GANT SHIRTMAKERS - HIGH COLLAR MAGAZINE

HISTORICAL

GANT

IVY’s Standard Shirt Maker

Dec – 2025 30 MINS READ

Without GANT, Ivy shirts might never have spread in the way we know today. GANT provided a form that Ivy League students—particularly those at Yale—could wear every day without hesitation.It was neither a special design nor a new ideology. It was simply the fact that the same shirts, made to the same specifications, were worn in the same way, again and again. That repetition is what transformed Ivy shirts from a look into a shared standard of style.　

Elliot Gant, left, and his brother, Martin, outside the Gant shirt factory in the 1960s.

Elliot Gant’s Ivy Standard Shirt　

Elliot Gant died on March 12, 2016, in Boston. He was 89. With his death, the last of the founders of GANT passed from the scene, closing a chapter in the history of an American shirt company whose influence reached far beyond its factory walls. Gant’s death was reported as the passing of “the man who popularised the button-down shirt.” The description was precise, if understated. The button-down already existed long before GANT emerged as a brand, but its place in American dress was neither fixed nor universal. What changed over the course of the mid-twentieth century was not the shirt’s basic form, but its presence in everyday life.　

The Miami News – 12/6/66

Elliot Gant was born Elliot Bernard Gantmacher in Brooklyn in 1926. He grew up in a family immersed in the garment trade. His father, Bernard Gantmacher, specialized in sewing shirt collars; his mother, Rebecca Rose, worked with buttons and buttonholes. Together with a business partner, Morris Shapiro, Bernard founded the Par-Ex Shirt Company, which produced shirts for Brooks Brothers and other retailers. In 1927, the company relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, then a center of American shirt manufacturing.Elliot entered the business gradually, beginning with basic factory work before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he studied marketing at the University of Connecticut, while his older brother Martin focused on business administration. In 1949, the brothers persuaded their father to begin selling shirts under a new label: GANT.

From New Haven—within reach of Ivy League campuses, particularly Yale—the company began to build its identity. Advertising first appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, and GANT positioned itself as a shirtmaker associated with collegiate life. The button-down shirt, while not invented by the company, became closely identified with it as distribution expanded from campus stores to Madison Avenue and beyond. Under the direction of Elliot and Martin Gant, a number of practical refinements were introduced. Collar construction was adjusted to produce a distinctive roll. A box pleat was added to the back for ease of movement. An extra button was placed behind the collar to help keep the tie in position, along with a patented button tab designed to lift the knot. A hanger loop was added so the shirt could be hung without wrinkling. None of these details were radical in isolation, but together they defined the shirts most customers came to recognize as “GANT.”

1907

BEFORE THE GANT SHIRTMAKERS

Bernard Gantmacher, who would later found GANT, was a Jewish immigrant from Miropol, located in what is now Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire). According to immigration records preserved at Ellis Island, he arrived in New York on November 12, 1907, at the age of seventeen. After arriving in the United States, he changed his given name from Berl to Bernard. After settling in New York, Bernard Gantmacher worked during the day in garment factories on the Lower East Side while attending night classes at the College of Pharmacy at Columbia University. In the factories, he was primarily engaged in the role known as a “closer,” a position responsible for assembling cut garment components into finished clothing. Through this work, he is understood to have developed both practical skills in shirt manufacturing and a deep understanding of production processes.

It was in this garment work environment that he met Rebecca Rose, who was employed in the same workplace sewing buttonholes and attaching buttons. Multiple sources indicate that they later married. With the outbreak of the First World War, Gantmacher served in the United States Army and was stationed in France. After returning from military service, and following his marriage and completion of his studies, he made the decision to pursue an independent business venture.

