Tagged: preppy

GANT S/S ’13

If you’re looking for a masterclass on how to win over a whiny blogger, look no further than Gant. A while ago, after frustration got the better of me, I tweeted about an employee refusing to give me a refund for a pair of socks that had gone into holes after I’d worn them twice. Since then, they’ve sent me two replacement pairs (both of which have stayed intact!) and spontaneously invited me down to a bloggers’ breakfast to check out the new collection. WELL, I figured it would be positively rude not to…

gant rugger menswear formal

You might imagine that for a brand like Gant, things are very much ‘business as usual’ and, to an extent, you’d be right. However, while it remains clear that they aren’t planning to fix something that’s not broken, their latest collection is full of little touches that really demonstrate the brand’s commitment to stay fresh. I spoke with a member of the brand’s marketing department, who told me that social media and blogger outreach are starting to play a much bigger part in the brand’s strategy. While those of us who spend most of our lives online don’t find that too surprising, it’s worth observing that this already puts Gant ahead of a lot of their competition. It’s also worth pointing out that word of mouth has always been a big part of Gant’s business, and this is still true today…except now it’s probably more likely to be in the form of a tweet than a conversation on campus.

Gant Oxford shirt Madras detailing

With brands like Shore Leave and Farah, two high street contenders that both (to my mind) recall the preppy style of Gant and Ralph Lauren, on the scene it’s clear that Gant don’t intend to rest on their laurels. Take, for example, this unstructured dip dyed blazer…

Gant Michael Bastian dip dye blazer

…from the brand’s collaboration with Michael Bastian (a partnership now in its third year), also Head Designer at Gant Rugger. Speaking of Gant Rugger, I’ve fallen pretty much head over heels for this varsity jacket from their latest offering, which has sheepskin on the sleeves instead of the usual leather -

Gant Rugger sheepskin varsity jacket

For once, I think I’ll let the pictures do the talking -

Gant Harrington check jacket

Gant S/S 2013 dress

Gant button detail

Gant Rugger shirts

The fact that Gant invited a group of bloggers to their flagship London store says as much about the brand as the fact that this year’s S/S collection draws from coastal cultures all over the world, as opposed to the brand’s humble New Haven beginnings. It’s clear that they have big ambitions (evident from the fact that they now have stores in over 60 countries), far beyond just being ‘that one preppy brand’.

Now, if you need me, I’ll be in heaven (read: by that shirt display).

Spotlight on: GANT

Everyone has that brand. You know the one I mean – the one that makes you want to buy everything in the whole store despite the fact it’s out of your price range. The one you can never find in TK Maxx. The one that leaves you counting down the days until they have a sale. The one that, when you open your bank statement, has you cutting up your credit card and sobbing gently while the theme song from Requiem for a Dream plays in the background. For me, Gant is that brand.

Subtle floral detailing

To say that my fashion sense is eclectic is something of an understatement (my wardrobe contains everything from bandanas and Black Dahlia Murder t-shirts to deck shoes and ripped skinny jeans), but preppy brands like Ralph Lauren, Gant and Abercrombie & Fitch have had a constant presence for longer than I can remember.

The fashion world is ridden with simulations and simulacra – Ralph Lauren stoically continues to present images of polo, country clubs and the upper classes despite gathering near exponential popularity with young African Americans looking to emulate their hip hop mogul idols. Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch seem to have all but ditched the idea of being a brand for frat boys and surfers and have been subsumed by their own branding. Is it just me or are those moose and seagull logos getting bigger by the minute…?

So what of Gant? Despite being started by a Ukranian immigrant and launched internationally by a Swedish company, Gant retains a distinct sense of American-ness. No doubt, this is something they work hard to cultivate – one need only look at the interior of their flagship stores to realise this.

So, here’s the kicker. I don’t consider myself a big blogger. I don’t even consider myself an established blogger. So imagine my surprise when Halpern PR contacted me on behalf of Gant, already aware that I’ve previously written about them.

Thanks, Gant!

As well as sending me a present (which I love, obviously…now looking for an excuse to wear a tie), they told me about the Yale Shirt Initiative. If you went down to the store last weekend (RETROSPECTIVE BLOGGING KLAXON), you could have your initials monogrammed on a shirt in different fonts, colours and places. All for free. Which is nice. And it was all done right in the shop window -

I was already hugely impressed by this move – the fact that a mega brand like Gant approached someone like me says a lot about how they do things. When I ambled down to the store unannounced, I was even more impressed – the staff told me all about the Yale Shirt Initiative, despite the fact that I (probably) looked like a bit of a ragamuffin, and they even laughed at my terrible jokes. Which, as anyone who’s met me before knows, is the key to my heart.

In the early days, Gant targeted the most prestigious stores they could find. If the store didn’t accept them, they waited until they were reconsidered (this usually only took as long as it did for word of their high quality products to spread). Although it would be easy to equate this with elitism, it’s clear that this simply isn’t the case – one thing that has remained constant from then until now is the brand’s uncompromising vision. They’re aspirational, value perfectionism and clearly want to be the best. As far as I can see, that’s why they are.