I was fairly disappointed after going to Akira to find a dress for a wedding party. Having found the cutest polka dot dress, I went to try it on and fell in love, after many attempts to find the perfect dress, without dirt stains and broken zippers (that should have been a red flag right there). I ended up switching the M-sized dress I tried on with one off the rack, making sure there were no dirt stains and bought the dress which was fairly expensive and DEFINITELY cheaply made. I should have looked closely at the dress I took home which had a broken zipper and snags all throughout the garment. I went back to Akira the next day to exchange the dress, but apparently ALL of their dresses are poorly made. They even put all of the dresses I tried on the previous day back on the rack, even thought the zippers were obviously torn and broken and dirt stains were definitely evident throughout each dress. I confronted one of the employees there, who basically didn't give a crap and was like ''sorry can't help you there.'' Anyways, I ended up settling for the dress, luckily with no broken zipper, but with a small stain on the fabric. Not the smartest purchase on my part! Thanks Akira! read more

One of the lady's here was so rude. I said I wanted to try something out and what she did was snatch it away from me and didnt told me anything and a minute later she was helping someone else being really nice to her. read more

I've been shopping at Akira since the women's Bucktown store was their only store and have always found great clothes and had a great experience. They have SOOOOOOOOOO much stuff that you're bound to find something. They're a great place for cheaper, trendier going out tops and also have a great collection of designer jeans. You have to go often or you'll frequently find that there is only a size L remaining in the cutest items. They also have the cutest earrings and shoes. Bonus- the shoe store always has every size and has great sales (unlike Aldo which sells out of a size 39 the first day they get the shoe!). read more

Walked in last night with a girlfriend due to a buy-one-get-one-half-off promotional offer. Red headed employee kept wandering about the store on her cell phone having a personal conversation. Wouldn't really have minded except she kept bumping into my friend and I without even so much as an apology. Probably would have ignored that except I overheard her speaking negatively to another employee about how I was dressed. Pants, blouse, and jacket? What does it matter what I'm wearing? I'm trying to buy YOUR clothes. But I'm a 31 year old mother of two with a big ass, obviously these clothes were not designed for frumpy house fraus. My companion goes to check out and is given attitude about how a groupon isn't compatible with the half off offer. Well, she wasn't going to argue about it and was completely willing to pay full price but this red headed employee decided to just throw her bag of merchandise at her over the counter after the transaction was complete. There's Wicker Park attitude and then there's just terrible customer service. Highly unprofessional and disrespectful. Buy your overpriced skinny broad clothes else where. read more

Honestly made an account specifically to give a shouts out to Mariah who was beyond helpful, sweet, and body positive while we were shopping in Akira yesterday! Great experience! read more

I went to this location a few days ago for the 7th Anniversary party. The night was fun, loud, and hectic. I found some things to try on, but I was dissapointed to find that the sizes were very inconsistent. I decided to buy the best 3 items and take them home for a second opinion. (By the way, they were out of the special gift and also didn't stamp the Akira Smart Card that night.) Once I tried my items on again at home, I decided that the top and two dresses just didn't fit well enough to warrant spending $221 on them. I went to return them last night, within the 7-days time they allot and was informed that they don't do returns. Even to a credit card. I have find something to exchange my purchases for, or get a store credit. I definitely was not informed of this policy by the sleepy sales girl the night I bought the items. And a line on the bottom of the receipt does not count. So now I have a paper receipt, stapled to a business card, with a note, "Don't Lose This!", hanging out in my wallet and it is worth $221. I feel tricked into going back and spending that money. The only reason for a no-returns-policy like that is greed on the part of the owners because they want the sale, not the happy customer. read more

The clothing selection was pretty bleak and not exactly thrilling. Couldn't find one thing I would actually wear in there and everything seemed to be in size small or medium anyways. Salespeople were very rude to me and asked only the well-dressed trixies if they "needed help", but not me because I was dressed in jeans and sweatshirt. Perhaps i wasn't dressed-up enough to shop here? I won't be back. read more

I will never shop in Akira again! Very bad quality clothes! The jacket I bought there broke the first time I put it on!!!!

