Why viewers are obsessed with the £70 T-shirts worn by The Bear star Jeremy Allen White in his captivating role as the cult show's lead character

• Despite the T-shirt's popularity, it is still available to buy – for a steep £70
• Carmy's wardrobe also features other vintage fashion including Levi's jeans

When it comes to creating a hit TV drama, it's important to get the wardrobe right.

And the makers of cult show The Bear, streamed in the UK on Disney+, seem to have got it down to a T – quite literally.

The simple white T-shirt worn by the lead character, Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, has seemingly captivated viewers even more than the programme's dramatic storylines – with fans comparing the lead's look to James Dean's iconic outfit in 1955 film Rebel Without A Cause and John Travolta's trademark style in musical Grease.

The comedy-drama, which was watched for a staggering 853 million minutes over the course of one week in June, follows Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, a chef attempting to take over a sandwich shop previously run by his late brother.

Hordes of its devoted viewers have taken to social media to both praise and seek out the brand of Carmy's white tee.

'That man really knows how to wear a white T-shirt,' wrote a fan with a second saying: 'Love Jeremy Allen White in that little white T-shirt.' 

Another wrote: 'You NEED to buy the classic white T-shirt from The Bear that everyone is talking about now!'

The clothing item is made by Merz b. Schwanen, a German brand which takes pride in using 100-year-old techniques based around loopwheel cotton cylinders.

Despite the T-shirt's popularity, it is still available to buy – for a steep £70. Carmy's wardrobe also features other vintage fashion including Levi's jeans and denim jackets.

Cristina Spiridakis, costume designer for The Bear's pilot, said the clothing choices are meant to reflect the character's personality.

'It was never the intention to be 'stylish' per se,' she told GQ magazine. 'Carmy is a person that appreciates quality and classics, items that last, that aren't fussy or trendy – things created with a respect for the item itself.'

Three years ago, similar furore surrounded the TV series Normal People when viewers obsessed over a silver chain necklace worn by lead actor Paul Mescal, who played Connell Waldron throughout. 

The item of jewellery even had its own Instagram account.

58 F-words but only warning is for... smoking

By Molly Clayton

Set in a high-pressure kitchen, it's no wonder TV programme The Bear contains enough swearing to rival BBC political satire The Thick Of It.

But instead of cautioning viewers of a sensitive disposition about the number of profanities they may be about to hear, audiences are instead warned that they may encounter... smoking.

Characters in the tense drama, which is now in its second series on Disney+, use 80 swear words in the first 27-minute episode – almost three each minute. The word 'f***' appears 58 times, and 's***' 14 times.

The second episode of the series nudges close to that tally, with 76 profanities across 30 minutes.

But in the opening credits, viewers are given a 'trigger warning' about the show's 'tobacco depictions'.

It is Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto, the mother of the lead character, chef Carmy Berzatto, who provides most of the offensive on-screen chain-smoking.

There are also scenes involving a chef smoking 'crack' in an alley and references to cannabis.

Armando Iannucci's satirical comedy The Thick Of It, starring Peter Capaldi as a foul-mouthed government spin doctor, currently holds the record for the most swear words in a half-hour show, racking up 147 – nearly double The Bear's count. 

Succession comes in second with 2.6 expletives each minute. Martin Scorsese's The Wolf Of Wall Street held the record for the most swearing in a film when it was released in 2013, with the word 'f***' appearing 506 times.

But that Guinness World Record was beaten when Canadian comedy Swearnet: The Movie was released the following year.

It boasts 935 profanities across its 112-minute running time – eight a minute or one every seven seconds.