Fans have been inspired by the elevated workwear worn by The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, including his staple white T-shirt.Chuck Hodes/FX/Supplied
This week, The Bear returns for its fourth season. The Emmy-Award winning show centres around chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) coming home to Chicago and running a restaurant left by his late brother. Billed as a comedy, the program has garnered critical and commercial success by blending interpersonal dramas with a pitch-perfect depiction of the service industry.
Anyone who has spent time in the front or back of house will recognize the seemingly life-and-death stakes of an overbooked dinner rush, while outsiders revel in the beautifully shot food and the deranged social lives of the people cooking it. But beyond praise for writing and cinematography, The Bear has won accolades for an unlikely reason: People love the menswear.
“TV shows have had a major rise in importance in menswear in the last couple of years. People look to what their favorite characters wear to find inspiration for themselves,” said Gustav Emil Loft, a menswear writer who works with NN07, the Copenhagen-based brand that supplied Carmy’s infamous patchwork jacket.
According to Loft, one of reasons The Bear’s style has resonated so much is its elevated depiction of simple fits. Workwear, jeans, T-shirts are staples of most men’s wardrobes. These are clothes that feel authentic and accessible, but those in the know might recognize the character’s vintage denim or “basic” sweater actually cost hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars.
“The costume team has done a great job of balancing the simple look and elevated feeling you get from the products themselves,” said Loft. You can see that success from the way fans clamoured to find the white T-shirt Allen White has worn throughout the series. The 215 tee is from a small German brand called Merz b. Schwanen. With a heavy and structured fit, it’s a well-made but simple garment that has become a holy-grail purchase for many fashion obsessives.
“People who usually buy the 215 know what they’re getting. They’ve done their research. They know it’s made in Germany with loop wheel machines, it’s made from organic cotton, triangle underarm inserts for better mobility,” said Vince Lai, buyer and general manager of Toronto based clothing store Uncle Otis. Lai recognizes the demand for the piece is largely because of the show. He knows some people would scoff at the shirt’s $150 price tag. But to Lai, the craftsmanship of the product is about a larger connection to the themes of the show and its characters. “They connect themselves with Carmy … hard working, detail-oriented but not trying too hard‚” said Lai, comparing the effect to how people responded to Steve McQueen’s or Marlon Brando’s style.
Cynics might attribute the show’s style success to Allen White being a beloved sex symbol. Looking like a muscle-bound Gene Wilder, White is the current face of Louis Vuitton and was recently lauded for a steamy underwear commercial for Calvin Klein.
But assuming the interest in the show’s fashion is thanks to only White’s looks ignores The Bear’s other breakout menswear star: Canadian chef, actor and occasional hardcore punk frontman Matty Matheson. “Regardless of the character he’s portraying, you can tell there’s some of him in there,” Aaron Levine, a fashion designer who has worked with brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Madewell, said about Matheson. While Matheson once described his sense of style as “an ’80s pro wrestler when they dressed normal,” lately much has been made of his red carpet looks. “I think it comes down to the genuine human element. He’s natural and true to himself,” said Levine.
On The Bear, Matheson’s looks are largely workwear and T-shirts. It’s something the chef has championed with his own clothing line Rosa Rugosa, which highlights basics you’d see worn in restaurant kitchens and at blue-collar jobs. But looking cool in everyday wear comes largely down to the specificity and cuts of the clothes and the confidence to wear them with style. Something Matheson has in spades and something that applies to the larger aesthetic of the show.
With The Bear dropping the entire season on Disney Plus on June 25, fans are looking forward to the beautifully shot food and carefully crafted drama the show built its reputation on. Many will also be tuning in for the fits.