In the early 1920s, Gantmacher, together with Morris Shapiro, established the Par-Ex Shirt Company in Brooklyn, New York. Par-Ex was a high-quality shirt manufacturing operation without its own consumer-facing brand and functioned primarily as an OEM producer. As the company expanded its order volume in the latter half of the 1920s, constraints such as rising labor costs and a shortage of skilled sewing workers in Brooklyn became increasingly apparent. As a result, the possibility of relocating to a more suitable production base began to be considered.Around 1927, Par-Ex Shirt Company is understood to have relocated to New Haven, Connecticut. New Haven was known as a center of high-quality shirt manufacturing, supported by a skilled workforce largely composed of Italian immigrants, and offered advantages in terms of quality, cost structure, and logistics. At this stage, the “GANT” brand had not yet been established, and Par-Ex continued to operate solely as a well-regarded shirt manufacturing factory.

Regarding the period following the move to New Haven, memoirs and testimony from individuals within the apparel industry suggest that Par-Ex supplied shirts to retailers such as Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and the Yale Co-op, producing garments that would later be regarded as foundational to what is now known as Ivy League style.

Bernard Gantmacher

PAR-EX SHIRT COMPANY IN NEWHAVEN　

Par-Ex Shirt Company was established in the early 1920s in Brooklyn, New York, by Bernard Gantmacher and Morris Shapiro as a shirt manufacturing operation without its own consumer brand. The company specialized exclusively in the production of dress shirts and operated primarily through contract manufacturing for other firms—what would now be described as OEM or white-label production—with a reputation for high-quality workmanship.
Around 1927, Par-Ex Shirt Company relocated its manufacturing operations to New Haven, Connecticut, specifically to Wooster Street. At the time, New Haven was a city in which the shirt industry functioned as one of the core pillars of the local economy. The city had a concentrated workforce of skilled garment laborers, largely composed of Italian immigrants, making it a favorable environment for shirt manufacturing in terms of labor quality, production stability, and scalability. Following the relocation, Par-Ex continued operations as one of the principal shirt factories based in New Haven.

PAR-EX SHIRT FACTORY IN NEWHAVEN

1924 The Yale alumni weekly v. 33 (1923/1924)

This advertisement is significant in that it demonstrates that by 1923, J. Press was already offering ready-made Oxford shirts on a continuing basis. The advertisement also explicitly states that Mr. Press himself visited the Park Avenue Hotel in New York every Wednesday to attend to customers. This provides evidence that, while based in New Haven, J. Press maintained direct and personal relationships with Yale alumni.　

※ Addendum
According to the IVY STYLE site, J. Press shirts were produced by different makers depending on the period. From the turn of the 20th century until World War II, most J. Press shirts were made in England using J. Press’s own patterns, under the supervision of the British importer Welch, Margetson & Co.

With the onset of the 1930s, New Haven’s shirt industry was severely affected by the Great Depression. Wages declined, piece-rate compensation systems intensified, and long working hours became commonplace. Contemporary records and oral histories indicate that shirt factories in particular relied heavily on young workers and immigrant women, who were employed at low wages and labored under poor working conditions.

Against this backdrop, labor organization efforts in New Haven accelerated beginning in 1932. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America initiated campaigns to unionize garment workers across the city. In 1933, Brewster Shirt Company was among the first to sign a union contract, followed shortly thereafter by D&I Company, Ideal Company, and Par-Ex Shirt Company. The inclusion of Par-Ex among these firms indicates that it was regarded as part of the core group of shirt manufacturers operating within New Haven at the time. Worker testimonies from the period describe conditions within shirt factories—including those at Par-Ex—as lacking adequate heating or cooling, relying on unstable piecework wages, and, in some cases, involving underage labor. The labor movements of the 1930s thus emerged as direct responses to everyday working realities rather than abstract ideological conflicts. Despite operating under significant economic and social strain during the Depression, Par-Ex continued production, positioning it as a factory that sustained operations amid prolonged instability.

