Merz beim Schwanen
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I wish Merz pre washed their tees, and at their price point I really can’t see why they’re not. The amount of shrink I got on my 215s is crazy, I spent nearly £300 on 3 tees last year and not a single one is wearable anymore. My XLs ended up closer to the measurements of Smalls, over a years wear and wash I lost 2.5 inches P2P and 3 inches in length. All washed at 40C or lower, never tumble dried. I’d deliberately sized to cover the 1.5 inch shrink in length that Merz plainly states, but got so much more in all directions.
I’m totally happy paying for a premium product (hello Iron Heart), but it sucks when said product lacks the stability to be used and washed like an actual garment should.
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@jerkules interesting and definitely annoying! I don’t have any 215s but I haven’t experienced shrinkage issues with other Merz products (I even tried and failed to shrink a couple of 207s where I stupidly went with the retailer’s measurements rather than the official ones). The only washing issue I’ve had is extreme arm twist on ls 1950s. 2S14/2S18 are very stable in my experience.
“Every day that you survive you get a free sunset“
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I have some 215 and I also had to size up. Normally I am in between M and L but for the 215 I had to choose 7/XL. The salesperson told me it‘s best to try on the T-shirt since the sizes can differ depending on the style and cut. But the shrinkage is not to underestimate. Now the shirt fits like a L size now.
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@jerkules Agreed. Had a couple of weights - both shrunk after hand washing (not ideal for a white T). Don't seem to like being stretched into shape which I would normally do - seem to lose shape. Urban Lad said similar on You Tube. Sticking to Wonderlooper / IH / Samurai / etc for now.
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@ARNC yup I really like the 2S14 I have and the shrinkage on that wasn’t too bad. The 50s is the same, but I feel it does lose its shape due to the very lightweight fabric.
I probably should’ve gone up and extra size in the 215, but even then I think it’d be too small. It’s a shame as I really like the fabric and construction.
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@will6er shame you have the same issue, but I’m glad it’s not just a me problem
. I’m still looking for that “perfect” tee. I really like the IH 7.5oz tees but would like some unprinted versions. I’ve never tried the 6.5oz so should try some time. I love the 1600 but find the arms a bit tight - would prefer if they didn’t have the sleeve ribbing. 3sixteen tees have a great fit for me but the sleeve is too short and I find the seems can chafe under arm…I like the look of samurai, think I might give them a go next.
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@jerkules I guess there are other options out there to suit our preferences and laundry practices (I like some Merz stuff but I’m no loyalist). They don’t seem to get as much attention on here as some brands but it might be worth a look at the Dubbleworks heavy tees. They’re pretty wash stable in my experience.
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Great discussion, gang. I wasn't aware that much shrinkage was part of the Merz shirts. It sounds like if I want a proper fitting, I'd best head into my local Self Edge and try some on.
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@Bobcat-Sig I'm just noticing this recent convo and can chime in because I own quite a few Merz things. Their sizing is indeed weird.
The biggest key I can say is to look for whether or not something is described as Classic or Relaxed Fit. I'm 6'2, between 195-200lbs, and I wear an XL in 2-thread shirts. The bulk of stuff I own from them is either tees or henleys in the 2-thread, and I've always been that size. I do have a heavyweight long sleeve henley, which falls under Relaxed Fit, and I wear an L in that one.
Lastly, to make things nice and confusing, I wear an XXL in the 50s tees. For the most part I've never really noticed too much shrink in Merz stuff aside from maybe a little, but I religiously wash everything on cold. The only exception to that is once again the 50s tees, which I noticed did shrink a good bit after the first wash.
Oh and one more thing: I'd highly advise against buying any of their henleys that are the 102 "Maco-Imit" material, which is a mixture of cotton and viscose. Total garbage. Weird fit, strange material, freaks out and loses shape in the wash, not to mention pricier than most of their other shirts.
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@popvulture Very helpful, thank you. How do you tend to size in normal sizing? Are you typically an L in most things or an XL?
For example, I'm M in nearly anything. In Iron Heart shirts, I'm L or XL, depending on how the shirt fits. I also vary widely in terms of selvage denim; anywhere from 30 to 34. I slot in at 32 for most mainstream pants.
Does Merz fit vary like the denim I mentioned? Sounds like it might.
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@Bobcat-Sig it definitely varies — a customer service rep from Merz told me that this can happen due to those old loopwheel machines. I’ve never had it be too drastic as in a shirt being a whole size off, but I’ve definitely XL henleys that were either a little small or big. Going to Self Edge is a great idea, as the only true way to know is to try them on.
To answer your question about size, I’m a L in every “normal” shirt or jacket, save for the occasional thing that runs too big or small. Those are rare though. In IH tops I’m almost always an XL, but I’ve gotten an L in a couple things like CPOs that tend to run a bit big sometimes.
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@Bobcat-Sig you’re welcome! And I agree — it’s an endless resource and even better community
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@Marc2706 Thanks! So far very comfortable and form fitting. Definitely beats those Hanes tees I’ve been wearing.
