After having tested, presented and given my opinion on GANT Originals ), as well as the latest one, more formal and very functional: Diamond G.
Note: I happily took photos from the GANT site, which is rich in content.
A little historical reminder of the GANT brand
At the very beginning, a simple clothing workshop
On November 12, 1907, Berl (Bernard) Gantmacher, a young Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, arrived in New York.
He also Americanized his name "Berl", which became "Bernard".
Miller's son, it's only natural that he starts a clothing brand, he decided to train and took evening courses in pharmacy at Columbia University. He financed his studies by working in sewing workshops on the Lower East Side.
In these workshops, he met Rebecca Rose, a young woman who would become his wife.
The First World War then begins, but young Bernard returns safely, after having fought in France. He then married Rebecca and founded his own tailoring workshop in Brooklyn with his partner Morris Shapiro: the Par-Ex Shirt Company.
This modest company is a simple workshop, making quality shirts for brands like Brooks Brothers.
Success came and, growing, the Par-Ex Shirt Company moved to New Haven (in the neighboring state of Connecticut), a city rich in textile know-how and labor arriving from Europe.
New Haven and appearance of the GANT brand
Important detail: New Haven is also the city of Yale University, a prestigious Ivy League institution that has trained American elites for generations.
Yale University.
This proximity to Yale allowed Bernard Gantmacher and his sons to be in contact with the latest fashions, which were then born more within the ruling classes than in subcultures (as is more the case today).
In 1949, the workshop became a brand: GANT. They specialize in button-down shirts , widely worn by Yale elites (because they are sold directly at the school store), and will therefore be an integral part of the preppy Ivy League style .
The very recognizable Ivy League style with its oxford shirts.
The 1960s saw the birth of the middle class in the USA. With them, sportswear emerges to dress during holidays and free time. GANT then arrives in the middle class , while continuing to supply the elites.
In 1960, GANT temporarily became the second largest shirt manufacturer in the world. To this will be added a complete locker room from 1971.
Another notable element of this era was the "Oxford Color Explosion", a stylistic shift from the Ivy League introducing many more colors and patterns in shirts, in line with the aspirations of the time (in parallel with the movement hippie).
GANT particularly catalyzed this color fashion by producing numerous variations of the initial oxford shirt.
Colors that explode from all sides.
The contemporary era, between USA and Scandinavia
In 1967, the Gantmacher family sold the company, which then changed hands several times : The Palm Beach Company (1979), then the manufacturer Crystal Brands which went bankrupt and sold GANT to the American group Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH). Founded in 1881, the latter today owns Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Arrow and numerous licenses (1995).
But the important date in all this - almost insignificant at the time - is 1980, the date on which the Swedish group Pyramid Sportswear received authorization to manufacture and distribute GANT products in Europe.
The success of Pyramid Sportswear was enormous, so much so that they popularized GANT throughout Europe, before buying GANT in 1999 , renaming themselves GANT Pyramid AB, and temporarily listing on the stock exchange.
Three decades which will stabilize GANT and give it a new identity , because for 28 years, the GANT brand will experience great success in Europe (especially in the North, a little less in France), while being almost absent from the American market.
This unique story will result in a true mix between Americana style and Scandinavian design , a DNA that can be found in GANT clothing today. I find that this is particularly evident in the functional and refined side of the new Diamond G line ).
The fusion between American and Swedish influences is hyper visible on these few GANT Rugger looks . On the one hand, an Ivy League style with its patterns, its Oxford shirts and its diverted military influences. On the other, very defined silhouettes, with clear shoulders and fitted cuts. If we had mixed Acne and Ralph Lauren Label, it wouldn't have resulted in anything else.
A mix that is also found in the appearance of the stores.
Maus Frères finally bought GANT in 2008 . This is the same Swiss group that owns Lacoste and Aigle , which we have already talked about. The ambition will therefore be to reconquer the USA. And it was only in 2010 that GANT returned to New Haven, with a new store.
As the brand is relatively little known to Americans, some people still think that it is a European brand. The head office, however, remained in Sweden, where it still is.
The brand's recent stylistic developments, notably with the launch of GANT Rugger, and the recruitment of American designers (although working in Scandinavia): Christopher Bastin, Artistic Director from 2012 to 2015, and before him Bob Andrews.
