Merz b. Schwanen
09 Oct 2025
https://www.merzbschwanen.com/collections/mens-t-shirts?vsai_search=Henley
215 Loopwheeled Classic Fit Midweight T-Shirt
100,00 EUR
Loopwheel means the fabric is knitted as a tube on slow, old circular machines. It comes out softer and loftier, with no side seams, and keeps its shape wash after wash.
25 Oct 2026 James Leung's take (video below): one of the best-feeling tees he owns. 7.2 oz organic loopwheel cotton, triangle gussets under the arms that help a fitted tee move. It shrinks at the first wash, and the length is shorter than standard but not short: Carmy's in The Bear was cut for the actor. 2 downsides: the price went from about $70-80 to $120+, and the collar is loose.
Lady White
Our T-Shirt - Off White
€62
25 Oct 2026 An honourable mention in James Leung's video: a tubular tee made in the USA, at about the price of a Whitesville 2-pack.
Asket
The T-Shirt
45 EUR
25 Oct 2026 James Leung's take: the length choice (short, regular, long) is the point. In short, it sits at the belt line and needs no tucking. Slightly fitted. The weak spot is the thin collar, which cheapens the look. Asket publishes its full supply chain, down to the carbon footprint of each piece.
The Hoodie Company
The Perfect T-Shirt
50 EUR
24 Sep 2026
- Fabric: 97% long-staple Pima cotton, 3% elastane, 200 g/m², pre-washed.
- Fit: regular fit, crew neck, unisex. The shop advises ordering 1 size smaller than usual.
- Made: by hand in Portugal, sewn with a reinforced thread.
- Care: 30 °C inside out, hang to dry, no tumble dryer.
- Buying: 50 EUR with free shipping in Germany, 2 to 3 working days. Code
Shirt26gives a 3rd shirt free with 2.
Uniqlo
AIRism Baumwolle T-Shirt (Rundhals)
15 EUR
Uniqlo U T-Shirt (Rundhals)
25 Oct 2026
19,90 EUR (14,90 EUR on sale)
One of the internet's favourite cheap tees, from the Uniqlo U line, now sold all year. 100% heavyweight cotton that drapes well and takes a beating, with a thick bound collar that makes it look more expensive than it is. James Leung's downsides: the fabric stays rough even after washing, and it's warm for summer.
100 % Supima Baumwolle T-Shirt
25 Oct 2026
19,90 EUR
The summer alternative to the Uniqlo U. Supima is extra-long-staple cotton grown only in the USA, and the softness is noticeable. Much lighter and cooler, more form-fitting. The collar is thinner and looser, which James Leung doesn't like.
Unbound Merino
Men's Merino V-Neck T-Shirt | Unbound Merino
07 Feb 2026
Men's Merino V-Neck T-Shirt | Unbound Merino
Cuts
More white T-shirts to buy in Germany
24 Sep 2026
6 more white T-shirts, all special in one way: the fabric, the machines, or where they're made. Each one ships to Germany, and 3 come from German shops.
| T-shirt | Price | Fabric | Made in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunspel Classic T-shirt | 110 EUR | Supima cotton | England |
| Iron Heart 6.5oz Loopwheel | 89 EUR | 6.5 oz loopwheel cotton, about 220 g/m² | Japan |
| Whitesville 2-Pack | 89.95 EUR for 2 | 7 oz loopwheel cotton, about 240 g/m² | Japan |
| Asphalte Supima T-shirt | 54 EUR | Organic Supima cotton | Portugal |
| Colorful Standard Classic Organic Tee | 35 EUR | Organic cotton, 180 g/m² | Portugal |
| Trigema T-Shirt DELUXE | From 32 EUR | Cotton single jersey | Germany |
Sunspel
Classic T-shirt in White
110 EUR
The reference white T-shirt. Sunspel has made T-shirts for over a century, and still sews this one in its own factory in Long Eaton, England, from Supima cotton traceable to the farm in California. Slim, clean fit. Works alone or under a shirt.
25 Oct 2026 James Leung tried one: it feels luxurious, and the price matches.
Iron Heart
IHT-1610L-WHT 6.5oz Loopwheel T-Shirt (Long)
89 EUR
Japanese heavyweight from Iron Heart, knitted on old loopwheel machines and washed once, so it barely shrinks. The body is longer than usual, which suits tall people. Sizes up to L are tubular with no side seams. XL and XXL have side seams. Sold by Iron Heart's German shop.
Whitesville
2-Pack T-Shirt, White
89.95 EUR for 2
The T-shirt Carmy wears in The Bear. Whitesville is a label of the Japanese maker Toyo Enterprise (the company behind Sugar Cane). 7 oz combed cotton, knitted on vintage loopwheel machines, tubular with no side seams. It comes unwashed: order with the length in mind, because it loses about 2 cm at the first wash. Whitesville's own site didn't load when I checked, so the link goes to Burgund & Schild, a German shop that stocks it.