During the Second World War, shirt manufacturers faced additional challenges, including material rationing and fluctuations in labor availability. These conditions further complicated efforts to maintain stable production. Nevertheless, multiple accounts suggest that during its New Haven period, Par-Ex supplied shirts to prominent retailers such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press, as well as to leading local merchants and university cooperative stores, including the Yale Co-op. These shirts are often described as forming part of the foundation of what would later be recognized as Ivy League style. Following the end of the war, the United States entered a period of rapid economic growth, accompanied by the expansion of the ready-to-wear clothing market and the accelerating casualization of dress. For Par-Ex, which had accumulated decades of manufacturing experience, this postwar boom represented a moment of structural opportunity. During this period, Bernard Gantmacher’s sons, Marty and Elliot, became increasingly involved in the business. As a result, discussions emerged regarding a shift away from exclusive reliance on contract manufacturing toward the development of products under an independent name.

In 1949, Bernard Gantmacher dissolved his partnership with Morris Shapiro and formally separated from the Par-Ex Shirt Company lineage, launching a new shirt business under the name GANT. The manufacturing expertise and human capital cultivated within Par-Ex thus became reorganized under the GANT name. Following the split, Morris Shapiro went on to establish SERO Shirtmakers.

The Italian American Experience in New Haven: Images And Oral Histories

1949~

The Birth of GANT BRAND

After the end of World War II, Bernard Gantmacher’s sons, Marty (Martin) and Elliot, were discharged from military service and became involved in their father’s business, the Par-Ex Shirt Company. According to memoirs and recollections by individuals familiar with the period, their experience was not limited to areas close to the manufacturing floor; they were also exposed to the retail side of the business.A frequently cited example of this is their time working at J. Press. According to Richard Press (the grandson of J. Press founder Jacobi Press), Bernard Gantmacher, who had maintained a long-standing relationship with Jacobi Press and had supplied shirts to J. Press since the 1920s, asked whether his sons could be given work in the stockroom of the York Street store following their discharge from the army. There, Marty and Elliot packed ties and shirts, organized inventory, and assisted with the arrangement of men’s furnishings, gaining firsthand exposure to how shirts were presented and sold in an Ivy League retail environment.

130 Haven St, New Haven, CT usa gant

At the same time, Par-Ex continued to operate as a shirt factory based in New Haven, supplying shirts to prominent local retailers, including J. Press. However, later recollections suggest that by around 1950, the volume that could be absorbed by individual specialty retailers remained limited. Although Par-Ex also undertook manufacturing work for Paul Stuart and other accounts, these relationships did not provide sufficient scale for sustained expansion.

Richard Press recalls the tension this situation produced, describing a conversation at a party in New Haven:
“I remember going head to head with Elliot and Marty at a party in New Haven. ‘We worked in your stockroom and you only buy a few sport shirts from us,’ they said.”

Against this backdrop, the brothers began to pursue a broader retail base. As recalled by Press, this effort resulted in a large-scale supply agreement with the Hart Schaffner & Marx Retail Group, including Wallach’s, covering more than one hundred stores. This marked a decisive shift away from reliance on a small number of specialty retailers toward national-level distribution.Through these experiences, Marty and Elliot came to recognize the limitations of remaining solely within the contract-manufacturing framework of Par-Ex, while also gaining confidence in the commercial viability of their product beyond individual Ivy League shops.

These developments formed a critical prelude to the decision taken in 1949, when Bernard Gantmacher dissolved his partnership with Morris Shapiro and, branching from the Par-Ex lineage, initiated a new shirt business under the name “GANT.”

GANT OF NEW HAVEN 最初期タグ　

Following the establishment of GANT, the company adopted a highly selective distribution policy. According to historian Mathias Björk, part of Gant’s marketing strategy was to “sell only to the best store in town.” Björk notes that if a retailer declined to carry the Gant brand, the Gantmachers did not pursue a second-best alternative, but instead waited until their preferred store agreed. He characterizes this approach as “bold, bordering on foolhardy,” though it proved effective, at least for a period of time.