It is notably under the leadership of Christopher Bastin that the brand has strengthened its style.
Note that GANT Rugger also did a collaboration with the American designer Michael Bastian , who is very keen on preppy (very comprehensive article in English on Michael Bastian and his own brand ).
At the origins of the brand: the GANT shirt
The button-down shirt was originally the invention of another well-known and historic brand of preppy style: Brooks Brothers. But GANT (which at the time was called "GANT Shirtmakers") perfected it and became identified with this type of shirts.
Gantmacher was also known for his obsession with searching for the “perfect button-down collar”: where to place the button? What size button? What rounding for the collar?
He thus developed several innovations, common today, on his shirts:
- the box pleat : a clip that bends the shirt while ensuring comfort for the wearer,
- the locker loop : a hanging tab in the back of the shirt to hang it on locker room hooks (and which students cut when they entered into a lasting relationship with a girl),
- the neck button : a button behind the collar which prevents it from riding up,
- and the button tab : a fastener that allows you to hold the collar even tighter.
The GANT company in 2015
The GANT company is today a tandem of two brands targeting very different customers, to which a third was added in 2015: Diamond G.
It is in this context that GANT has just launched a major global campaign, centered around young emblematic leaders from the Ivy League, and of which here is the video:
Small interesting detail: the video was shot with period GANT clothing, and we see the student store on the Yale campus appear.
We now have three brands, with similar quality/price ratios, but very distinct offers.
GANT Originals
The original brand, very preppy (both in terms of the Ivy League aspect and the military-inspired pieces). Neighboring brands: Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Barbour .
GLOVE Rugger
More creative, more fitted, and aimed at a younger audience (who may even be put off by the very marked Ivy League style of GANT Originals). Here, we have more of a sort of preppy reinterpreted with designer codes. Neighboring brands: FrenchTrotters, Paul & Joe, Carhartt WIP.
GLOVE Diamond G
This is a classic line, designed for mobile, cosmopolitan customers with varied schedules. It's also a brand with more formal pieces. Neighboring brands from a design point of view: Acne, J-Crew, Sandro, De Fursac.
The new GANT brand: Diamond G
In spirit: a return to the origins of GANT
This third line only includes for its first season the "Perfect Oxford Shirt", available in oxford and pin point fabrics.
She will have a complete wardrobe from next season, meeting the expectations of a very specific clientele: more mature, more elegant.
Why “Diamond G”? In reference to the diamond stamp with a G in the center, which was affixed to clothing made by the New Haven workshop for other brands.
This acronym was a guarantee of quality for customers of other brands who produced at Gantmacher, then a simple manufacturer. The Americans thus looked for the presence of the stamp
The famous acronym “Diamond G”.
In practice: a line for very active city dwellers
The Diamond G line is aimed at new generations of active people aged between 30 and 50. Men who travel a lot frequently move from one environment to another within the same day (from the office to a dinner with friends, for example).
We understand this very well when we look closely at the Diamond G line:
- simple colors and few patterns, very easy to match when there is not much clean left in the suitcase;
- versatile designs , which can be worn in casual or more formal looks, depending on the time of day, desk-to-dinner;
- no particular technicality, but choices of comfortable and breathable materials;
- clothes that can be easily stacked to follow the temperature, and to combine them with each other;
- clothes that can easily fold or come out of a suitcase slightly wrinkled (typically the advantage of Oxford and pinpoint).
Test of the GANT Originals polo shirt (between €85 and €100)
During my visit to the Parisian store on Boulevard des Capucines, I admit I searched quite a bit before finding pieces that really excited me.
Overall, we stick with GANT clothing with a very simple design , you will not find a real designer touch in the GANT Originals line (there is the GANT Rugger line for that). For a reader with very discerning tastes, this can even be a little boring.
Finally, I settled on this polo shirt, a piece that I never wear. But since I had to choose something, I said to myself “I might as well try something new”.
Ultimately, what appealed to me when shopping were the patterns woven into the cotton pique.
The opportunity to talk about polo cuts at GANT. There are several, and they fit large (I wear S here compared to M usually). But it's ultimately well cut, and the polo shirt fits correctly.
This is what the designs look like on the back of the cotton pique. I also really like the color which is deep and which stayed well in the wash.
