STORE WARS: GAP vs. Express
Starting March 15th and running through April 4th, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2011. For a full introduction see this post. To see the updated bracket, click on the image to the right. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown.
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Strengths: The main destination for basics and slightly above. Incredible blazers for the money. Their pima polos are a great athletic fit polo for a reasonable price. Merino wool sweaters aren’t half bad. Tons of sales. Well lit, decent looking stores. Clearance racks can be a nice place to find a steal. Free shipping on online orders more than $50, with free returns to brick and mortar stores. Can combine across BR/Old Navy/GAP platforms for that discount too.
Weaknesses: The waistband on their jeans tend to stretch. They’re a major mass retailer, so their stuff can run a little big. They’re always on sale, so you wonder if you’re really getting a good deal.
Strengths: The much debated 1MX which goes with just about everything, but self destructs over too short a period of time. Their signature polos, which don’t self destruct over time but curl at the collar for some. Decent enough suits. Their in the mail coupon cards and online coupon codes.
Weaknesses: Loud, over-logoed, and leans too young and trendy. Walking into one of their stores can make you feel seriously old, even if you’re not old. Their main clientele seem to really enjoy taking pictures of themselves wearing Express clothes, making odd faces, and then post it to the Express Facebook page. Probably best not to be associated with those types.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below.
UPDATE: Sorry “Structure”… I mean Express. You’re out. Gap moves ahead.
Store Wars: GAP vs. Express
- GAP (74%, 307 Votes)
- Express (26%, 108 Votes)
Total Voters: 413
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This one is a really good matchup, IMO, but my vote goes to Gap. I bought all my jeans from Gap for years before switching to Levi’s. Express is a tad too trendy for me.
Would have voted for Express a couple of years back, but the weaknesses say it all
Honestly, Express probably has the upper hand in the style category, but their marketing and image doesn’t work for me. I’ll go with the Gap, just because I hate hate hate going into Express.
Express. I’ve got some clothes from there whereas the rapid deterioration of everything I’ve ever bought from the Gap has definitely turned me off.
And their strengths are also weaknesses. GAP is just solid products at an affordable price point. Express has some nice deals occasionally, but I definitely prefer GAP.
My vote goes to Gap. While I am a VERY big fan of the signature polo, and the new “extra-fitted” 1MX (next in the dress shirt palooza, Joe!), I find it difficult to shop at express for an entire outfit. It’s great for some reasonably priced “filler” pieces, but my favorite/most-complimented items are always from less flamboyant sources. Give me GAP/BR’s style and Express’s fit, and I would be in heaven.
I feel that Express hands down beats Gap in style points. And yes I do hate the overly flashy large logo shirts at Express. But their selection of fitted button down shirts, and the signature polo hand down beat anything Gap has to offer. The prima polo at Gap has potential, but the chest pocket kills it for me.
Gap but not as clear cut as it would have been a few years ago. Not impressed with them as late, and their quality on some items is questionable. Express dress shirts fit great but agreed don’t seem to last. But ultimately their gimmick just too damn annoying and silly
Gap for me. Of all of their brands (including Old Navy and BR), they hit the sweet spot between quality and price. Their 1969 jeans have become my go-to jean. They can tend towards bland, I admit, but I’m sure they have something nice on the (great) website. Combined with frequent jeans and a healthy clearance section and I’m sold.
Express tends too small and too loud. I’m too tall and husky for their stuff now and most of it, I’m not really wanting, anyways. I would like to start getting a few 1MX shirts after I lose the chub.
“A couple years back” was my exact thought also. Another vote for GAP.
My vote goes for Gap. Pricing wise, they are not that far off from each other, but in general, the sales at Gap are better than Express.
Express definitely is geared towards a certain body type, specifically the slimmer types. If you don’t fall into that realm, good luck finding clothes that fit, in particular their jeans. On the flip side, Gap seems to be more forgiving for varying body types, and I usually have better luck at Gap vs Express.
Wow this is the 1st truly competitive match up that’s come up. Its like having Kentucky vs Duke in the 1st round. Really tough call here, Express has great coats that are slim fit, but the lack of tall sizes really is a deal breaker for us taller/larger guys. If you could Mr. Potato-head (take the best features of each and combine them) both these stores you’d have one helluva mid-market retailer.
“Give me GAP/BR’s style and Express’s fit, and I would be in heaven.”
A-M-E-N.
5-10 years ago Express….They actually sold some quality ties that were made in the USA and lasted, not the cheap tacky prints you see on their garbage bag material ties now. I have bought a couple of beater suits from there for events where suits are required, but drinks usually end up flying (literally) and both have have lost all their shape after a few cleanings.
Gap is my go to location for boxers, and their new stretch cotton tee’s are great, not to mention cheaper than the same ones from Express. Their limited edition 1969 selvedge denim in the straight fit is a better jean than any of my more expensive 7 for All Mankind models. Personally I think Gap kills this one; JCrew and Land End Canvas are still my two favorite casual go to spots but Gap is getting much better than where they were even a year ago.
I thought 10 years ago Express was just for women?? o_O anyways my vote is for gap. Which surprises me that its winning by a such a large margin. Mostly everyone praises Express on this site. I really like their shirts and ties. But that’s not saying much since their ties are never on sale and too pricey. But gap on the other hand is just jeans. Their style is a little too casual to regularly shop their. But I would rather pick up a blazer there than those wacky looking ones with epaulets at Express. Store wise I would rather go to Express since the girls are usually hotter there.
Express was “Structure” 12 years ago and started slowly becoming Express. They were putting Express labels on their clothes in the Structure stores before conversion of the brand and storefronts.
I don’t like their ties anymore at all, bar one or two prints a season, and even then you will get lucky if the silk is not paper thin and prone to heavy creasing. Not to mention the fact the ties are often so narrow most of the time you look like an affected hipster that merged with a Jersey Shore hanger on.
Their shirts are a hit or miss….The M is the fitted fits my body very well but the fact that you can’t get a neck sizing sucks, because the M is 15-15.5, I am a 16-16.5 and that extra inch makes a massive difference. I still use the shirts to layer under sweaters when not wearing a tie, but I am about to go MTM for suit shirts b/c even places like Brooks Bros extra slim fit needs alterations for me, and at that point it costs as much as a custom shirt.
My biggest beef with Express (bar the garish logos and affected military details) is the over use of black and under use of navy….everything is black with them, navy (and gray) is the best staple color in a wardrobe, period. Due to Express you have a ton of idiots in awful black suits, that have shockingly bad matchy-matchy loud shirt and tie combos who think they are the next Dan Trepanier.
Express was “Structure” 12 years ago and started becoming Express, they were putting Express labels on their clothes in the Structure stores before conversion of the brand and storefronts.
I don’t like their ties anymore at all, bar one or two prints a season, and even then you will get lucky if the silk is not paper thin and prone to heavy creasing. Not to mention the fact the ties are often so narrow and tacky most of the time you look like an affected hipster that merged with a Jersey Shore hanger on.
Their shirts are a hit or miss….The M is the fitted fits my body very well but the fact that you can’t get a neck sizing sucks, because the M is