GANT was founded in 1949 by Bernard Gantmacher, a Ukrainian-born shirt maker in New Haven, Connecticut who worked as a sub-contractor for labels such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press. By the 1960s, GANT was one of the world's largest shirt makers, establishing its close association with Ivy League prep. In addition to its main line, GANT has a younger, more casual line, GANT Rugger, as well as a popular on-going collaboration with CFDA award-winner Michael Bastian.