While there is cute and fashionable stuff here, the quality is as bad or worse than forever 21, while the prices are high-end. I've spent a lot of money here and then realized a few months down the line that the stuff is falling apart after several washes... the clothing is just not well made. Cheap fabric which wears out very quickly. My worst complaint is- I bought a pair of really expensive dress shorts (at least $70-80...). Wore these out on NYE- literally took the tags off the shorts, put them on, and an hour and a half later, the front button just came off (the fit of the shorts was totally fine- I wasn't trying to squeeze into something too tight, etc). That button was not just decorative--- it was what was keeping the front of my shorts together. Not fun trying to find creative ways to hold your pants together at a new years eve event. This is obviously irritating because when you spend that much money on an item, you want it to last for years, not an hour or two. I took it back to the store a day or two later, showed them what happened (and also had my receipt showing that I had literally JUST BOUGHT this item), and with a glance of the product they just said, "Sorry... We can't take back anything that you've already worn." Ok.. I wore it for 2 hours. I had to pin my shorts together for the remainder of the night. So can I get it exchanged, will you guys fix these, anything??? Nope, nothing. My mom even called (she's more persuasive and good at this kind of thing) and they were totally rude to her on the phone. It was a totally frustrating experience. On top of shitty return policies, the cashiers/people working in stores are just completely rude to customers. This also goes for how pushy they are about bringing you 100 things to try on and following you around in the store. If I need help- I'll ask. That was the last time I ever bought something from Akira. This was actually over a year ago and I'm just now writing the review after a friend of mine mentioned how she bought something super cute at Akira and the same thing happened to her (a rip in the fabric the night she wore it, went back to ask what they could do, they were impolite and refused to provide any kind of customer service or exchange/take back the item). I'd rather shop at a store where I'm getting what I pay for, and deal with employers who care about their customers enough to at least look into a situation when something breaks within days of the buyer wearing it. All you're gonna get here is an overpriced piece of garbage that won't last long at all. I've heard more complaints than compliments in regards to buying and dealing with this store. read more

Me and my two best friends walked in as well as my my mom and younger sister. we all had the same bag from buffalo exchange which is an amazing store and super close. when we walked towards the clothes near the register a man who worked there approached me and offered to let me set my bag down while i shopped. i kinda refused saying "i'm fine with carrying it, but thank you" he then said "we're actually required to check all bags in the store" and he started to grab my bag that was on my shoulder. i took it off and he said "ok and my name is Patrick what's yours?" i told him my name and he raced to hide it behind the counter. my friend and i walked toward the earring display to look behind the counter and we saw that my bag was the only one there. we mentioned something to everyone else that was with us. everyone seemed confused because my mom had three bags from other stores and her purse and everyone else in the store had bags. we walked around for a while and me and my mom went to the counter when he wasn't there and asked this super sweet girl for my bag and she gave it to us. then when we were looking at clothes we saw this man fuming to another employee. she said to him "i know your upset but-" and he interrupted her and said "i'm pissed" and stomped to the front of the store. the same girl he was talking to was following me and my friends around the store and was looking directly at us. we left the store and saw a sign that said "we are required to check all bags in the store" my bag was the ONLY one behind the counter and this man needs to learn not to grab people belongings off of them, a horrible experience.......... never going to another akira read more