During the early 1950s, Marty and Elliot experimented with a variety of shirt fabrics and styles. While retaining the pale color palette that was common at the time, they began to introduce brighter and more assertive colors into their designs. These efforts would later come to define an important aspect of the visual identity associated with GANT shirts.

1954 Washington DC Post 1954-06-23_200_11.pdf

The significance of this GANT of New Haven advertisement lies in the placement of a button at the back of the collar to secure the tie. (As stated in the advertisement: “from the casual roll-front button-down collar and box pleat front, to the button in back of collar to keep the tie in place … every detail of styling is scrupulously correct.”) It also demonstrates that by the 1950s, the button-down shirt was already defined within the framework of Ivy League style, or Ivy fashion.

The family regarded their role in shaping this new style as a significant turning point. In 1954, they reflected this shift by changing the company name to GANT of New Haven.This strategy coincided with a phase of rapid operational expansion. In 1955, Gant opened a new factory at 130 Haven Street in New Haven.　

That same year, founder Bernard Gantmacher died. By this point, however, the company’s organizational structure and market position were sufficiently established that operations continued to expand in the postwar economic climate.

Through the late 1950s and into the 1960s, Gant maintained multiple manufacturing sites, including additional locations on East Street and at 162 James Street in New Haven, as well as facilities in West Haven (Wood Street), Wauregan, Connecticut, Kingston, New York, and Salisbury, Maryland.

1950s GANT FACTORY at James St. © New Haven Museum

1957 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXI, Number 3, 26 September 1957

1958 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXII, Number 41, 18 November 1958

1958 “Gant of Newhaven”時代の広告

1950s “Gant of Newhaven”時代の広告

1959 “Gant of Newhaven”時代の広告

1959 The Daily Pennsylvanian, 8 September 1959

GANT SHIRTMAKERS from 1959

From the fall of 1959 onward, the company name changed from GANT of New Haven to GANT Shirtmakers.

1959年秋以降からGANT OF NEWHAVENからGANT SHIRTMAKERS表記に変わります。　

1959 “Gant SHIRTMAKERS”時代の広告

1959 Washington DC Post 1959-12-16_254_3.pdf

1960 “Gant SHIRTMAKERS”時代の広告

1960 Tarrytown Ny Daily News 1960 – 4543.pdf

1960s? “YALE COOP Gant SHIRTMAKERS”時代の広告

1960 Atlanta GA Constitution 1960-10-18_93_105_32.pdf

DIAMOND G　

From its early years, some shirts produced in GANT’s own factory bore a small stamped mark on the shirttail: a diamond shape enclosing the letter “G.” In later years, this mark came to be referred to in marketing contexts as the “Diamond G.”　　The use of this mark is generally dated to 1949 or later, although contemporaneous sources that clearly explain the original intent behind its introduction are limited. What can be confirmed from surviving garments and later company histories is that, at the time, the mark was not intended to foreground the brand. Rather, it was applied in a discreet manner. During the period of American production, this “G” mark can reasonably be understood as signifying manufacture in New Haven.　

The “G” marks come in both bold and thin lines.

Amalgamated Clothing Workers of Americ (ACWA) : UNION STAMP

During the mid-20th century, the American men’s clothing industry operated within a framework strongly shaped by organized labor, most notably the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). Founded in 1914, ACWA represented workers across the ready-to-wear garment sector and played a central role in establishing standardized labor conditions within domestic apparel manufacturing. One of ACWA’s most visible mechanisms was the Union Label, a system that allowed garments produced under approved labor conditions to carry an identifying mark. These labels did not function as brand identifiers; rather, they indicated that a product was manufactured in the United States within a unionized factory operating under ACWA agreements. In this sense, the union label served as an institutional counterpart to the “Made in USA” designation, embedding labor standards directly into the material culture of clothing. Within this system, manufacturers were assigned specific union label numbers. GANT operated under Union Label No. 28, linking the company to ACWA-regulated production during its American manufacturing period. While the presence of a union label did not distinguish one maker’s design or construction from another’s, it did certify that the garment was produced domestically and in compliance with established labor standards.

Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America（ACWA） UNION STAMP 1949~

1960: A Typeface Revision of “SHIRTMAKERS”

In 1960, marking the company’s 25th anniversary, the typeface used for “SHIRTMAKERS” was changed. However, the wording on the shirt labels themselves remained unchanged.

1961 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXVII, Number 27, 11 May 1961

1961 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXVII, Number 31, 17 May 1961

1962 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXVIII, N umber 24, 24 April 1962

1962 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXVIII, Number 90, 6 December 1962

1964 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1965 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1965 Philadelphia PA Inquirer 1965 Dec 00479_2.pdf

1966 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1966 Tarrytown Ny Daily News 1966 – 3394.pdf

1966 The Daily Californian 1966-05-19 Thu May. 19, 1966

1967 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1967 Troy NY Times Record 1967 – 5163.pdf

~ 1967 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1964 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1965 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1966 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1966 Rockingham NC Richmond County Journal 1966 Oct-Dec – 0484.pdf

1967 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1967 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Volume LXXXIII, Number 14, 7 April 1967

~ 1967 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1967 GANT SHIRTMAKERS ORIGINAL TAG

1968

In 1968, GANT was acquired by the American conglomerate Consolidated Foods Corporation (CFC) after Sara Lee Corporation.As a result of this transaction, management by the Gantmacher family came to an end. While some sources cite 1967 as the year of acquisition, this is likely to reflect the timing of negotiations or contractual agreements. By contrast, 1968 is more reasonably understood as the year in which the transfer of control and corporate integration were substantively completed.

At the time, Consolidated Foods was centered on its food business but was actively pursuing a diversification strategy that included expansion into the apparel sector. The acquisition of GANT was positioned within this broader strategy and represented an investment in an established brand with perceived growth potential. Following the acquisition, GANT did not immediately undergo major changes in its production structure or product composition. Its shirt-centered business model was maintained for a period, and domestic production in the United States continued. However, with the shift in corporate ownership, GANT gradually moved away from its previous framework as a manufacturer-led shirtmaker and became integrated into a broader context of brand-oriented management. The 1968 acquisition thus represents a critical turning point in GANT’s history: a transition from the postwar American shirtmaker model—rooted in in-house production and supported by organized labor—to a new phase defined by brand diversification and the prospect of international expansion.

1968 GANT VINTAGE AD

1968 　The New journal v. 1, no. 9, 3/3/1968

From 1968 advertisements onward, a registered trademark symbol appears alongside the “T” in the GANT name.　

1968年の広告からGANTのTの横にレジスターマークが入るようになります。

1969 GANT VINTAGE AD

1969 求人広告　Kingston NY Daily Freeman 1969 Grayscale – 6620.pdf

From a Sept. 5, 1971,
feature in the New Haven Register on the opening of Gant’s new factory in New Haven.
Original caption: “The final product — ready for packaging.” Register file photo.

1970 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1971 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1972 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1972 Rocky Mount NC Wesleyan Decree 1972 11 15_3.pdf

1973 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1974 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1974

GANT RUGGER: A Shirtmaker’s Survival　

1. 1974: The Full Launch of “THE RUGGER”
Up through the 1960s, GANT was widely recognized as a leading American shirtmaker, particularly associated with button-down shirts. After the company was acquired in 1968 by Consolidated Foods Corporation (CFC), management sought avenues for growth beyond dress shirts alone.

During this period, rugby-style knit shirts were gaining visibility in collegiate settings. The name “RUGGER” was adopted internally in 1973, and commercial use of the name began in 1974, when products were introduced to the market under the designation “THE RUGGER,” later commonly referred to as GANT RUGGER.

