Wardrobe Edit: Top 5 GANT Pieces To Add To Your Wardrobe
CHO Fashion & Lifestyle
If you love classic, timeless wardrobe staples, look no further than GANT.
Creating a stylish, preppy, Ivy League aesthetic since 1949, whether you're a fan of tailored shirts and chinos or sportswear that will carry you through the seasons, you'll find perfect core pieces to suit from this stylish brand.
In this guide, we look at the history of this heritage hero and offer our top tips on the five main pieces that will provide you with style and wearability, season after season.
Table of contents:
Top 5 GANT pieces to add to your wardrobe
What is GANT known for?
GANT is probably best known for its iconic shirt and involvement in developing the dress shirt as we know it today.
The GANT story began in 1907, with Ukrainian-born Berl Gantmacher, who travelled to New York at 17 seeking the American Dream.
Americanising his name Berl became Bernard, and he enrolled in night classes to study pharmacy at Columbia University. He worked as a closer in New York City's garment district to fund this.
A closer is the person in charge of assembling garments. Whilst doing this job, Bernard developed essential tailoring skills that would eventually lead him to run his own business in the garment industry.
When the First World War broke out, Gantmacher was called up to the US army and, on his return, was fueled with a desire to succeed. After graduating and getting married, he established his first business, the Par-Ex shirt company, in partnership with Morris Shapiro.
The company manufactured shirts in Brooklyn, making stylish garments for leading brands of the time, such as Brooks Brothers. Achieving great success, the company relocated to Newhaven, Connecticut, to upscale and to take advantage of the tailoring and garment-making talents of the Italian immigrants who lived there.
Little did Gantmacher know at the time how lucrative this move to New Haven would be for the future of his company.
Gantmacher's two teenage sons soon got involved in the business. Once back from serving in the Second World War, the sons studied at the University of Connecticut. Marty studied business admin and Elliot marketing - lucrative training that would help develop the family business.
Whilst studying, the sons noticed a shift in American fashion and the birth of the Ivy League look. The Ivy League is a group of Northeastern American academic and sporting rival colleges, including New Haven-based Yale. The students' look was distinctive, debonair and preppy - never overdressed, but always well-dressed.
Noticing an opportunity to capitalise on this, the brothers convinced their father to stop manufacturing shirts for other companies and sell them under the family name, shortening it from Gantmacher to Gant.
The GANT button-down shirt
In 1949, GANT Inc was born, and the GANT family focused on perfecting the already-established button-down shirt.
Creating bold-coloured shirts from unusual fabrics, the GANT shirt featured a never-before-seen box pleat to the back for freedom of movement and a locker loop to allow it to be hung in a locker room without creasing. A neck button, a button tab to securely hold the tie and collar, and a relaxed rolled collar also featured.
As New Haven slowly developed as the home of the Ivy League look, the GANT shirt quickly became its main centrepiece.
Once stocked in the Yale University co-op shop in the 1960s, demand for the shirt quickly outstripped supply, cementing it as an essential garment for the stylish elite.
Today, the popular GANT shirt remains the brand's key piece, synonymous with preppy American style. GANT also makes ties, trousers, polo shirts, rugby shirts, sportswear and other preppy, timeless apparel for men, women and children.
Is GANT a luxury brand?
First and foremost, GANT is a heritage American sportswear brand with a rich history.
As most high-end luxury brands create products with astronomical price tags that are viewed as desirable yet unnecessary, GANT would not fall into the luxury category.
However, GANT is a premium lifestyle brand creating high-quality, everyday, comfortable and luxurious clothing.
Although GANT clothing doesn't sit at an accessible price point for all, it is considered more of a brand for everyday wear for those that can afford quality and are seeking high-quality items that can be worn season after season.
GANT offers luxury everyday wear for those that like their fashion understated. Using mostly classic colours and subtle branding, GANT clothing appeals to the more mature man or those who prefer timeless core wardrobe staples for versatile dressing options.
Which famous people wear GANT?
As GANT is a premium brand, it is loved by many celebrities.
A favoured choice of those that love great, effortless clothing, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, Ashton Kutcher and Ben Affleck are all fans of the brand for its simple but sophisticated aesthetic.
Top 5 GANT pieces to add to your wardrobe
If you want to add some high-quality GANT pieces to your wardrobe for a suave and sophisticated everyday aesthetic, we've got you covered at CHO! Highlighting our top five GANT menswear pieces, we're here to help you perfect timeless, effortless style.
Every curated wardrobe needs a versatile jacket, and this GANT Quilted Men's Windcheater is the perfect example. It is ideal for the morning commute; its stylish quilted detailing, subtle branding and eye-catching finishings make it an exceptional jacket to pair with a button-down and chinos or throw over a polo shirt and jeans on off-duty days.
Finished with stunning navy lining and banker striped sleeves, this windcheater offers sensational quality and various dressing options.
- GANT Half Zip Sweatshirts
Is there a layering option more sophisticated than a classic half-zip sweatshirt?
Crafted from the finest materials, you're guaranteed some style points if you choose a GANT Cotton Texture Men's Half-Zip or an Original Half-Zip Men's Sweatshirt.
The perfect option to add an extra layer to your next countryside spring walk or for pairing with tops and t-shirts to add a cosy finish to your off-duty look, whether you're dressing your half-zip up or down, you'll be comfortable without compromising style.
Cut to a regular fit, each half-zip is finished with a ribbed hem, cuffs, and signature GANT branding.
Layer up your office attire with a stunning GANT zip-through cardigan. A classic zip-up with a preppy twist, it's cut to a regular fit and finished with ribbed cuffs and hems and the iconic GANT logo for a suave, sophisticated look.
A cotton piqué knit, this stylish piece will offer warmth and breathability on the coldest days and will pair perfectly with office wear or smart joggers for an elevated, off-duty look.
This stunning GANT Shield Hoodie is the epitome of sporty dressing. Displaying the iconic GANT crest proudly across the chest, it also references '1949', the year that the GANT brand was first established.
Comfortable and stylish, it features a kangaroo pouch pocket and is finished with a classic drawstring pull. The essential pairing to jeans and trainers, it's the perfect blend of the brand's preppy heritage combined with contemporary streetwear style.
Looking for the full loungewear look? Pair this statement hoodie with GANT joggers for a laidback, off-duty look.
Every sophisticated man's wardrobe needs a classic polo shirt, and this GANT Original Piqué Rugger Polo Shirt ticks all stylish boxes. Providing several dressing options, whether you're looking for a tasteful option for casual Fridays, an off-duty option to pair with joggers on relaxed days, or a simple pairing to jeans for an impromptu date night or drinks with friends, this polo shirt won't disappoint.
Cut to a regular fit and finished with a flat knit collar, a two-button placket, the iconic GANT logo embroidered to the chest, and two small side slits, add this GANT polo to your wardrobe for a high-quality piece to pair with many looks.
Where to buy GANT
So now you know why you should be shopping for GANT's timeless style staples, you're probably wondering where to shop for these classic pieces.
At CHO, we're proud stockists of GANT, so whether you're searching for a preppy long-sleeved shirt to embrace the brand's roots or simply want to invest in some GANT sportswear, including hoodies and joggers, we've got you covered!
Curate classic style by shopping the links above and enjoy GANT's high-quality garments for years of stylish, sophisticated dressing.
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