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Categories: Women's Clothing, Accessories [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
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OMG. This review is based solely on the employees whose job is to ooooh and ahhhh at customers in the dressing rooms.
Just to make sure this was a 5 star review, I took the Akira test. I shopped around the store to find the most mismatched, wrong fitted, disgusting outfit I could find. I'm normally a size medium or 6-8. I found a size extra small tube top, size 12 baggy pants, and topped them with a bodycon miniskirt. I accessorized with 3 scarfs around my neck, and 1 around my ankle.
I looked like a crack addict.
When I exited the the dressing room, the fun began. I asked the wide-eyed employee if she liked my outfit and she said "YES! ITS SO COLORFUL!". I said, "do you think my tube top is too small? I feel fat" and she responded with "wellll let me see if we have more sizes". When I told her that I only saw x-smalls, she said "WELL it looks good! You don't look fat! You can work it, girl!". When I asked if she liked my scarves she said, "yeah! layers are totally in right now! Layers layers layers!" I finally asked if my pants AND skirt combo was too much, and she said "No! I love it!"
5 stars for this insanity.
When I go into Akira I am always very happy with the selection of clothing and the help that the stylists offer when I am looking. I think they have a diverse selection of clothes ranging for extremely affordable to somewhat pricey. I do enjoy shopping here most of the time.
However, I find that the people who check you out are rude. One in particular, I have never had a good experience with. She is constantly chatting with the other workers while checking you out, never brothers to say " hi, how are you doing today?" or even a "thanks for shopping". On this past occasion I spent a significant amount of money and she barely looked me in the the eye, let alone spoke to me the entire encounter. She was too busy chatting with her colleague about carving pumpkins to have anything to do with her paying customer.
I do have to give kudos to my stylist Erin and Derek for being patient as I spend more than an hour looking around the store. They were both friendly and helpful. I wish I could say the same about the checkout girl working at 5:45pm on Friday.
I give the store 5 stars for diversity and affordability, as well as a large selection of items to choose from. But lower it to a 3 for the terrible service at the point of checkout.
Note to the checkout girl: I pay your paycheck, remember that the next time you are rude to your customers
Diverse is what I would call this store...here's why:
~ Some very original items, others similar to Forever 21
~ Some inexpensive items, others way too overpriced
~ Some high quality fabrics, others that will tear after the first time you wear it
~ Some nice staff, others not-so-much
I like that the store arranges their clothes by color since I can appreciate that some colors just do not do me justice.
All in all, nice store; just look around for the original items and the good deals!
I used to love shopping at Akira but they have been extremely disapointing. They have significantly raised their prices for really poor quality of clothing. Their music really is too loud and it gets annoying after 5 minutes, not to mention there sales people are extremely pushy. They won't stop bringing you more clothes of what they think you will like and it gets annoying. I think I know what I like and I know what price range I want to stay in. I dont want to be brought a thin shirt for $80. They are like car salesmen super pushy and fake! "oh that looks great" come on really? and your supposed to be in the fashion industry? who do they think their fooling? Oh and parking sucksssssssssssssss! if your not walking distance, good luck finding a place to park.
I live right by this store and have a hard time not going in everyweek to buy something new. Their speciality is definetly items for going out but I have gotten every-day type items here as well. The jeans are a little too pricey if not on sale- but this spring I was able to score two really cute pairs on the 2 for $100 table.
I prefer shopping here over Express because when you find a super cute item you don't see 15 other girls wearing it. I got a hot dress last time I went in from their Black Line and it was the last one left. The guy working there told me they only got 3 of them that morning- S,M and L.
As far as the staff, I have only gotten a dud one time! All the rest of the times the staff have been helpful and pulled items for me. I personally like getting suggestions because I've gotten a few items that look great on me that I would never have picked out myself!
Lastly I love Akira's sizing. My sister is a size 0 and it can be frusterating shopping for/with her. We always shop here when she is in town and I buy her bday/xmas gifts here. Much better than when we went to H&M and the XS were fitting me and falling off her.
Akira is absolutely hit or miss. You have to come to terms with that before you ever set foot in there. Some items are expensive, some cheap, some U-G-L-Y, and some super original and cute.
I've found a couple of nice semi-casual sundresses here that would be suitable for weddings or a night out. The ones I happened to buy were original styles and reasonably priced, but I had to do some serious dress rack sifting to find those. Good luck!
