GANT is one of those brands that has transformed men’s style and fashion, pushed boundaries, and changed how we wear men’s shirts.
The company deserves all the praise for today’s shirt comfort, the selection of colors and patterns, the convenient button at the collar, the back pleat, and the handy hanger on the back. What a revolution!
The GANT name is surrounded by stories and legends, such as that at Yale University, guys who had a girlfriend would cut off the shirt hanger as a proclamation of “being taken.”
Let’s take a closer look at this men’s fashion giant.
Just like a rainbow
Shirts are one of the essential clothing items in every man’s wardrobe.
It’s a versatile piece that works for almost any occasion, whether you want to look put-together, edgy, or relaxed. You can go anywhere with a shirt, from the office to lunch with the in-laws to a beer garden.
GANT has contributed immensely to this versatility and style freedom. The company has introduced various colors, patterns, and styles besides traditional white.
One of the first customers who made the GANT shirts popular were not aristocrats or businessmen but students. But let’s go back to the beginning.
An immigrant story
GANT founder Bernard Gantmacher was only 17 years old when he came to New York from Ukraine in search of a better life in 1907. He was making a living working in the clothing industry, but after returning home after World War I, where he fought in the US Army, Bernard founded the Par-Ex Shirt Company in Brooklyn and began to make shirts for various brands and stores.
Thanks to his deep knowledge of materials and how to best sew shirts, Bernard quickly became known as a tailor of the best and highest quality shirts in America.
Although he had been making shirts for other brands and vendors, he earned an impeccable personal reputation. This recognition encouraged Bernard to start embroidering the subtle GANT badge on each pair of shirts. It was a diamond with the letter “G” on the inside, which signified Gantmacher’s exceptional quality.
The slightly unusual and almost invisible label symbolized attention to every detail, and the name eventually became one of the most recognizable menswear brands in America and the world.
Perfect timing
Shortly after, Bernard’s sons Martis and Eliot encouraged the talented and highly experienced father to start his own brand. The timing was perfect because the US economy grew rapidly after the Second World War. And so, in 1949, GANT was born.
Tired of war and poverty, people wanted to live comfortably, look stylish, and so they demanded quality in all products.
And GANT had the perfect product and quickly became one of the symbols of this successful era and hope for a better future.
Campus style
GANT was destined to become a successful business. The shirtmakers were true pioneers in innovation, and most of the shirt details we take for granted today were invented by this family.
But what made the brand stand out the most was the range of colors it offered. Who loved it the most? Preppy students at Yale University!
The first GANT shirt store was opened on campus in New Haven, and the GANT style was soon dubbed the “Ivy League Look.”
This style has become so popular that the store had to keep restocking to satisfy the demand from both students and university staff.
Fun (aka not boring) colors contributed immensely to GANT’s popularity, as the students were thrilled with the chance to express themselves through clothes.
The colors
Innovative colors, patterns, materials, and attention to detail fascinated young people then and seventy years later.
Ivy League style has even become one of the most famous men’s fashion trends. While many competitors tried to copy the success formula, they could never reach the same level of success.
Fun fact: to get as much attention to colors as possible, GANT employees were banned from wearing white shirts while at work!
Women’s shirts
Not so long ago, GANT presented another novelty – shirts for women.
Please do not make the mistake of thinking it’s yet another blouse because the company emphasized that it is indeed a shirt.
The idea to produce a line for women arose after realizing that they often borrowed shirts from their spouses or partners. Genius!
International relations
In the early 1970s, GANT’s manufacturing rights were partially sold to the Swedish company “Pyramid Sportswear,” which was able to both design and sell the product outside of the United States.
Although it initially was only about Sweden, the brand soon spread to other countries and the first European GANT store opened in Amsterdam (currently the oldest GANT store in the world).
Soon thereafter, the brand was bought by the American Phillips-Van Heusen, and in 1999, Sweden’s “Pyramid Sportswear” fully acquired GANT for 71 million dollars.
But the business rollercoaster wasn’t over yet.
In 2006 GANT became a public limited company in Sweden; however, two years later, it was acquired by the Swiss Maus Frères. In 2010 GANT returned to New Haven, where they reopened their legendary store.
GANT shoes
Today you can treat yourself to both GANT clothing and GANT shoes, which have quickly become another men’s fashion must-have.
GANT shoes are synonymous with comfort, high quality, and great style. GANT shoes for men and GANT shoes for women suit all lifestyles and are perfect for both work and leisure.
GANT clothing, accessories, and footwear are elegant, easily styled, durable, made of quality materials, and will serve you for many years.
Whether you choose athletic shoes, suede boots, casual shoes, leather shoes, moccasins, or house slippers, their classic and modern colors will go well with your favorite trousers, suits, shirts, and dresses.
GANT is a high-end brand loved by business people, celebrities, and everyone who appreciates style and quality.
But don’t just take our word for it. Find your perfect GANT pair at SIL.lt online store and enjoy the ideal comfort, timeless styles, and durability.
