The Bear, which received 13 Emmy nominations, is a TV series. The first season of The Bear was about survival, the second is about living. In the first season, we watched Michelin-starred chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) try to save the sandwich shop he inherited from his brother.
In the second season, we watch him create a fine-dining restaurant from that shop. Needless to say, a restaurant called The Bear.
On the morning of June 27, 2023, there was a three-word increase in Google searches: "The Bear Sweater". For those who don't know the series, this term may remind you of Winnie the Pooh. However, for streetwear enthusiasts, the cause-effect relationship was clear as day.
The new season of the gripping series The Bear had begun, and the extraordinary heroine of the series, an unruly chef named Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), was wearing a cool sweater. For global fans of the series, “The Bear Sweater” had to be found at all costs… Just like all the other outfits Carmine Berzatto wore on screen.
The Bear is an American comedy-drama television series created by Christopher Storer. It premiered on Hulu on June 23, 2022, and stars Jeremy Allen White as a young, award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. The supporting cast includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, and Matty Matheson. In July 2022, it was renewed for a 10-episode second season, which was released on June 22, 2023. In November 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.
"The Bear's style has so many fans because the average guy wants to dress well for a purpose," explains GQ senior fashion writer Cam Wolf.
''In the past, men's fashion was inspired by the military. Then came the Mad Men era. People wanted to dress like Don Draper because he was successful and desired. Carmy and The Bear are the next extension of this.”
A style accessible to everyone
Since The Bear takes place in a kitchen instead of an office, Wolf states that it is even easier to access some of the important parts of the series and says, "Anyone can go online and buy a pair of Birkenstock Boston slippers."
According to The Bear's costume designer, Courtney Wheeler, the open-book approach of the series is a deliberate choice. Wheeler says he's often asked where he gets Carmy's plain white T-shirts (from Ohio workwear company Velva Sheen and German T-shirt center Merz B Schwanen), adding, "Nothing is limiting for those who want to achieve this style."
The Bear doesn't just offer one menswear style. Nicole Gajadhar, the chef of New York's favorite venue, Golden Age Hospitality, says, "I see pieces of my own style in that series, too," and adds:
“Being a chef is not just a career, it is a part of who you are, the way you live. So if you believe in the best ingredients for your food, which I do, you also believe in the best fabric for your clothes. These two are parallel. It's hard being a woman, especially in the kitchen, people are looking at you and watching you. I want to represent this standard of excellence for my employees.”
Of course, The Bear isn't just about looking attractive even while throwing a tantrum in the kitchen. It's also about turning workwear into armor and adding a deeper purpose to the aesthetic. Later in the new series, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) goes to train at a luxury Michelin-starred establishment based on the real-life Chicago restaurant Ever. When he later says, "I'm wearing a suit now," he uses his all-black formal attire as an indication that he's ready not only to work but to kill.
Synopsis
Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a young gastronomic chef, is forced to return to Chicago to take over the family establishment after his brother's suicide. Far from his own world, Carmy must deal with the overwhelming responsibilities of a small business, a stubborn staff, and strained family relationships while dealing with the consequences of a tragedy.