Well, Akira, you managed to be the recipient of my first 1 star. I've REALLY tried to give this place a chance -- I've been in several times and each time I left with a pounding migraine. Am I becoming my mother, here? I don't think so because my sister said the same thing. Seriously TURN DOWN THE MUSIC. What the heck ... the floors were literally vibrating -- I am shocked that the glass windows weren't blown out. Again, we are not in a Vegas nightclub -- I'd like to do a little lazy Saturday/Sunday afternoon shopping without having to pack my ear plugs. Sheesh.
I don't think the clothes are anything to write home about. In my opinion most of it is pretty poor quality. And, please, for the love of God, would SOMEONE explain to me why everything is color-coded?? Can't you put pants with pants, shirts with shirts, dresses with dresses? Why is all the white stuff in one section, all the pink stuff in another .... etc, etc? Really? This makes no sense to me. Also, do you really find the need to stuff as much stuff as possible onto your displays? I can barely look through anything. Ridiculous.
The accessories are nothing I'd ever buy -- it all looks like it was made very cheaply. Then again, I'm not huge on jewelry.
I truly don't understand the draw to this place -- and I'm shocked 2 more have opened on State Street and in Lincoln Park. I just don't see how anyone can find anything in here let alone stand being in the store in excess of 2 minutes without going completely deaf. Please turn down the music to a reasonable level -- I shouldn't have to yell to talk to my sister when shopping at your store. And please get organized -- no one can find anything. I've never been to a store that was organized according to color -- I simply don't get the logic here.
I just want to know why everyone LOVES Akira so much.
Don't get me wrong...I've bought a few things there. But a few years ago, before they started carrying higher end lines. Don't get me wrong...I am a huge fan of mixing high and low. Problem is they have since jacked up all the prices on the crap that's made worse than something you would buy at Forever 21...because they think people don't know the difference.
Not to mention, all the wannabe hipsters who have no sense of personal style who work there are total asses when you walk in. The only friendly ones are a few of the gay guys who've helped me.
Cheap stuff. Impersonal staff. That's about all. Go around the corner on Mke to Pitaya(?) if you're looking for something trendy you don't have to invest a lot in. They're at least helpful.
I am a fan for 2 reasons:
1. Their summer fashion show is always great. and
2. The mix currently playin on their website is off the hook. Makes me wanna go get on the elliptical right. this. minute. ...but i won't b/c I just came from Le Peep and I'm tired.
3. Speaking of mixes, they give you a copy of the mixes they play at the fashion show in your goodie bag. :-)
Oh the store? Hmmm... I've only been in their twice so don't depend on my review. Read some of the others.
an overpriced forever 21...
but still cheap clothes and much more unique and fashion forward than forever 21 will ever be. it's like a lukewarm glass of wine ... just good enough
Akira has a lot of cute clothes, but I've never had a deep desire to buy anything from here. For one, I personally think that the store is not organized very well, and some of their clothes just don't seem worth what they're priced.
I'm sorry to say that this Akira location is not quite good as the one on Diversey and the one in Wicker Park.
The service is weird. No one offered to help me, at all. I had to beg to get a dressing room. I have never been served this poorly at any other Akira, so I was kind of annoyed. I've heard they have some management problems. I wish they would get it sorted out, because the Akira chain is great.
I think even the selection is a little bit worse then the other locations! I'm not sure if I'll come back to this Akira, I'd rather return to the one on Diversey... they treat me nicely there and actually have decent clothing.
I am feeling slovenly, a little tired, a whole lotta summer blues (Where did my summer go?). The cure? Just bought a ridiculously sexy black trench coat trimmed in glossy black patent leather piping for fall. Even the gay male salesperson was whistling catcalls. Yes, that deliciously HOT.
The girls at the checkout resister were each petting the jacket, one said: "You should totally wear this with nothing but a pair of really high heels for your boyfriend." Oh. My. God. I love it. And walk out feeling irresistible.
Akira is better than therapy!
I think the quality has gotten better over time.
I have a good friend who always has the cutest little mini dresses... she gets them all at Akira. So I checked this place out last week and bought a dress in three different colors. Maybe I just went on a good day?
The staff is young and they are quick to sum you up at first glance. I was turned off by it at first. But I stayed friendly and pretty soon the two sales associates were lining up at my dressing room door to offer dress suggestions.
I'm still not crazy about the accessories. Everything else is pretty cheap. There's a lot of junk in this store, but also a lot of good stuff too.
Love all of their locations. Most recently visited this one. They have a great selection of cute tops and dresses in all price ranges. They also have very stylish accessories. I always get complements on anything I've ever purchased from Akira and what girl doesn't love to receive complements?
You can get very reasonably priced items from the Akira label or go for the designer names. They have a great selection of premium denim too, often on sale.
