history
The shirt is named after Henley-on-Thames, home of the Royal Henley Regatta since 1839 and the historic center of English rowing. The garment started in 19th-century England as a collarless undervest, one of the first collarless undergarments, worn for comfort. Rowers adopted it as outerwear because the placket vented heat and the missing collar did not chafe. There was also a crew tradition of the losing team handing their shirts to the winners, which spread it further.
It stayed a rowing and workwear piece until the late 1970s, when a Ralph Lauren buyer spotted a vintage example and saw a t-shirt hybrid worth reviving. Ralph Lauren, Gant and others pushed it into mainstream menswear through the 80s and 90s, and it has been a staple since. The "granddad shirt" nickname comes from the same collarless-underwear lineage.
What makes a great one
Four things separate a henley you keep for ten years from one you bin in a season:
- Fabric and weight. Long-staple cotton (Supima, Pima, Sea Island) resists pilling and holds shape. Slub yarns add texture; waffle (thermal) knit adds insulation and visual interest; merino wool regulates temperature and resists odor. Weight is the big fork in the road:
| Midweight (5-7 oz) | Three-season, layers cleanly, drapes close to the body |
| Heavyweight (9-13 oz) | Worn standalone, structured, holds its shape, Japanese repro territory |
- The placket. This is where cheap henleys die. Look for a reinforced placket that lies flat, real corozo or shell buttons (not thin plastic), and clean bar-tacking at the base so it does not tear when you pull it over your head.
- Construction. Loopwheeled or tubular knit (no side seams) is the connoisseur marker, slow-knit under low tension for a dense, durable fabric. Double-needle or flatlock stitching at the shoulders and hem signals a garment built to survive 50-plus washes.
- Fit. Trim through the body without being tight, sleeves that end at the wrist bone, and a hem long enough to stay tucked when you move. Buck Mason's curved hem is a good reference point.
Best brands
The brands worth the money, grouped by what they do best. Prices are indicative.
Premium and heritage
| Brand | Made in | Signature henley | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merz b. Schwanen | Germany | Loopwheeled tubular, no side seams, the purist's pick | EUR 120-160 |
| Sunspel | England | Fine long-staple cotton, clean minimal finish | GBP 95-130 |
| John Smedley | England | Fine-gauge merino and Sea Island cotton knits | GBP 150-220 |
| Schiesser Revival | Germany | Heritage "Karl-Heinz" cotton, understated and durable | EUR 60-90 |
| Luca Faloni | Italy | Northern-Italian craftsmanship, premium natural fibers | EUR 130-190 |
Merz b. Schwanen is the standout. Founded on the Swabian Alb in 1911, it is the only maker in Europe still running original loopwheel machines, which knit seamless tubular fabric slowly under low tension. The result is dense, breathable and built to outlast almost anything. If you buy one henley for life, start here.
Sunspel (England, since 1860) is the clean-luxury benchmark: superfine cotton, minimal detailing, the kind of henley that looks expensive without shouting. John Smedley (England, since 1784) is the knit specialist, fine-gauge merino and Sea Island cotton, dressier and temperature-regulating. Schiesser's Revival line is the value-premium German pick, and Luca Faloni covers the Italian end.
Spotlight picks
Two specific models worth buying: one value-premium, one for life.
Schiesser Revival Karl-Heinz
A revival of Schiesser's 1923 Karl-Heinz cult classic, and the model I'd point anyone at for value-premium. It is 100% super-combed organic cotton in a piece-dyed fine rib, with a cotton placket band, mother-of-pearl buttons, and the signature blue stripes along the collar and inner placket. Flat-knit borders finish the sleeve ends. Around CHF 70, in white, dark blue, rust and black, sizes S to XXL, machine wash at 60°C. For the construction, it undercuts most of the premium tier.
Merz b. Schwanen 102 Loopwheeled
The connoisseur version: the 102 Maco-Imit long-sleeve henley (model 102.01.6), loopwheeled in Germany on original machines. A light 4.6 oz/sq yd (155 g/qm) single-thread knit, 67% organic cotton / 33% viscose, with a tubular, close-to-body classic fit that runs slightly small (size up). The details are the point: a hand-turned doubled neckline, cloth patch button border with fabric-clad buttons, interior neck patch, flat-knitted cuffs, and a triangular underarm gusset. White, EUR 140, made in Germany. This is the lightweight long-sleeve; the heavier 207 short-sleeve sits in the same line if you want more density.
Heavyweight and Americana
For a henley you wear on its own, built like workwear:
- Buck Mason (USA): Pima slub henley with a curved hem, probably the best fit-to-price ratio on this list.
- Taylor Stitch (USA): a properly heavy henley, roughly twice the weight of a standard one.
- 3sixteen (USA) and Lady White Co. (USA): elevated heavyweight basics for the raw-denim crowd.
- American Giant (USA): heavyweight, made in the USA, built to take a beating.
- Filson (USA): 12oz waffle-knit with a two-button extended placket, a cold-morning piece.
- Reigning Champ (Canada): clean midweight terry and jersey.
- Todd Snyder (USA): a strong waffle henley with more design polish.
Value and everyday
Uniqlo (Supima and waffle henleys at a fraction of the price, genuinely good for the money) and L.L.Bean (dependable, well-cut basics) cover the everyday end without looking cheap.
Where to buy in Germany and Europe
- Merz b. Schwanen, Sunspel and John Smedley ship across the EU from their own sites.
- Manufactum (Germany): carries the heritage German makers, good service and packaging.
- Cultizm (Krefeld, Germany) and Frans Boone Store (Netherlands): the spots for Merz, Japanese repro and heavyweight henleys, with EU shipping.
- Son of a Stag (London) and Statement Store (Germany): more of the same heritage and denim-adjacent selection.
Care and styling
- Washing. Cold wash, inside out, and skip the dryer. Heavyweight cotton shrinks and the dryer is what wrecks plackets and hems. Lay flat or hang to dry. Merino (Smedley) wants a gentle or wool cycle and never the dryer.
- Wash less. Cotton and merino both look better with fewer washes. Air it out between wears.
- Styling. Open one or two buttons, never the whole placket. It layers cleanly under a flannel, overshirt or chore coat, and pairs with chinos or raw denim. Sleeves pushed up sit well on the forearm, which is also where a field watch or diver shows off nicely against the placket. Stick to solid, muted colors (navy, oatmeal, olive, charcoal) for the most versatility.
Further Reading
- Henley shirt history (Heddels)
- Best henley shirts (OPUMO Magazine)
- Merz b. Schwanen (Wikipedia)
- See also: Clothes, Shoemakers & Boot Makers