Best Men's Clothing '97

Best Men's Clothing

Structure
Tucson Mall

READERS' PICK: Structure is the kind of store at which girls love for their guys to shop. Be wary, guys--the risk of losing those dapper ensembles and lounge-about favorites is directly proportional to how great you look in them. Sure, your hipness exponentially increases once you walk through those faux Greek columns of this sleek, Spartan outfitter. Pay no mind to that Dave Matthews tune bouncing between mirrors and dressing rooms; the real reason you (and your wily loved one) adore Structure is its minimalistic variety. Forget untoward fashion trends which compromise comfort and style and brand you the poster child of some best-forgotten decade. Here you'll find classic styles in all-terrain colors. This is the post-modern cornerstone of fine, masculine apparel, even for the aesthetically challenged.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Dillard's, Three Locations

A REAL SCREAM: Target is the place for low-maintenance shoppers. Whatever you pick up, you can rest assured these are clothes you were meant to wear: cotton, comfy, casual and color-coordinated. Best of all, you'll find jeans and T-shirts at prices you'd actually expect to pay for jeans and T-shirts. Pick up a year's worth of socks here for less than $30. Target covers all the basics in style: groovy shoes, short-sleeved polos, shorts, slacks, flannels and dress shirts, all gloriously generic. And they even go the extra mile with a full rack of silk boxers, for those times when you wanna feel pretty.

A REAL SCREAM: Located in the southwest quadrant of the historic Hotel Congress, J. Kareiva Menzwear, 309 E. Congress St., advertises "fun, forward fashion." Post-modern couture is one way to describe the J. Kareiva look: clothes constructed with classical lines and designs; traditional, yet redefined by contemporary colors and modern shapes. The fashions found here are all on labels known for quality and style, like Ike and Dean, prak-ti-kal, and Per Lui Per Lei. From tank tops and denim to Italian silk and linen, J. Kareiva's clothes constitute style merged gracefully with art. Jeff Brown, the omnipresent co-owner, is charming and energetic and a large part of why the store has such a large and loyal clientele.

1998 Winner: J. Kareiva's
1996 Winner: Structure
1995 Winner: Dillard's