# What do you think of Gant?



## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

The history of the company is certainly trad - they started out as a shirtmaker for Brooks Brothers and J. Press.

But the company web site mispells Paul Stuart, takes credit for the button-down collar, and indicates that after the international success of the name, they've brought it back to the US with a "European" twist.

Previously, it was at Macy's and Dillard's, now it's at Nordstrom and Neiman-Marcus.

So, what does one make of it?


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## hookem12387 (Dec 29, 2009)

I've heard that they've started printing the Gant name on the locker loop, true?


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

It's under the creative direction of Michael Bastian now. His eponymous line consists of "classics" with considerable "re-imagining" and manufactured by Brunello Cucinelli. There is a goofy Christmas sweater I like.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

Not much. I have better ways to spend money.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

I used to buy Gant when it was a department store-level label. The new stuff can be quite nice, but it doesn't really speak to me, especially not at those prices.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

The new stuff seems too expensive for what it is, very llb sig/LE canvas/BB campus/J.crew/martin and osa/woolrich woolen mills/orvis classic et al.
Not that the heritage market is saturated yet.

I always keep an eye out for it when thrifting through, not for the dept store stuff but for the older stuff.
I've found a couple old Gant great bleeding madras shirts, as well as some of the old gant OCBDS (with the size, care instructions and union label stamped on the front. 
I'm a sucker for the flap pockets, third collar button and locker loop. Somewhat irnoic since as akid I avoided the loop to try and miss out on all the pranks that went along with it.


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## Merle (Aug 23, 2010)

I love Gant, I have a sweater from Gant and haven been dissapointed with it...


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

hookem12387 said:


> I've heard that they've started printing the Gant name on the locker loop, true?


Yep, or at least they did for a while - in nice big, bold letters. Like many others, I like the older Gant shirts, especially Gant Shirtmakers, but pass on contemporary Gant Rugger/Salty Dog/etc


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## Penang Lawyer (May 27, 2008)

Never liked Gant and returned the few items I ever bought from those retailers the sold them.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

A hallowed name, beautiful bds, despite an annoying button on the back of the collar. I still remember a dark yellow number that no one I've found has made since. But now it's just a bought name, like Abercrombie and Fitch, used to give a little distinction to a new company.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

Gant of old, is one of those brands of whose items last virtually forever. I love what I have, and love to find more thrifting. On the other hand, Gant of today is overpriced, but I won't fault them as much as others. They may veer from trad, but the quality has not taken quite the dive that other "sold" name brands have. It's the style that has changed most.

They do have their own stores now as well. I get invited to some events, although I don't remember signing up for their email list.


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## JakeLA (Oct 30, 2006)

The Rambler said:


> A hallowed name, beautiful bds, despite an annoying button on the back of the collar. I still remember a dark yellow number that no one I've found has made since. But now it's just a bought name, like Abercrombie and Fitch, used to give a little distinction to a new company.


Gant, much like Hilfiger, was saved by its European licensee, a Swedish sportswear firm that licensed the name in the 80s or 90s and built it into a very desirable brand overseas while the American company was cranking out crap. Then a few years ago the Swedes bought out the Americans and suddenly people are interested in Gant again. Some of the Rugger stuff is nice but I won't buy it because they put the old union-made stamp at the shirt tail even though they're made in Malaysia or wherever and I find that offensive.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

Is that even legal? (Or is it that it's the old one, that makes it not official?)


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

JakeLA said:


> Gant, much like Hilfiger, was saved by its European licensee, a Swedish sportswear firm that licensed the name in the 80s or 90s and built it into a very desirable brand overseas while the American company was cranking out crap. Then a few years ago the Swedes bought out the Americans and suddenly people are interested in Gant again. Some of the Rugger stuff is nice but I won't buy it because they put the old union-made stamp at the shirt tail even though they're made in Malaysia or wherever and I find that offensive.


Interesting, Jake. After not seeing anything with the Gant name for maybe 20 years (their "cranking out crap" phase?) I've been seeing "Gant" stuff again, and thought it had kind of a Euro look: as in the name on the locker loop.


