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?