The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because of their stringent return policy. I've never had to return anything myself, but according to sign near the register, you only get 7 days.
LOVE Akira for cheap and trendy fashion. No, it's not Barney's, but Barney's is right downtown if that's what you're looking for! I have never gone into Akira without leaving with something that I wear over and over again to general acclaim. Although the fashion is hip and inexpensive, nothing that I've purchased here has ever fallen apart after a few washes- maybe this is more testament to what I buy than the store in general, but whatever, some of my favorite, most versatile, longest-lasting dresses have come from Akira. As previous reviews have stated, the salespeople are really helpful and friendly, know the store's inventory and also know fashion.
For the trend whore that you know you are, this is the best clothing store in this neighborhood, without actually having to leave the neighborhood.
The girl who worked there gave me money off the shoes I tried on because she knew I loved them and was going back and forth.
I agree with the having to dig thing, but I imagine when they put the big new on Diversey (Where Sherwyn's used to be), all of us trend whores will have plenty of room to move about.
For now though, this place is top notch. I love that everything is color coodinated.
Two stars for the really cool glass ring I snagged here, and a bonus star for mixing affordable with high-end fashion.
In the end, I couldn't convince myself to buy any clothes here. A lot of the designs were too daring (what? I like a classic style) for day-to-day use, especially since I like pieces that transition from work to evening. Plus, the majority of the affordable fashions looked really cheaply made. I mean, seams starting to stretch out on the hangers, paper-thin dresses that make wearing tights underneath a necessity, etc.
I think of this place as an edgier H&M. Would try again, but with tempered hopes.
The great thing about this location on Clark St. is that it is not as overwhelming as the one in Wicker Park. I feel like this smaller store helped me keep my focus - I was able to take my time and really look at the clothes on the rack in front of me instead of feeling like there were a hundred other racks that might have something better.
But the Wicker Park location's service trumps Lincoln Park's. I'm not one who likes being hounded by salespeople, but I felt like I was the one hounding them for help. I walked around with a heap of clothes piled over my arms, and when I asked an employee if I could use one of the dressing rooms, she completely ignored me and kept talking to her friend/another employee (?). I figured maybe she didn't hear me, so I asked again, but before I finished, she said, "Yeah, go ahead" and waved her hand in the direction of the dressing rooms. The rude part of it was that she didn't even look at me when she said that and just continued on with her conversation.
Never asked if I needed help. Never checked on me while I was in the dressing room. Never going back there again.
While the salespeople at the Wicker Park location seem a little too helpful (I once had 4 different girls ask if I needed help), I'd rather go to that location than be ignored at this one.
As for the actual clothes, they have a pretty large range in terms of price and taste, but I usually find at least one thing that I like. They'll sometimes hold sales at their stores, and they offer a returning-customer card in which you get a certain dollar amount off after a number of purchases.
I have been to both this one and the one on North Ave. I love their stuff because it is a boutique and you'll find more unique items. I know we all hate to find outselves wearing the same thing as anyone else. You'll rarely find that with the things you purchase at Akira. Their clothes are fun and funky, and they also carry a few designer lables like BCBG girls and Ben Sherman. I question the quality of the items since I come across ripped seams at times. I suppose it is possible you can come across that at any store, but I have experienced this at any rate. The regular priced items are a bit pricier than a Forever 21, but the quality would be a little better than that though.
I know they have fashion shows at some of the clubs here in the city sometimes, and I'm sure that there are perks for going. I believe they have some type of frequent buyer card. They also have an accessories, footwear, and a men's store. It's definitely worth checking out!
I've met one of the owner's, Erica - she's a doll.
Reasonably priced. Trendy and young.
I don't enjoy the whole organization by color thing. It hurts my eyes after staring at the same shade of bright caution-tape yellow for 5 minutes. Besides, what if I did find a cute shirt but I imagine it to be even more awesome in a different color? I must now dig through a packed rack of yet another part of the store to find it.
What I don't like is that these clothes really don't fit a diversity of sizes and shapes. For the quantity of clothes available, this is an awful oversight by the purchasing department!
Also what's up with the return policy? 7 days, exchanges or store credit only?!
shopping akira makes me feel better than shopping at forever 21. I feel like I should be receiving a senior discount at forever and Im always embarassed to admit that I got something there, no matter how cute it is, because, obviously, I am not 21. That being said, I have a great love for my akira. I used to live right down the street from it and the girls that worked there would always let me know when new stuff was coming in. True, its hit or miss like most trendy places, but I love their jeans and the cheap funky purses that save last minute fashion emergencies. I agree that some of the quality of the clothes is sub par, but they are trend clothes so by the time they fall apart they are already out of style so c'est la vie. I also love their little punch card where you get a punch everytime you spend $60 I think. Ive gotten so many pairs of shoes wiht my filled punch cards.
