Be Bold

Even though James has a point when it comes to Akira, I cannot fully agree with him, I still love the store and all they have to offer.  Every time I walk into the store I am inspired to create an outfit that accomplishes my goals.  The colors and cuts of their clothes are very up to date and are always reasonably priced, not only do you get what you paid for, you get so much more.  When I saw this skirt I was instantly reminded of the 2013 Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer Fashion Show.  The only difference is the pricing, since most of us don't want to (aka can't) spend that much on a simple skirt Akira is a great alternate.  Pairing the skirt with bright colors helped to keep the outfit fun and casual, while adding an attitude.  Mothers and teachers don't like attitude, fashionistas on the other hand love it.  The attitude I'm talking about was provided by the pumps from Agaci, not only were the pumps full of rockstar attitude, they were also comfortable enough for a pregnant housewife to prance around in.  Comfort plus confidence is lethal my friends, with this combination we'll have men eating out of the palm of our hands, and this cropped shirt gets the job done.  By showing a little bit of midsection, and pairing it with the skirt with a belt we gave the illusion of a small waist to keep the boys gawking.  Remember this, belts will always compliment your waist, and our waists love compliments.  

-Skirt $34.90 Akira -Shirt $24.90 Akira 

-Belt $16.90 Akira -Shoes $24.99 Agaci

-Sunglasses Tory Burch (don't ask just find any old replication to avoid the steep price)

Something important to remember out there guys, dont...I repeat DO NOT always wear jeans.  Chances are you are not a carpenter, nor are you a spokesperson for Wrangler Jeans, thus you need to mix up the attire below the waist every once in a while.  This week we decided to show you how to wear a casual pair of dress pants, and make it appropriate for a lunch date or a night at your favorite city hotspot.  The neutral grey color is complimented with the dark red plaid design, this design and color scheme begs for attention and attention is what you'll get.  Lets face it, looking like you just jumped off the set of Mad Men, but still kept your 2012 sense of fashion is sexy.  We like sexy, and so should you. The top half plays down the whole outfit and still keeps it weather appropriate.  The edgy shirt tells the world to f*ck off, while your pants tell it you went to college.  The cardigan keeps you warm and adds a feel of sophistication to the ensemble.  Overall the outfit speaks volumes, it tells people you have a high enough fashion IQ to stray away from the all encompassing world of jean and have the understanding to pull it off. Now go out there, buy a pair of  nice khakis and conquer something.

-Shirt $19.99 YM Trend -Cardigan $29.99 Kenneth Cole Reaction

-Pants $87.00 Calvin Klein -Shoes $80.00 Aldo

Akira Fashion from a Guy's View

So, this past Sunday we decided to attend the Akira Fashion Show in Chicago.  To be honest I was looking forward to the event since Akira is a store Jane frequents, and the outfits that come off her frequent visits are actually nice.  The event itself was what I expected.  It was young, cool, urban, and unique...it made you want to be there.  The venue was well organized and had a good mix of styles.  The show itself was held in a parking garage with club aura music and great lighting, it was very unique.

Alright, enough of the BS, lets get down to what matters at a fashion show...the fashion.  The outfits were stupid, to be blunt about it. The collection seemed to consist of nothing but flood pants for the gentlemen and moronic boots for the ladies.  Rather than looking fashionable and cool walking down the runway the female models looked as if they might stumble their way across walking in Third Reich boots two sizes too big.  

It seems that the stylists at Akira are trying too hard to make it look like they are cool, they are trying too hard to be different.  The "hipster" look is in full swing, and Akira got the memo a little too late.  A brand like Akira is expected to stay ahead of the curve, instead they seem to be riding the coat tails of a trend that may have already had its time to shine.

Those were some of the pictures from the show itself, so you be the judge.  To me, a normal guy, these outfits look like costumes from the scene of a Johnny Depp movie, not something that I would wear out in reality.  If Akira wants to stay where it is, for the long term, it needs to get a better grasp and implementation on real fashion...rather than riding the waves of trends.