The collar is of good quality, it has not sagging over time. The clean embroidery is also a good indication of the quality of the polo shirt, but the buttons are not mother-of-pearl.
The cleanliness strip is well made and regular.
Just like the buttonholes.
Another detail that I really like: fitted sleeves (nothing worse than "parachute" armholes). They finish with an elastic rib, a detail that I also appreciate.
Having worn it a lot, I really got attached to this polo shirt. Looking back, this is the piece that reconciled me with polo shirts.
In terms of quality, the assembly is neat (no bleeding threads, buttons well fixed, tight and regular sewing stitches). It's not a crazy setup either, but for around €90, given the resistance of the part, I think it's completely correct .
To this, I add that the material creases little and that it is pleasant to wear in summer.
GANT Originals chino test (€119 to €175)
I also chose these khaki chinos, in slightly faded cotton. It was precisely the wash on khaki that attracted me, and the material inspired me with confidence.
We are also sure of the adjustment. Being quite strong in the thighs, I remain comfortable in these pants. Cut-wise, I'm satisfied. I took my usual size.
The material is rather thick, and in addition to being washed a little to give it a very slightly worn appearance, I think it was scratched a little bit because it feels velvety to the touch.
In terms of finishes, it is also very correct. The buttons are made of corozo (a variety of nuts) and well fixed. The piped pockets are clean (especially since not all brands would have included them), and the embroidery and loops are well executed.
Inside, it's well put together but basic .
Lovers of high-end pants, you will not find all the details that are dear to you (taped seams, open seams, etc.) but the assembly remains clean and robust.
And once again, these are pants that I have worn and washed a lot: we are therefore faced with a good outfit.
It is sold for around €150 depending on the particular materials or the simple gabardines: it is among the top of the market, neither more nor less.
Test of the GANT Originals whashed oxford shirt (€99 to €140)
My favorite piece for the end: a faded chambray shirt, with light embroidery.
Once again, the cuts are very well worked (and particularly suitable for me). Even if it fits large: I took S even though I usually wear M. Rest of the outfit: Maharishi chinos and Lanvin sneakers.
On the collar, we find the button down. The collar holds up very well over time. You will notice well-defined shoulders, the cut is clean. The only downside is the plastic buttons again.
On the assembly side, the seams are neat and clean, it does not bleed. The buttonholes are also well executed.
The shirt looks very faded but that’s intentional; this is, of course, more in tune with summer. The chest pocket is well proportioned and well made.
A little zoom on the very fine embroidery which gives all the charm to this shirt. The fabric has a fairly dry feel, there is a slightly adventurous spirit. However, it remains pleasant to wear, and it is particularly breathable in summer.
Given the numerous treatments on the material and the good manufacturing, I find that it is at the right price (around €120): it is well positioned .
My opinion on GANT Originals clothing
Looking back over the years (whether as a consumer or as a "brand"), I realize that while the many details added to the manufacturing of a piece tend to reassure its quality, they are just clues among others.
I have recently had to deal with several garments from young designers (sweatshirts and shirts) which have really shrunk a lot in the wash, due to not having applied an industrial wash before assembling the pieces (due to lack of information or a desire to lower costs). ), while they started with beautiful material from Toki and a more “noble” assembly than that of GANT.
When purchasing, I would have gone straight for these designer clothes rather than GANT pieces with identical designs, but with more basic tailoring.
And yet, this polo shirt and these pants have moved very little in the same conditions (= small local laundromat which often screws up things for me, don't take an example from me and my maintenance in the worst conditions).
This does not mean that we should prefer one type of brand to another , but with old houses like GANT, I have the feeling that we are dealing with a sort of “quality control”. The assemblies are certainly less interesting visually when purchasing, but you know with good certainty what you are buying, without any major risk behind it . Even if the quality/price ratio is average for the market, nothing more.
GANT is therefore a conclusive discovery for me. I would describe the brand as sturdy and reliable, with good cuts . Although I would love it even more if it indulged more in the design, patterns and textured materials.
Acknowledgments: I would like to sincerely thank Antoine Blanc (Marketing Director France) for his sympathy, his good humor, and for talking to me at length about the brand. As well as to Karine Vincent (DG France) and Grégory Blanchadell ( Sales Director France ) for their confidence in the elements I asked of them, their kindness and their great transparency, never stingy with details.