25 Oct 2026 James Leung's go-to tee for years. Some shrinkage at the first wash, nothing dramatic. The tubular knit fits naturally, the sleeves hug the arms, and the collar, reinforced with tape, is "the gold standard of collars" for him. About $90 for 2.
Asphalte
The Supima T-shirt
54 EUR
A French brand. 100% organic Supima cotton, cut and sewn in Portugal. Straight cut with a slight taper and a firm 1x1 ribbed collar. Free exchanges and returns.
Colorful Standard
Classic Organic Tee, Optical White
35 EUR
The best value here. A Danish brand, made in Portugal from 100% organic cotton at 180 g/m², with a classic relaxed fit. Also sold as a 3-pack.
Trigema
T-Shirt DELUXE Baumwolle, weiß
From 32 EUR
100% made in Burladingen, Germany, and certified with the Grüner Knopf label. The DELUXE single jersey is soft with a structured feel, in a classic boxy cut. It's the only one here you can wash at 60 °C and tumble-dry, which helps keep a white T-shirt white. The price rises with the size.
The best affordable T-shirts, by James Leung
25 Oct 2026
James Leung, a menswear YouTuber, ranked the tees that top the internet's lists in April 2026. He likes them fitted and tucked in, and shows each one both ways. The video:
| T-shirt | Price in the video | Best at | Weak spot | In this note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merz b. Schwanen 215 | $120+ | Feel, loopwheel fabric, gussets | Price, loose collar | Merz b. Schwanen |
| Uniqlo U crew neck | $25 | Weight, thick bound collar | Rough, warm in summer | Uniqlo |
| Uniqlo Supima | $25 | Softness, cool in summer | Thin, loose collar | Uniqlo |
| Hanes Beefy-T | £10 | Collar, fit, stitching for the price | Rough texture | Hanes |
| Vintage Russell Athletic | £20 on eBay | Fit, worn-in softness, bound collar | Single stitch, luck of the search | Russell Athletic |
| Destructive cropped tee | £50, 3 for 2 | Relaxed fit done well, 280 g/m² | Very wide in the chest | Destructive |
| Whitesville | $90 for 2 | Tubular fit, tape-reinforced collar | Price went up | Whitesville |
| Asket | $65 | 3 lengths per size, transparency | Thin collar | Asket |
| Lady White Co. | About $90 for 2 | Honourable mention: tubular, made in USA | Not tested | Lady White |
| Sunspel | Premium | Honourable mention: British-made luxury | Price | Sunspel |
| Bronson Mfg. | Cheap | Honourable mention: tubular, rated | Not tested | Bronson Mfg. |
His thread: the collar matters more than people think. The 3 he praises most (Hanes, the vintage Russell, Whitesville) all have a thick, tight collar.
Hanes
Beefy-T
25 Oct 2026
The true budget pick: about £10 on Amazon in the video. 6 oz ring-spun cotton from the USA, one of the thickest tees in the lineup. A bit of natural stretch, so a fitted size stays comfortable. Flawless stitching and a thick, fitted collar, rare at this price, which is why so many brands use it as a blank for their own prints. The one downside: a rough texture.
Russell Athletic
Vintage tees from the 1970s and 1980s
25 Oct 2026
Not a product you can order: a 30-to-40-year-old souvenir tee from Russell Athletic, found on eBay for £20. 100% cotton, made in the USA. Vintage sizes run small (his "medium" fits like a small) and short. The cotton is worn in, soft and thin, and the collar is bound, a detail sold as premium today. Single-stitched, so in theory less durable, yet still going strong. His advice: always include vintage in the search.
Destructive
Cropped T-Shirt White
25 Oct 2026
£50, 3 for 2
The relaxed option. 280 g/m² cotton, made in Portugal, boxy with dropped shoulders and a length that sits just below the waist. Not a hard crop. The fit is close to Uniqlo's AIRism oversized tee, at a much higher quality. James Leung has worked with the brand before, but the video isn't sponsored. Ships to Europe in 7 to 9 days with no import charges.
Bronson Mfg.
Loopwheel Tubular Athletic T-Shirt, White
25 Oct 2026
$28.99
An honourable mention: James Leung hasn't tried it yet. A Chinese Americana brand, popular for cheap reproductions of vintage American workwear. This one is 10.5 oz ring-spun cotton, knitted as a tube on a vintage loopwheel machine, so no side seams. The heaviest tee here, at the lowest price for a loopwheel. Prices are in US dollars, so check shipping and import duty to Germany.