Pictures from the Akira Fall Fashion Show

Your Next Mani

Now that fall is here it's time for deep purples, dark reds, and the various Shades of Grey. I wanted to address this topic because I recently saw a status on Facebook, which had many girls confused on what colors are acceptable now that the weather is changing. Of course we're all confused because we want to keep the bright pinks and soft tiffany blues, but it's time to face it ladies. Fall is HERE!! Taken straight from the runway, InStyle magazine listed a few shades for your next mani. A few of my favorites by OPI have been from their Germany Collection. Shades like Nein! Nein! Nein! Okay Fine! and Berlin There Done That are two of my favorites for fall. And for all of you Metallic fans try Soiree by MAC Cosmetics.

Nein! Nein! Nein! Okay Fine! --- Soiree --- Berlin There, Done That

It's Fall

        

        -Jacket $69.99 H&M

          

          -Scarf $9.99 H&M

         -Shirt $69.99 Levi's

         -Jeans $49.99 Levi's

         -Shoes $79.99 Aldo

             Total: $279.95

It's getting a little cold out there...which is perfect for us.  When the weather starts changing and the temperature starts dropping all we can think of is all the new outfits we can put together.  This year denim has come into play, are we bringing it back?  The answer is no it's been back for a while, we're just keeping it around.  For men we have this casual yet classy look of a brown sport coat over a light blue denim button down.  We put the scarf in to make the outfit even more casual and to give it a little spice, but you can go without the scarf and have the outfit still work wonders.  When it comes to the lower attire a nice dark pair of jeans with some brown boots really do the trick.  That's a hell of a deal.  The best part is you can wear all these pieces in different outfits, thus giving you an even bigger bang for your hard earned buck.  This is a great outfit to wear to your favorite restaurant for dinner, to your girlfriends parents house, or just to go for a walk around town.  It's comfortable, it's classy, and it's relatively easy and cost effective to put together.  

 Girls love summer, it's just a simple fact and it has been programmed into our genetic make up.  We love tanning, showing off our "curves", and wearing beautiful colors.  Well I got news for you ladies, summers over...but the fun doesn't have to stop.  Although I'm not telling you to get wild and wear white shoes, I am telling you its okay to wear some color and show a little bit of skin, it is only September.  With this outfit we stick with the jean theme, the jean button down, a classic piece.  Roll up the sleeves, just to add a casual look and un botton the first few buttons, show a little bit of cleavage...you'll feel better about yourself I promise.  The large necklace is the perfect compliment to both the simplicity of the shirt and the color scheme of our gorgeous pants.  The beautiful floral pattern will bring back some of your summer spunk, but with the correct pairing still keep you looking good with the weather cooling.  The shoes five inch brown heel boots that will add length to your legs, and make your backside look great in pants like this.  Tying the bottom of the shirt into a bow adds a playful feel to the outfit and helps to make your womanly figure more flattering.  Keep it simple, simple is sexy.

-Pants $98.00 BCBGeneration

-Shirt $46.80 Kensie

-Accessories $6.80 Forever XXI

-Shoes $34.80 Forever XXI  

Total: $186.40 

Beginning

Everyone has thought to themselves "I wonder where they got that shirt?".  Now you don't have to wonder anymore, because we're going to help you out.  Lets face it, New York Fashion Week is awesome but to be honest we don't have the time or money, or the celebrity status to go out and see what all the new fashion looks are. Therefore, Jane and James will help bring the fashion to you. Whether you're at home, in the office, or in class "taking notes",  Jane and James are bringing the runway to you.

Here we serve the common people, the people that went to college, got in some debt and now work for "the man".  We put outfits together that you can be proud of, outfits that'll make you feel like your walking the runway...without making you feel dirty for spending your whole paycheck on a Saturday night dress.  Here we'll put an outfit together and let you know where we got it, how much we paid, and why we think it's awesome.  Then you can let us know what you think and share your own ideas for the world to see.

Life is our runway so we might as well look good, right?