I had an awesome experience here! My roomie and I were out doing some shopping and we stumbled into this place...we were greeted by the manager and her super cute dog foxy! (i love that they're pet friendly) the manager (i forget her name but she was great) introduced herself and gave us a brief history of the store-good to know facts. They have "stylists" that will help pick out outfits for you but we roamed around and checked it out ourselves. All of the staff was super fun and friendly, minus the girl some brunette at the check out with a bad attitude considering I dropped a bit of change there...but the store is HUGE they have everything from french connection to hudson and definite bargain items. I liked it so much I actually thought about applying for a part time job because the shopping is so dangerous...oh and you know when you talk to emplyees especially those who work on comission and they sweet talk and kiss your ass the whole time...definitely not this place! everyone we talked to, and there were about 5 of them was genuine and honest about our clothing picks! We were also invited to their 9 year anniversary party! Can't wait to shop and celebrate with them! Thanks for the great experince and props to the manager, she has her sh*t on lock! read more

They associates at this location were extremely helpful and then some. They helped find the bodysuit I had been looking for and were always asking if I need anything else. Best employees ever!! read more

rushed service with an attitude that everything is "great" they just weant to see you anything. there are other places in this city with better clothing and honest service read more

Personally, I didn't really like this store that much. It was very cluttered and hard to maneuver, due to all of the items on racks. The workers came off as snobby when I asked questions and I really did not appreciate that at all. I came here for the first time, not even knowing what Akira was but just having walked past it before. I noticed that there were dresses priced from $15 and then jumped to over $150. I didn't get it. I asked one of the workers why the discrepancy in price and if there was something special about the more expensive dresses. He just gives me this "ugh are you serious?" look and responds "oh well those are DESIGNER. We carry DESIGNER brands from other countries...you probably don't even know about them." It was so annoyingly hipster sounding and snobby...I just...ugh. Stop. The other workers seemed to have the same attitude. I really was curious. Usually stores don't have such a varying price range. I then proceeded to check out and they tried to sell me more stuff that I didn't need. Honestly, I'm not sure any of them even understand how to sell clothes. I'm not saying I should be treated like a princess, but when I ask a legitimate question, please don't give me a snarky response and then try to upsell me. Whatever. read more

Love the clothes here! I enjoy that they have a wide spectrum of prices, from designer to their own label. No matter what my budget is at the time, I can always find something that fits my needs. I"m a very visual person, so I love that everything is displayed by color. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and even though it's clear they work off of commission, they are never pushy or bothersome. read more

I went in to akira in wicker park this weekend. Saddly I was disappointed. The sales staff was very sharky and rude. Most of the clothing looked very cheap, even the material felt bad. I felt like it was a step down from h&m... who shops by color anyway? I do not recommend it to any one unless you are looking to throw away $40 to $50 on a one night evening. If it even lasts that. read more

I didn't really feel welcomed. No one said spoke to me when I walked in and no one asked me if I needed help. i found what I was looking for and went into a dressing room, after not being acknowledged the entire time I was there. As I'm trying things on, someone ask are you okay in there. I was taken back because no one has said a word to me for 20 minutes. Then When I go to check out they ask to search my bags. How rude. I like the store, I shop at a different one every week, but this location is the only place i had this terrible experience. read more

You all are right about the lower-end junk they have here. I would compare it to Target quality. I've also questioned the ability to sale the higher-end stuff along with this junk. I've been to this store many times with my girlfriend (and find the men's store to be the same), music WAY too loud, I can't think...very pushy salespeople shoving stuff through the dressing room. Who IS our salesperson? There are 3 people waiting on us. Too messy and hectic. We'll shop elsewhere. read more

OK I had to get on here and defend this store once saw all the haters on here. I live and die by this store. I'm somewhat of a style junkie and love to pick something new up every couple weeks and this is my favorite place to go. I think they are smart to have a range of clothing in prices and style. If you want a $30 dress or shirt you can get their akira or meiko brand but they also have amazing coats and dresses that you may have been afraid to try on in a higher end boutique or you may never even know about such new brands because its in such a snobby store. The more I get older the more I want proper clothing that wont fall apart after a few washes. I'm not saying that you should drop your rent money on a dress I'm just saying that I like having all the options available to me in one store. They buy from a range of designers from the gothic Religion to the classic Cynthia Rowley and since I always love to combine a number of styles I appreciate the many facets of fashion this store offers. Akira I heart you! read more