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## Pugin (May 15, 2010)

I see a lot cotton-poly blends when I come across old Gant shirts, including some that were made for traditional shops. Hoping to find the real thing some day.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

Flanderian said:


> Not much. I have better ways to spend money.


What he said.


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## snakeroot (Aug 30, 2008)

It's not what it was, but its good for what it is. 

I've got a number of their buttondown sportshirts, which are well-made and in interesting fabriics, as well as an unconstructed linen blazer all of which are staples of my weekend and casual wardrobe. They're not trad; pure Europrep, like Façonnable.or Hackett.

The retail pricepoint is, as others have pointed out, absurd and I'd never pay it.

Regards,


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## fred johnson (Jul 22, 2009)

I used to buy a lot of Gant stuff at the old Yale CoOp and later at the Deckers outlets. I always had a problem with the shrinkage of their shirts, but generally liked the brand. I get their catalog now (for some reason) and its worst that A&F in that you can't really view what they are selling the way the models are posed and the item descriptions in tine type and colors that get lost over the photos. The newer stuff I've seen I would not buy at 1/2 the price.


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## Peachey Carnehan (Apr 18, 2009)

A bit too continental influenced for me...I prefer my clothes to be more American or British. I just think the way Europeans dress is overrated.


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## Memphis88 (Sep 10, 2008)

A guy named Bob Andrews is the Creative Director. Bastian is just doing a collaboration with Gant called Gant by Michael Bastian. It's cheaper than his own stuff, but still fairly expensive. A guy named Christopher Bastin is over the Gant Rugger line. I'm wearing a Gamt Rugger blue and white striped ocbd today, actually. Boughtit on Gilt for like $30 a while back and it's been sitting in a drawer ever since. It's not too bad except the shirt tail is intentionally uneven. I keep it tucked anyway so it's not really an issue. I wouldn't have paid full price for it, though.


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

A few months back I wandered into the Gant flagship store on 5th Ave. in NYC. At first glance it looked pretty interesting: Gant was surely making a come-back. But then I got a closer look at the stuff: Lots of it had logos of some sort, much of it was way too "neo" for my tastes, and it all seemed rather overpriced. More recently, a couple of the Bastian collaboration items looked nice to me, but I don't think I'll ever get them.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> The history of the company is certainly trad - they started out as a shirtmaker for Brooks Brothers and J. Press.
> 
> But the company web site mispells Paul Stuart, takes credit for the button-down collar, and indicates that after the international success of the name, they've brought it back to the US with a "European" twist.
> 
> ...


It's always seemed to be one of those Americana brands that are more popular in Europe than the United States. Tommy Hilfiger is another that comes to mind.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

snakeroot said:


> It's not what it was, but its good for what it is.
> 
> I've got a number of their buttondown sportshirts, which are well-made and in interesting fabriics, as well as an unconstructed linen blazer all of which are staples of my weekend and casual wardrobe. They're not trad; pure Europrep, like Façonnable.or Hackett.
> 
> ...


European pricepoints are always higher than similar quality in the U.S.


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## ajo (Oct 22, 2007)

I have over the years picked up a few pairs of decent, meaning comfortable and warm, winter weight trousers at sales. 

However what I have seen lately has left me cold, the waist is cut to sit on the hips of most of the trousers I have tried on in my size. So I passed on them.

For the most part I have found it over priced, and do believe you can get better value for money with similar RPL clothing. 

But I do have a pair of lined leather gloves which I bought by Gant in 2003 which are still more than effective at 7c in winter.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Back in the 60's...in small town America...before the internet was even a gleam in Al Gore's eye...and Brooks Brothers was a store in the biggest cities far, far away...for those of us who dressed in the Ivy style (or commonly referred to as the "frat style" among the folks I knew...Gant was _the_ definitive button down shirt. You could get it at better department stores as well as men's speciality stores. The price was higher than a store brand shirt...but not prohibitively so. I look back fondly at those Gants of old. I haven't seen the new so-called "gants"...and I'm sure there will be a market for them.

