There are plenty of incredibly well-made tees that haven’t been made on loopwheel machines, but you can be sure that, if you see loopwheel anywhere in the description, you’re looking at a high-quality item that’s been made slowly by people passionate about their craft.

SPY spoke with Cristina Spiridakis, the costume designer for the pilot, and Courtney Wheeler, The Bear’scostume designer for episodes two through eight. The team walked us through the ethos behind the white T-shirt itself, the brand they finally settled on after trying tens of different options, and how they crafted the look of the show through practical statement pieces. Both costumers also adamantly vouched for going to a tailor and having them adjust pieces to fit you as well as possible.From the first episode of The Bear, it’s clear that this show is about a bereaved brother trying to keep his recently deceased twin’s sandwich shop alive. It’s also a show about menswear basics and the value of high-quality, everyday pieces. I’m talking, of course, about the uniform worn by Jeremy Allen White throughout the series, which has already become the subject of fascination and obsession across the web. She explained that they gravitated towards these brands because of their high-quality precedent and reputation, something the character would resonate with. Rivet & Hide ships from the UK. If you’re looking for other places to buy Studio D’Artisan, try: Self Edge (USA), Okayama Denim (Japan), Redcast Heritage (Spain), Son of a Stag (UK), Corlection (Australia)

If you’ve chosen to ignore the T-shirt in this space until now, we’re encouraging you to take these makers up on their offer. I said above that I have a few tees that I’ve had for years and would never dream of getting rid of. All of them have graphics on them. As much as I love these tees, they only work with certain outfits and in certain settings. A plain tee in a simple colour doesn’t have these limitations. It works everywhere and with everything. Chet Baker Paul Newman

They have a few things to brag about. First and foremost is their loopwheel manufacturing. The Merz plant in Germany is one of only two factories in the world (the other in Japan) that makes loopwheel knitwear, and they’ve leveraged this exclusivity to perfection. The classic 1610 is still a great-fitting shirt for those who fit the Asian mould, but the longer body is a sight for sore eyes for those who need a little room to stretch their legs out. Enter the Utilitee. It’s a classically cut 5.5 oz. loopwheeled tee that comes in every size from small to quadruple XL. If you’ve had any trouble finding a quality tee big enough for you, your prayers have been answered.

The quality is undoubtedly higher than anything you could have found in the ‘50s. It’s a tubular knit (not loopwheeled, but the next best thing), so there’s no side seams. It remained a working man’s undergarment until the counterculture icons of the fifties made the T-shirt a badge of badassery. Ever since, the tee (thanks to the ease with which it can be blazoned with slogans or pictures) has remained a piece that, like no other, is stitched up with our identities.The variance here was ridiculous. Velva Sheen didn’t really shrink at all while Gildan and American Apparel lost the equivalent of a whole size in the wash. Look for words like the following: organic/certified organic, fair-trade, long-staple/extra-long-staple, Pima/Supima, Sea Island, Giza, and Suvin Gold. For places of origin, look for Japan, USA, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good starting point. The subtlety in the costumes is what attracted me to the project because you’d have to work harder to tell a story about somebody when you have like a very limited character parameter, and very limited parameters to work with. Even though they’re not in uniforms, there are rules, there’s like physical limitations,” said Spiridakis.