I lost my wallet once and I was more upset that I lost 2 filled punch cards than I was about losing my drivers license.
pathetic.
Agreed, agreed and agreed with most of these posts about quality and consistency. You have to kind of dig to find the cute shirts/dresses that are reasonably priced and made well. The jeans selection is always good, though.
I do like how they've organized the store by color. If you know you want a yellow shirt or look good in red, it really helps your shopping experience.
I feel like I have a love-hate relationship with Akira. Sometimes I find great stuff and the staff is really helpful and sometimes they are really bitchy (especially the guy the other girl mentioned below). Overall though, I usually find something if I'm really in the mood to buy and they have a great stock of jeans.
Really cute dresses at good prices are one thing I'm a huge sucker for, so that's probably the main reason I go here. Worth a stop in if I'm in Lincoln Park, but I usually don't make a huge effort to go up there for it either.
This place is the best in the neighborhood for cute tops and dresses for a night out. Rachel is the manager and is so sweet and friendly (beware of the bitchy guy that works there though!).
Lots of cute dresses for the spring/summer at reasonable prices ($25-$45) with only a couple of each size available. Nice to know that you won't see everyone wearing the same things as you. Very different and unique clothes-- I get compliments all the time.
Also, they have a number of designer sunglasses and jeans. Some fun accessories-- bags, jewelry, etc.
A great find in LP and open late-- till 9 pm-- to get in your retail therapy or a quick outfit before going out.
Also, they have a punch card that tracks your purchases and gives you a $30 gift certificate!
One of my fav places!!
Really nice place , loved the clothes, and thought they are very funky and different. The sales girls are very helpful and have a very different and unique sense of style. I actually went to buy a couple of things but everything was so cute I ended up in buying a lot more than that... All in all cool place and different than the run of the mill stuff you get everywhere else
8/15 I have to revise this review, I picked up a silver clutch from here and after carrying it 2 times, it started to peel. I spent $30 for something I used twice, not good at all.Also another dress I got from here got 2 small holes after I washed it. Not going to shop there in a hurry.
Akira earns 5 stars from me off the bat for arranging their clothes by color--the whole store is one big rainbow!!!! I love it.
There is a huge range in the quality of clothing--some of it can be worn forever, others are only going to last a couple of outings. There is a definite hoochie/fake boobs only selection, however, there are also casual and less out there clothes that you can wear to work to perk up an old outfit, and others that a more modest person (than one who, say, wants to tie a "large" pink and yellow feather/sequined butterfly to the front of her--p.s. no bra possible: only option is a boob job) can wear out to a dinner or club.
When I get a dime in my pocket, I always spend it at Akira.
Fashionable + Cheap = Great
Granted, it's not clothing you should plan on keeping for years, but for those trendy pieces that won't see the light of day after a few months of wearing, it's great.
My story:
I am waiting for the bus. I see this girl with a SUPER cute dress on. So cute, I decide I have to have it. I ask her where she got it. She was mean and snotty and said "I got it at Akira - I work there - they are totally sold out because it's so damn cute."
Um...alright chic, I just threw you a compliment, you could at least be friendly. Anyways...I trek over to Akira regardless the following week to see what all the hype is about. I pour through overpriced, boutiquey hootch tops and make my way to the dresses. Suddenly there it is...the VERY dress that was "so damn cute" and "totally sold out." I snatched it up, tried it on, and now it's mine. ALL mine. (Insert me sticking my tongue out like a 5-year old here).
Then I went with a co-worker to the North Ave location at lunch today - she was searching for a dress to wear for a wedding. If you seriously dig, you can find some really cute options that are of quality. Check out the the $40 jeans rack as well.
Overall, the sales people think they are cooler than they are, MOST of the clothes are overpriced and can be found @ Forever21, but I did find an awesome dress so I have to give Akira some love. Three stars.
So I'm pretty torn on this place. The clothes made by Akira are all very cheap and pretty tacky for the most part. I feel like I would have to wade through a ton of crap to find anything worth wearing.. however..
Prices are low, so at least it has that going for it. The redeaming quality of this store is the JEANS. I adore nice, well-fitting jeans. They had a wonderful selection, and they were buy 1 get 1 half off. They had brands I hadn't seen other places; overall I was quite impressed. I much prefer their selection to the selection at Barneys or other places that carry nice jeans.
Don't let the cheap clothes in front scare you.. there are treasures in the back that can be had at a good price.