But, from what I've read here--especially the European lean on what was once a hallmark of Americana is really all I needed to hear--gives me no reason to want to investigate father.
Sounds like a brand strictly for the younger set anyway--so further reason for no interest here.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

Does no one here like free beer and sudsy men???



> GANT
> 
> To celebrate the launch of GANT by Michael Bastian and FNO, GANT is unveiling a sexy lacrosse themed window display featuring real lacrosse players taking their post-game shower LIVE in our Fifth Avenue windows! In addition Gant will be hosting a personal appearance by designer Michael Bastian from 8-9pm, where he will be signing free autographed copies of his limited-edition Style Guide, featuring tips and tricks on how to build your very best wardrobe. Limited availability - first come first serve basis! Ice cold beer will be served until 10pm.





> GANT Rugger
> 
> Gant Rugger and The IMPOSSIBLE Project are celebrating Fashion's Night Out with special in-store enter-to-win promotion hosted by Jake Davis and Chris Black where shoppers have the chance to win a limited-edition GANT Cruiser bike and vintage Polaroid camera and accessories package valued at more than $1600! Polaroid portraits of shoppers will be taken by Jake, and a curated selection of party pics will appear on jakedavis.typepad.com the following day. Stop by for an ice cold beer, shop the new fall collection, and enjoy the curated soundtrack!


Both are part of on 9/10 in New York City.


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

They're going to take "their post-game shower LIVE in [the store's] Fifth Avenue windows"? Uh, what? Huh? I'm dumfounded. Words cannot relate how tasteless an inappropriate this is. (It would be equally inappropriate, of course, if it featured women taking "LIVE" showers after a fictional field hockey match.)

Perhaps this is just the sort of thing to jump-start sales at J. Press. Or maybe the Andover Shop.


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## hookem12387 (Dec 29, 2009)

Sir Cingle said:


> They're going to take "their post-game shower LIVE in [the store's] Fifth Avenue windows"? Uh, what? Huh? I'm dumfounded. Words cannot relate how tasteless an inappropriate this is. (It would be equally inappropriate, of course, if it featured women taking "LIVE" showers after a fictional field hockey match.)
> 
> Perhaps this is just the sort of thing to jump-start sales at J. Press. Or maybe the Andover Shop.


 It's not much different than Abercrombie's nearly naked greeters in my middle school days


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## snakeroot (Aug 30, 2008)

*Thank Heaven for Little Girls*

Bear in mind that the above-mentioned Fifth Avenue store window is a block from that of American Girl Place.

Lovely.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

If Gant invented the button down collar then I'm Jerry Lewis.



The Rambler said:


> A hallowed name, beautiful bds, despite an annoying button on the back of the collar. I still remember a dark yellow number that no one I've found has made since. But now it's just a bought name, like Abercrombie and Fitch, used to give a little distinction to a new company.


That back button is pretty traditional. Some here like it. I have a madras sport shirt with that detail.



hookem12387 said:


> It's not much different than Abercrombie's nearly naked greeters in my middle school days


Apparently it's okay for them to be "dressed" like that but not their customers:


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Taken Aback said:


> Does no one here like free beer and sudsy men???


When I walked through the A&F store on Fifth Avenue, I thought it was gayer than Clay Aiken hosting a John Waters film festival dressed as Carmen Miranda.

This may top it.

And Jovan, if Gant invented the button-down collar then I'm Jerry _Lee_ Lewis.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Brooks Brothers did it half a century before Gant even _opened for business_. Who are they trying to fool?


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## hookem12387 (Dec 29, 2009)

Jovan said:


> Apparently it's okay for them to be "dressed" like that but not their customers:


Figures. I remember when I first found out how great abercrombie and fitch once was...I was simply blown away. Somewhere I have a very cool flask of there's from some time ago, which was apparently my father's in college


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## twon12 (Aug 30, 2010)

I have some Gant Rugger shirts the pulled from the archieves. The shirts are nice and well constructed. Not on the level of Steven Alan.


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