discoHealthknit for t-shirts, Velva Sheen for t-shirts and Loop & Weft for hoodies & sweats come in under Merz b. Schwanen at full price. Healthknit's t-shirts run a median $57 against $100.
Menswear · Regular US prices · Compared on t-shirts and hoodies & sweats · Checked Nov 3, 2026
The overlap. Henleys, waffle and honeycomb thermals and border-stripe tees from an old American underwear label, now run and made in Japan.
Where it’s less. T-shirts $57 vs $100, median full price.
The compromise. Lightweight and underwear-rooted, with thermals and stripe jerseys in place of Merz's heavy loopwheel tees.
The overlap. Tubular-knit crew tees, pocket tees and henleys with no side seams, cut to a mid-century regular fit and sewn in the USA.
Where it’s less. T-shirts $68 vs $100, median full price.
The compromise. Crisper, plainer jersey that wears closer to a good undershirt, with no loopwheel fabric or knitwear.
The overlap. Crewneck tees knitted on tsuriami loopwheel frames in Wakayama and fleece sweats from rare Tompkins rotary knitters, designed in Yamanashi.
Where it’s less. Hoodies & sweats $125 vs $173, median full price.
The compromise. A Japanese knit specialist with no henleys, shirts or trousers, and patchy stock outside Japan.
Checked, and not cheaper
Sunray Sportswear, Whitesville and Lady White Co. are on the Merz b. Schwanen list, but they price at or above Merz b. Schwanen in the category we compared, so they aren't listed here. See every brand like Merz b. Schwanen →
These markdowns will end; the brands above are cheaper at full price.
Not a copy, but healthknit is the closest look for less: its t shirts run US$50–72 against US$84–110 for Merz b. Schwanen. Velva Sheen t shirts, Loop & Weft hoodies and Colorful Standard t shirts are also lower-priced than Merz b. Schwanen's.
Healthknit is the closest look for less: its t shirts run US$50–72 against US$84–110 for Merz b. Schwanen. Velva Sheen t shirts, Loop & Weft hoodies and Colorful Standard t shirts are also lower-priced than Merz b. Schwanen's.
Disco is tracking 29 Merz b. Schwanen markdowns, up to 55% off, at Cultizm, SSENSE, Franklin and Poe and TENDREL.
Category prices are the median full price of live US listings for each brand in that category; piece prices are the regular US price of the named item, both checked Nov 3, 2026. A brand only appears above if it is lower in the category it was compared on. Sale prices are excluded. We haven’t worn these. How we compare prices →
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