2. 1978: A Trademark Lawsuit That Determined the Brand’s Survival
Following its introduction, the use of the name “RUGGER” became the subject of legal dispute. Anvil Brand Company, which held a federal registration for the mark “RUGGERS,” brought suit against Consolidated Foods Corporation, alleging trademark infringement.

1976: Anvil asserted its claim against GANT’s use of the term “RUGGER.”
December 8, 1978: The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued its decision.

The court determined that Anvil’s trademark registration for “RUGGERS” had been abandoned through non-use and ordered its cancellation. At the same time, the court held that the term “RUGGER,” as applied to rugby-style knit shirts, was generic and therefore not subject to exclusive trademark rights by either party. As a result, while Anvil’s registration was cancelled, GANT did not obtain exclusive rights to the term “RUGGER,” but was permitted to continue using it in commerce.

3. The Palm Beach Era: A Golden Age Across America (1979–1995)
In 1979, GANT entered a new phase under the ownership of the Palm Beach Company. During this period, GANT RUGGER products were manufactured in the United States and widely distributed.
Coinciding with the broader growth of preppy and collegiate-influenced casual wear in the United States, GANT RUGGER became a familiar presence in the American market. Products from this era are characterized by the combination of shirtmaking details—particularly collar construction—and the durability expected of sportswear, and are widely collected today.

Riding the wave of the Preppy boom alongside brands such as Ralph Lauren, GANT RUGGER became a nationwide staple. Products from this era—combining a shirtmaker’s meticulous collar construction with the durability of sportswear—remain cherished today as vintage masterpieces.　

4. 2010: Revival by Christopher Bastin
From the 1990s onward, changes in ownership structure and production geography reduced the visibility of the original RUGGER line. In 2010, the line was reintroduced as a heritage-oriented collection under the direction of designer Christopher Bastin.

Drawing on archival material from earlier periods of the brand’s history, Bastin reinterpreted rugby shirts and related items with reference to American sportswear traditions, positioning GANT RUGGER once again as a historically grounded line within the contemporary brand.

1974 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1975 Rockingham NC Richmond County Journal1975 Mar-Dec – 0133.pdf

1976 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

1978 GANT SHIRTMAKERS VINTAGE AD

GANT: The Downfall of Grand Expansion (1968 – 1979)

1968: Launch of the New Factory Project Using IBM Computer Systems
Under the umbrella of the conglomerate CFC, construction began on a new factory at 40 Sargent Drive, a project that carried the future of the brand. The expansion was centered on advanced automation, including a fully automated warehouse operated by IBM computer systems.

1971: Completion of the State-of-the-Art Factory and a Critical Miscalculation
The factory was completed in 1971. However, the system—designed by engineers with limited knowledge of the textile industry—proved inefficient and ill-suited to handling fabric. From the outset, operations were marked by confusion and inefficiency on the production floor.

Mid-1970s: From a Symbol of the Future to an “Albatross”
What had been intended as a symbol of progress became a costly burden. High maintenance expenses and persistent operational problems placed increasing strain on both management and the brand’s credibility.

1979: Acquisition and Closure
The financial burden created by the failed expansion ultimately led to the company’s acquisition by Palm Beach Inc. in 1979

1979

LAST OF NEW HAVEN FACTORY

In 1979, shortly after GANT was sold to Palm Beach, Inc., the New Haven factory was abruptly closed, and approximately 500 workers were laid off at once. Many employees reportedly learned of the closure through newspaper reports before receiving any formal explanation from the company. This event brought an abrupt and irreversible end to GANT’s manufacturing presence in New Haven, which had endured since the company’s founding. With the closure of the factory in 1979, the long-standing relationship between GANT and New Haven lost its function as a site of production, bringing an entire chapter of the company’s history to a close.

