The Basics Shootout: Best Men’s T-Shirts, Tried and Tested

The Heavyweight Champ

Merz b. Schwanen 2S14

Merz’s 2S14 isn’t just heavy—it’s uncompromisingly heavy. At 13.4 oz., this is the stiffest, most structured tee in this review.

The cut is boxy, the fabric feels dense as denim out of the box, and softness has to be earned with wear. But when it breaks in, nothing else compares.

Merz b. Schwanen is sold at: Redcast Heritage (ES), Franklin & Poe (USA), Lost & Found (CA)

Reviving Europe’s Loopwheel Legacy

In 2011, designers Gitta and Peter Plotnicki stumbled on a nearly century-old Merz b. Schwanen henley at a Berlin flea market. With its triangular underarm inserts, no side seams, and woven swan label, it stood out as a true original.

The couple traced the piece to the Merz factory in Albstadt, where rows of dormant loopwheel machines had sat unused since operations ceased in 2008. With help from “textilist” Rudolf Loder—and the Merz family’s blessing—they brought the machines, and the brand, back to life.

Merz quickly earned a reputation as Europe’s premier name in heritage basics. Their loopwheeled tees are made in Germany from 100% organic cotton (mostly Greek), and they’re now stocked by many of the best retailers in the scene.

The brand hit pop culture gold when Jeremy Allen White wore Merz’s 215 tee in The Bear. Since then, demand has exploded—but the quality remains unchanged.

The 2S14 is Merz’s heaviest option—and the one we tested here.

But if you’re looking for something softer out of the box, their lightweight 114 tee is a summer staple.

It’s silky, drapey, and surprisingly elegant.

Best All-Round

Iron Heart IHT-1610L (6.5 oz.)

If you only buy one loopwheeled T-shirt, make it this one. With dialled-in proportions, soft but sturdy fabric, and just the right weight, Iron Heart’s 1610L hits the sweet spot for everyday wear.

Iron Heart is available at: Division Road (US), Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Iron Provisions (US), and of course at Iron Heart International.

The Gateway to Loopwheeled Basics

For many of us (myself included), Iron Heart has been the entry point into the world of well-made and heavy Japanese selvedge. In the same way, the brand is responsible for introducing legions of denimheads to the world of loopwheeled cotton basics. 

Bryan

Made in Japan and loopwheeled in Wakayama, the 1610 is smooth, durable, and built to last. The original 1610 is a bit too short for most, but Iron Heart has updated the fit with the 1610L, which adds length to the body—making it a much better option for Western builds.

This is one of Thomas’s go-to tees; he’s got a few of them. And though the high armholes and boxy cut might not suit every frame, the newer version gets the proportions just right.

If an Iron Heart tee is your first experience with well-made basics, and if that experience is typical, you’re unlikely to find a superior product. You can spend more for a heavier tee (including Iron Heart’s 11 oz. 1600), but, for our money, the lighter and less-expensive 1610L is the best all-around tee on the market.

The pictures of the Iron Heart tees were shot for us by one of the friendliest guys in the denim scene, Emil aka @weftyarn.

Best Bargain

Whitesville “Quali-T” (7 oz.)

No-frills, all function—Whitesville’s tees are the most affordable loopwheeled option on this list. Sold in two-packs, they’re cut slimish, shrink to fit, and punch far above their price tag.

Redcast Heritage and Hinoya sell Whitesville.

Carmy Wore It—You Should Too

The world of well-made basics got a substantial boost when garment sleuths began looking into the tees Jeremy Allen White wears in FX’s The Bear. A reporter at New York Magazine got the definitive answer from the show’s wardrobe department, who confirmed that White wore two loopwheel basics brands: Merz b. Schwanen and Whitesville.

The heavier Merz tees soaked up the lion’s share of the fan interest, but the Whitesville tees, made by the good people at Toyo Enterprise, the parent company of Buzz Rickson and Sugar Cane, looked like an incredible bargain when compared to the more expensive German brand.

If you’re looking to stock up on loopwheel basics without breaking the bank, Whitesville stockists should be your first port of call.

No bells or whistles, just a pair of great tees (they can only be purchased in two-packs) for a little more than what you’ll pay for just one of the cheapest tees on this list. 

Top Texture

Warehouse 4601 (5.5 oz.)

If texture is your thing, Warehouse’s slub yarn 4601 is the tee to beat. Lightweight, loopwheeled, and cut in the classic Japanese boxy style, it’s breathable, comfortable, and built to last for years.

Warehouse is at Lost & Found (CA), Hinoya (JP), and Clutch Café (UK).

The Slub Standard

The purest of the purists in the Osaka Five, Warehouse are well known to denim connoisseurs.

Those who have strayed into well-made basics territory know that Warehouse tees are every bit as essential as their stitch-perfect versions of classic jeans. Their slub tees can go toe to toe with any of the tees on this list. 

I have to give Warehouse credit for turning me into a true tee connoisseur. I had tried loopwheeled tees before I tried Warehouse, but I hadn’t experienced anything quite like the 4601.

Bryan

Warehouse uses slub yarns (cotton yarns with irregular thickness) to produce a highly textured jersey knit. They’re not the only maker to do this, but, based on my experience, they do it better than anybody else.