I was in the store the day that that crazy lady was there trying to return the shoes that her husband obviously ruined. She threw a fit because she was unable to return the shoes after her husband ruined them and tore the fabric on one of them. He even brought out 3 extra pairs of the same shoe to show her the CLEAR difference. She made a huge public display and started threatening the manager and the other employee a nice young lady, that she would ruin them unless they returned the shoe. Then she accused the manager of being discriminating toward Europeans. The funny part is, when he told her that his wife was European, get this she said, "oh so you hate your wife so that's why you hate me!??!?" ...this lady is obviously insane. I am a loyal Akira Customer and have been assisted by that manager many times to my delight! I urge any respectable person to make their own decision and go into the store and see for your self. This boutique is amazing, has great prices, and great customer service. read more

hit or miss - in many aspects. a couple of the salesgirls were really rude, others were super nice and helpful. most of the clothing in the store is cheap to moderately priced, so it is definitely affordable. huge trendy selection, but you have to wade through the weeds to find the good stuff. also watch out for the cheaply made items, but like i said, if you have the time and patience to look through the racks you can find some great, fashion forward things at an affordable price. they do offer higher-end lines, but there is no need to look at that part of the store as there is so much else. in my opinion the real gems were their jeans (high end, still affordable) and accessories (trendy, but way better both in quality and look than what you'd find in your average forever 21). also, most of their clothes seem to be aimed at those going out to the clubs. all in all i ended up with a top and necklace that i'm extremely happy with. read more

great sales! very helpful staff, especially ESTHER, she is so awesome! i've never been good at shopping, she helps me pick out things i would never choose on my own and they look amazing and are some of my favorite pieces! go see esther, she will help you find some awesome deals! read more

I purchased a dress from Akira on North Avenue today and as I was checking out the girl asked if I was familiar with the return policy. I told her I wasn't, she went on to say, "returns and exchanges are within 14 days". The girl never mentioned that if you return something it would be for STORE CREDIT ONLY! I purchased a $140.00 dress after trying 30 dresses on and finally felt like the one I bought was decent. I came home and was not as happy with it as I was in the store. The website states that they give full refunds. I called and spoke to the manager Myra who explained that the store is independent from the website and that they have a different policy. Maybe the store should be a different name than the actual store to avoid confusion. I have never shopped at a store where they do not authorize returns. I will never shop here EVER again! No returns are for stores like Forever 21. I hope they take the $140.00 I wasted at this store and invest it in training their cashiers so that they know how to tell their customers the return policy because I would have never bought the dress had I known I couldn't change my mind!!! NEVER AGAIN! read more

this is my favorite store! love it so much. it seems i am always rushing to find an outfit last minute for an event or night out, and the people that work there are always so quick at helping me get an outfit together and i always get so many compliments on what im wearing. read more

Congratulations! Akira officially has gets the worst customer service or policy award. I purchased a backpack I intended to use for my workout. I stated my concern - the bag may not be large enough to fit my gear - to the sales rep prior to the purchase. She said their policy was no exchange or store credit on accessories, but given the circumstances she would allow the exchange. She placed a note and signed my receipt. Let me mention this was at Hawthorn Mall. That night I tried placing my workout gear in the bag and found it to be too small. Naturally, the next day I took the bag back to the Akira in Chicago. The rep said she would honor the note and allow me to exchange the bag for something else of the same value. I picked out a shirt and dress. Brought everything to the register. The price for both items was $50. The bag I was exchanging was $54.99. The rep wouldn't allow the exchange saying the items had to be the exact value - wait are you out of your mind! The items I picked out were $5 less. The store is making $5 off me. Akira - either the brightest people are working at the Chicago store(sarcasm) or this worst policy in history. Either allow the exchange or don't, but don't expect anyone to be able match a penny for penny exchange. The store lost a customer and $5 in one transaction. read more