Merz b. Schwanen
Originally founded in 1911 and revived in 2011 by Peter and Gitta Plotnicki, Merz b. Schwanen is the guardian of authentic German loopwheeled knitwear. Based in the Swabian Alps, the brand focuses on slow manufacturing using rare, circular knitting machines from the early-to-mid 20th century. Their signature is the seamless, tubular construction—found in the now-iconic 215 T-shirt, famous from the TV Series The Bear, which offers incredible shape retention and a lack of side seams for maximum comfort. Everything in their "Originals" line is Made in Germany, utilizing organic cotton and traditional techniques that produce only one meter of fabric per hour, and everything else they do is meticulously made in Portugal. They don't just make basics; they create "Good Originals" that gained a cult following for their honest texture and timeless, utilitarian fit.
