New Haven Revisited

Despite its Scandinavian influence and recent Swiss buyout, I'm glad to see that Gant still holds strong to its New Haven roots.  After all, it was there that Bernard Gant established the Gant shirt company in 1948, and where it reopened in 2010.


Prized by male Yalies in the 1960s, the shirts were an instant success with their tailored details and locker loop - the loop on the back of the shirt invented by the company.  Although designed to hang in a gym locker, my mom remembers a more common practice of girls pulling the loop off of an unsuspecting perspective suitor.

This pre-fall '11 Gant Rugger video called "The New Haven Math Club" tips a hat to New Haven and incorporates some humor to boot.  Modeled after a retro educational video, its a little corny, especially the way the guy says "but-tons," but I was entertained nonetheless... and I liked the closing line - "if you dress smart, your mind will surely follow."