So if you're ever in a blah mood and are wanting to hear how fabulous you are and look...stop in to Akira. My friend and I stopped in after lunch on a rainy day and 3 hours later we walked out egos lifted and wallets lighter! Two of the salesguys pretty much made us their projects and spent hours bringing us stuff to try on. I somehow got talked into trying on 6 inch heels...I had to hold on to the wall. Anyway, I felt like a Barbie doll, got some cute trendy stuff that I can wear to work and out (score!). Not everything is of the highest quality, but they have designer jeans, cute shoes, and some great trendy pieces.
Akira reminds me of a more expensive Forever 21, only less emo-trendy, and more Lincoln/Wicker Park-trendy. If that makes sense...
That said, I got the most amazing pair of shorts there the other day, and while I paid a LOT for them, I am justifying that purchase by wearing them all the damn time. They are THAT cute.
Unfortunately - if you are a girl with a rack, you will find that lots of super cute looking things will fit you in a very strange fashion because things there are not cut to be worn by girls with excessive boobage. Fair warning, ladies.
That said, it's a cute store, and the girls working when I last went were really sweet and helpful, and I got some cute cute things that cost a lot of dollars, even though they were on sale. And I think that sums it up pretty perfectly.
This is an awesome place to go get club and trendy clothes.
This place is all about the hunt. There are pretty much only 2 display tables and the rest of the stock is on hangers. Hence, you have to be in the right mood to shop here because it can be daunting to flip through everything. I found the sales girls to be really helpful because they can point you in the right direction and bring you some options. Overall a great place to find cute, trendy stuff on the cheap.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't get the hype. Granted, I cannot fit into any of the clothes this place sells, but upon closely inspecting the crappy construction thereof, I wouldn't even if I could. I've been here a couple of times looking at their accessories and have been completely ignored. At first I thought it might be because I'm fat and therefore they were under the impression that my money isn't worth as much as that of an anorectic, but I see from other reviews here that they seem to be equal opportunity when it comes to ignoring or otherwise being rude to customers. That's, um, a plus, I guess. One time I was in, two clerks were in the back chatting away, blissfully ignorant that anyone else existed. It was all I could do not to shoplift some jewelry just because I could have. The 15-year-old version of me wouldn't have been so kind.
Wow- I'm shocked Akira has received so many good reviews. I've never been in here until today and have heard good things about it so I wandered in while taking a walk on Clark. I did notice the cheap prices, but I thought the clothes looked pretty cheap as well. I also asked the sales associate if they had something and she was very rude and unhelpful, which definitely added to the negative experience. I may have to go back here because it sounds like everyone else has had a good experience at Akira, but I can definitely say I was not impressed today.
This place is sweatshop galore. Things are cheap here and there are a lot of cute clothing for women, however it is not very unique. It's like a cheap version of Urban Outfitters. Not that I like Urban, I actually do detest both stores...well, really I'm sick of all clothing stores because of how they contribute to sweatshop labor and do nothing about it. I've resorted to buying second-hand clothes, sewing my own, and buying American/Western Europe-made clothing only.
the kind of clothes they have now in stock are boring and items you can find at any cheap clothing store. they have lost their trend/style integrity by trying to accommodate the large "club" going crowd. i used to like shopping there when they had many unique clothing items but now it's like i'm going to an over priced "discovery".
if i do ever go there, it will be out of desperation to find a quick outfit for the clubs (which i often do not attend). the two locations are in areas where parking is sparse and makes it a pain in the arse to go.
I've never been to this location, only the one on North. The girl that helped me was sooo super sweet. I found a dress that's cute, and they had other really cute stuff as well. I liked the jewerly but would probably be able to find the same stuff at Forever 21 for a lot less. Some of the shirts didn't exactly fit over the "twins" well but those are the breaks I guess. I think the girl who helped me was Jessica, and she sent me discount coupons the same week, as well as a thank you note. The next week my friend that I went up their with had gone back, and the same girl helped her and gave her an industry discount card for us both! Yea!! Super sweet!!
Picked up some really cute shirts the other day. They had a lot of denim available too, but I didn't feel like trying on jeans. I had heard they have great accessories, and I saw a lot of belts and necklaces, but I wish they had more earrings at this location. Having the clothes grouped by color was really helpful and I didn't think the prices were too bad either. The sales girls were very nice and accomodating, unlike many of the dept. stores I've been to lately...I was wearing running clothes and my hair was a mess when I stopped in, but I didn't get treated like dirt, what a concept!
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Women's Clothing
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Fashion
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Shoe Stores
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Women's Clothing
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Women's Clothing
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