The texture draws the eye and the hand, and they’re in that Goldilocks zone for weight. They fit and feel great, and they pair beautifully with heavy selvedge (especially with slubby denims). I’ve only got one at the moment, but I like it so much that it’ll soon have company.

Best ‘Every Body’ Fit

Utilitees (5.5 oz.)

Designed with Western builds in mind, Utilitees stand out for their slim cut, longer body, and huge size range. If you’ve struggled to find loopwheeled tees that actually fit—start here.

Built for Western Bodies

A relative newcomer to the tee game, Utilitees have been steadily gathering steam since 2020 with their laser-like focus on simple and well-made basics.

They’ve recently added socks to their line-up, but it’s their loopwheel tees, available in a wide range of colours and the broadest range of sizes you’ll find anywhere (S to XXXXL), that have made their name. 

All of their tees are made in Japan, but, unlike their compatriots, Utilitees have clearly been designed with Western frames in mind.

In the middle of their size range, the fit is a perfect combination of long and lean. If you ever find yourself tugging your tees down to keep from exposing your navel, you’ll want to place a stack of these tees in your closet.

I’ve got four of their tees, and it’s unlikely I’ll be stopping there. They fit me better than any of the other lighter weight tees on this list, and they’re proof that you simply can’t have too much of a good thing. 

Bryan

The Game Changer

Samurai Cotton Project

No other tee on this list is quite like this. Made from slub yarn spun from Samurai’s own homegrown cotton—read the full Cotton Project story here—this is a heavy, plush, truly one-of-a-kind tee.

You can buy Samurai from these retailers: Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Blue in Green (US), and Redcast Heritage (ES).

From Soil to Selvedge (and Tees Too)

Japan once had a thriving cotton industry, but, by the 1970s, garment manufacturers found it more expedient and cheaper to just import raw materials. Without customers, Japanese cotton farmers moved towards Japan’s largest cities, leaving fallow farmland behind.

The good people at Samurai have stepped in and reinvigorated these small, local economies by planting their own cotton.

The first crop helped them create a small batch of truly 100% made-in-Japan jeans, but the cotton farms have grown since then, birthing Samurai’s one-of-a-kind Cotton Project, a dedicated cotton basics line.

The 100% organically grown cotton is spun into slub yarn and knit on vintage machines in Wakayama. The resulting fabric has a creamy and seedy texture. It’s heavy and plush, and there’s simply nothing like it.

Word is spreading as more and more people sample these tees. They sell out quickly, so, if you see one in stock in your size, pounce on it.

THE HEAVY HITTER

Wonder Looper

Fits like a tee, feels like a sweatshirt. Wonder Looper’s flagship jersey pushes weight to the limit without sacrificing comfort or drape. It’s thick, soft, and flattering—cut to hang clean without clinging.

Not Loopwheeled—Still Unbelievable

The brainchild of Bahzad Trinos and Risa Saito, Wonder Looper answers the growing demand for extremely heavy basics. They have strained the limits of the possible to produce one of the heaviest jerseys on the planet, and the scene has gobbled them up as fast as Bahzad and Risa can produce them.

The brand name refers to the chain-stitched embroidery (loop stitch is another name for chain stitch) that is an available option for each shirt. It also refers to the fact that all knitwear is made by looping (rather than weaving) yarns together.

The tees haven’t been produced on loopwheel machines, but the flat side seams make them feel practically seamless. 

If your primary issue with wearing tees is that they reveal things you’d rather leave concealed, the Wonder Looper tees might upend how you feel about basics.

Their weight means they fall in straight lines rather than hugging the body’s contours. They flatten curves and only hint at what’s beneath.

Best Bells and Whistles

Oni T01

Crisp, detailed, and cut with attitude—Oni’s T01 brings serious construction to the T-shirt game. If you love a heritage piece with standout details, this one delivers from collar to cuff.

You can find more Oni products from: Blue in Green (US), Redcast Heritage (ES), and Hinoya (JP)

Rebel With a Cause (and Cuffs)

When we first published this list, Oni had not yet ventured into the loopwheeled tee game. The good people at Redcast Heritage reached out to us and told us about this one a few days before they announced its arrival. They sent us Oni’s T01 to try, and it easily breezed onto this list.

Let’s start with the fabric. It’s made from a blend of Memphis and Texas cotton. Like the other Japanese-made tees on this list, it has been loopwheeled in Wakayama, but it’s not like any of the other tees we’ve profiled here. 

It’s crisp, both in colour and in hand-feel. It feels and drapes as though it is substantially heavier than its advertised weight–a result of a proprietary finishing process that is a secret as closely guarded as the recipe for Oni’s Secret Denim.

The stark white colour definitely catches the eye, but what’s most impressive here are the details. The triple-stitched and ribbed collar sits quite high, gently hugging the throat, and the waistband, well north of two inches wide, is reminiscent of vintage sweatshirts.

Best of all are the thick cuffs, which come at the end of wide sleeves. In true ‘50s rebel style, the sleeves can be double rolled, with the sturdy cuff ensuring that they won’t unroll until you want them to. This is how I wear it, and, in my books, this makes Oni’s first tee absolutely indispensable.