Founded in 1949 by a hard-working Ukrainian immigrant named Bernard Gantmacher, GANT built its sterling reputation by revolutionizing the men's dress shirt. Double pleats, locker loops, and other functional features helped the company distinguish its products from those of competing clothing brands and become one of the nation's leading shirt makers. In the 1960s and 1970s GANT popularized casual American sportswear with the Rugger — a striped cotton rugby shirt featuring unbreakable, tackle-proof rubber buttons — as well as trendy madras shirts and stylish chinos. Today GANT is known for its Ivy League-inspired wardrobe essentials — think checkered oxford shirts, snappy blazers, and cozy-but-cool pullover sweaters for men, and slightly mod fitted jackets, elegant pencil skirts, and striped dresses for women. In 2009, GANT teamed up with preppy-eclectic New York designer Michael Bastian to create Gant by Michael Bastian: a European-influenced collection of classic clothes, watches, sunglasses, and other accessories inspired by lacrosse, cross-country skiing, and baseball. Other GANT lines include GANT Rugger (denim and sportswear), Kids, Footwear, and Eyewear.