For the students, the Yale Co-op was more than just the place to stock up on everything from toothbrushes to textbooks. The on-campus store was also where they went to buy clothing and as the Ivy League Look exploded, the Yale Co-op was the nexus of the new style. The store was founded in 1885 and was the second-oldest university store in the States (just beaten by the Harvard COOP). It supplied generations of students with the clothes that would become Ivy League essentials: natural-shoulder suits, regimental ties, V-necked sweaters, sport jackets, khakis, wing-tipped shoes and loafers – all the things needed to look cool on campus.
However, GANT’s line of shirts for the Yale Co-op was a sensation. The button-downs flew off the shelves and became an integral part of Ivy League Look. Soon the button-down shirt was found not just on campus but also across the country, seen as the essential garment for the stylish American man of the 1950s and 1960s. And for anyone who wanted the best, the GANT button-down was just the ticket.