NEW HAVEN, Dec. 7 . 1979 — From the corset factory where middle‐aged women come to work in their aprons to the courts of the new downtown racquetball club, there is an optimism here these days that not even a gloomy labor picture can dim.
“The 1980’s are going to be absolutely wonderful for New Haven,” declared former Mayor Richard Lee, the moving spirit of the city’s urban renewal program, the prototype for similarly huge and debated efforts in other cities.
The hopes of a renaissance were dealt a blow last week when United States Steel announced it would close its cable mill here Dec. 31, throwing 400 people out of work. The decision, which state and local officials are trying to reverse, followed the closing of the Gant shirt factory, which employed 500 people.
With 4,200 people, or 6.7 percent of New Haven’s population, now unemployed, there is also great concern about the 1,300 employees at the Olin Corporation’s Winchester firearms plant who have been on strike for five months, with little sign of progress in negotiations. Officially, Olin says it has no plans at the “present time” to leave town, and for years local and state officials have been wooing the company with numerous tax breaks, incentives and plans to modernize the old factory and keep it in New Haven. But there is still fear the company may leave.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

AFTER 80s

After the closure of the New Haven factory, GANT entered a new phase in 1979 under the ownership of The Palm Beach Company. While GANT shirts continued to be produced within the United States, manufacturing was no longer tied to New Haven and was instead handled by external factories, marking a clear departure from the company’s long-standing model of in-house factory production.

In 1985, the apparel businesses of General Mills, including The Palm Beach Company, were spun off to form Crystal Brands, Inc.. Under the Crystal Brands structure, GANT entered a period of significant strategic change. Influenced by the success of lifestyle-oriented brands such as Ralph Lauren, GANT sought to expand beyond its traditional shirt-centered identity. As part of this shift, the brand introduced the “SALTY DOG” label in the mid-1980s, targeting a younger and more casual market. Featuring nautical themes and a distinctive canine logo, SALTY DOG became a defining element of GANT’s output during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In 1995, following the bankruptcy of Crystal Brands, PVH acquired GANT’s U.S. business. Under PVH ownership, GANT continued to operate in the American market as a brand-focused enterprise without its own manufacturing facilities, while gradually repositioning itself toward a more traditional American classic image.　

In 1999, PVH sold GANT’s U.S. operations to Pyramid Sportswear, which already controlled GANT’s international licensing rights. This transaction shifted the brand’s center of gravity decisively from the United States to Europe. PVH subsequently divested its remaining minority stake in GANT in 2003, fully exiting the brand.

The Swedish management team, who inherited control from PVH, renamed the company “GANT AB” and accelerated the brand’s revitalization from its new headquarters in Stockholm. In the early 2000s, with the support of capital from investment funds, the company expanded its women’s line and pushed forward with global retail expansion, leading to its listing on the O-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange on March 28, 2006.

However, attracted by its growth potential, the Swiss retail giant Maus Frères launched a hostile takeover bid in late 2007. An agreement was eventually reached with the management, and following the completion of the acquisition in early 2008, GANT was delisted on March 20, 2008, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the group.

Today, GANT exists as a global lifestyle brand operated under a Europe-based management structure. While the name New Haven continues to be referenced within GANT’s identity, it functions not as a site of manufacturing but as a historical point of origin and a marker of the brand’s heritage.

Who invented the button-down ?

April – 2023 20 MINS READ

General history of the button-down shirt. “The button-down shirt was invented by Brooks Brothers.” 　”They were made after seeing the collars of polo players.” But the pictures I found show that before they discovered the button-down shirt (in the UK before 1896), it was already being worn by athletes in other sports. Now where is the truth?

Arrow:Iconic American Shirt

December – 2025 30 MINS READ

For more than 170 years, Arrow has helped define the standard of the American dress shirt. This article explores the brand’s rich history and the enduring essence of its timeless style. From the innovation of detachable collars to its pivotal role in shaping modern menswear, we examine the legacy Arrow has built—and why it continues to serve as a foundation of the classic wardrobe today—through the lens of both craftsmanship and philosophy. A must-read for those who value history, quality, and enduring design.