My love for men'z Express runz deeper than just some hip trendy mess that iz pushed on society to look cool and fashionable. Yeah the over all concept of clothez iz to look stylish. But when you step through the sheek Express walk way that haz young hip teenz and young adultz in head set microphonez and bright sweaterz you don't think about the many transitionz made through the mid 90'z up til now. Befor there waz Men'z Express it waz Originaly called structure. Structure waz a brand that waz created through the Limited Group in the 1980'z along side female counter part female Express. Az it rose through the rankz it became a brand that would be in compition with the likez of the Gap, Old Navy and abercrombie & fitch. Coming up around the hieght of itz popularity in 97, 98, and 99 I waz a young kid in middle school. But I remember the Impact structure had in the hood. I mean structure made everything from Sweat shirtz, sweaterz, sweater vestz, khakiz, suitz, cargo pantz, and ect. What set the brand apart from itz counterpartz waz that it offered more detail than the Gap but it waz more cleaner than Abercrombie &Fitch and american Eagle. It still offered bright logo shirtz that the walking bill board generation of the 90'z would be proud of. What waz funny about thiz waz the best dressed dude in middle school (not me, my style wazn't really acceptd at thiz time. mind u everybody goez preppy now!) Wore nothing but Gap, Old Navy and You guessed it structure. I remember he uzed to wear the itemz with older jordanz, wallabeez, timberlandz, columbia bootz, nike running shoez, puma'z and ect. But to be honest when you walked in the door of Structure you were hit with sticker shock az a youngn. Sittin there listinin to my other classmatez rumorz circulated about the dude selling nickle bagz and hiz mother boosting clothez from that store in order to keep him well dressed. But the edge behind homeboyz cool increased the schoolz love for the brand which made everybody feel they needed to have a peice of structure and Aquire it by any meanz. For me knowing that I couldn't put my life in danger for a garment I worked summer jobz for my structure peicez. So When high School(1999-2000) came I waz drapped in Structure Button Downz. Hunter greem, Navy Blue, and blue and white striped. Over the yearz of shoping in there the store beganto take a different turn. by 2003 Men'z express itemz were sold along side structure Itemz. but soon you could see the difference. Structure waz more for a hip college student. Where Men'z Express carriez itemz for the club scene. Imagine walking in a store seeing nothing but t-shirtz to seeing the store covered in nothing but fitted jeanz and pink paisley button down shirtz. for me with my style evolving it waz great. To thiz day I still wear and more so collect Express itemz (especially Sweaterz. My express Sweater Collection iz Dangerouz). But I couldn't help to think what prompted the change. soon after 2005 men'z Express took over az the new monicer. And a cleaner and fresher aesthic waz brought to the for front. Now going head to head with the likez of H&M for style supremacy. rumor haz it that Searz and Robuck bought out Structure and put the rest of their itemz in searz storez around the country. matter of fact many of Structure itemz are sold at Sear'z online store. In my eyez to see Structure reduced to being hung on searz wrackz iz kind off sad. i mean like many other brandz, it waz a joint that dudez in the hood risked their livez and freedom on to attain. which sayz a lot about style and fashion. it sayz corperate America dictatez to uz whatz cool. So itz up to the consumerz to change that.
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