Akubra Fashion blog.

Fashion for a long time has been a preserve for the rich, but NOT anymore. Akubrafashion will ensure that it is  an essential part of all your life. We want you to not only feel good but look good too. They say cheap is expensive, I say cheap ensures that you keep it simple!!! Akubrafashion will take young men  through ways of making the most out of what you have and what you can afford. But even then, we shall take you through how you can understand yourself better to make sure that your money will be spent well without disappointments.

Young men will be able to get ideas and creative ways of implementing them, while young women will be able to get ideas on how they can make their men look good

Welcome and  prepare yourself to have fun, coz thats what we do here!!!

 

Don’t let this unpredictable weather spoil your fashion sense.

The cold rainy season is once again here with us, and to be fashionable and still manage to stay warm is proving to be an uphill task not just for me but I’m sure for you as well, especially because things are so unpredictable. When you think it’s going to rain, the sun comes out in full force, and vice versa. This nagging scenario creates a complicated fashion blueprint even for the best of the best in the fashion industry.

Yesterday for instance, I was to attend a function, a wedding to be precise. And details informed me that it was a garden wedding. Location, Kajiado county.

Now for those of you who have never been hosted by this great county, it’s very hot. The sun exercises it’s full authority here. This makes it easier to choose what to wear, because of the obvious reasons that one can easily play around with clothes. However, with this unpredictable weather….things are not so easy.

I quickly went to my wardrobe, I knew exactly what I wanted to grace the occasion in. And so, I first picked my dark brown suede shoes, I always start with my shoes. Trust me, once you get the shoes right everything else is likely to be on point. This style of dressing is called “bottom up.”

I then went for my favourite black jeans, which I honoured with a pure cotton yellow polo shirt. I would then accessorise it with a black watch and light brown sun glasses. And with that my day was set and ready. Little did I know what nature had in store.

The weather suddenly changed, what looked like a very shiny, hot day turned into a dark, cloudy cold one, and before long it started pouring. But thank God it stopped almost immediately, leaving behind an additional wet environment, which resulted into a weather cocktail comprising of dark clouds, cold and wetness.

There and then I knew my day was ruined. Of coarse the only additional clothing I needed was something to keep me warm. There was no way I was going to start all over again. But what was I going to add without destroying the already well orchestrated look?

And so I stood there in thoughts. Cracking my head. That’s when it occurred to me that I actually lacked warm fashionable outfits.

Long story short, I made it to the wedding. Did I manage to keep myself warm? Yes I did. But at a really huge fashion cost. I ended up wearing something that was a disaster. It made guys look at me like “what’s wrong with this guy?” But inward I kept on saying, “ I wish you guys could see what I’m wearing inside.” It remained to be a wish, until I got the opportunity at an evening party, which was in a restaurant. I made sure everyone who judged me was proved wrong.

I know we’ve all been in this situation before some did not even get the opportunity to prove themselves. It has even led to phrases like “freeze and shine.” But the fact is we can avoid it, and this is how.

First make sure that as a man you acquire at least one trench coat, black in colour. It will come in very handy a number of times.

Secondly, invest in sweaters, and here play around with colours. Don’t just buy one expecting to use it in every occasion.

Third, save and buy at least two leather jackets. Preferably one black and the other brown. I’m telling you, you won’t go wrong. It will make you look sharp and expensive.

Then lastly buy jumpers, these are good for weekends, with a totally casual look and in events which are not too serious like open door, koroga and blankets and wine festivals to give a few examples.

And there you have it!!!

If you want to keep warm in this unpredictable weather but still remain fashionable go invest in good warm clothes, ones that you wouldn’t even shy carrying around. You know what I mean!!!

Why your man doesn’t like tucking his shirt.

Christmas for those of us who grew up when “Nyayo” was still the De facto leader of our sovereign state Kenya, was a day marked with pomp and colour. Everything and anything waited for it with baited breath, and when it came, it never disappointed.

Children rushed to shops just to try their luck on the random balloon purchase. There was one in particular that everyone wanted but none ever got. Mothers refreshed their cooking skills, while fathers travelled up country to reunite with their families after a long year.

However, anyone who grew up then will tell you that no matter what took place on that day, Christmas was still not Christmas without a new set of clothes. It was the only time of the year that your dad took you shopping, and got you matching outfits that would make you and your brother look like fraternal twins.

There was however something else peculiar about these clothes. They were never a perfect fit. That’s the only time you heard statements like “hiyo utaenda nayo hadi standard four.” ( that outfit will still fit, even when you get to fourth grade) And most likely by then you were probably in nursery or class one.

Boys were the main victims in this “fashion mutation.” I remember one time my dad buying me a trouser that was twice my waist size. It took ten good years for  it to fit properly.

Fast forward to 2017, “Nyayo out Obako in, then Obako out Kamwana in. The male child is still grappling with the aftermath of this psychological misfortune. Years of wearing oversized clothes has turned him into “a fashion criminal”

According to research conducted by university of California, seven out of ten men don’t know their waist size. And five out of ten don’t even care about it. This overwhelming statistics has resulted into men who end up with trousers looking funny. (See figure above..) Not because they are ugly, no!! Far from it. But simply because in their perfection there exists serious imperfections. You only need to look closely.

Most men when they go shopping, never bother to ensure that the trouser fits and fits perfectly. As long as they like it and it’s in fashion, they simply buy it. That’s the time you hear them saying “hapo penye imebaki nitafunga na mshipi” ( I will belt up to cover for the remaining allowance.)

Which brings us to the main purpose of a belt. What is it really meant to do?

A belt has been for a long time misinterpreted to mean something used to make “an unfitting outfit fit” You inherit your father’s trouser and then tie it on your waist with a belt. You get a Yokozuna’s trouser hanging on the clothe line, and you simply pick it, hoping “Mr belt” will do the trick.

A belt is not supposed to tie clothes on your body. It is simply an accessory, simple!!! Something to make your dress code complete. For instance, if you are wearing brown shoes, it is only in order that you have a brown belt as well. Not what the majority of men do of having one belt that is multipurpose. It is used in official clothes, casual clothes, smart casual and even for disciplining kids. If the belt could talk….hmm!!!

Note: the type of clothe worn, I.e. the fabric, determines the belt used.

When one buys an oversized trouser hoping to make it fit by wearing a belt, this is what happens. The belt collects the extra chunk of clothing as it goes round your waist, this material is then brought around your crouch area making it look bigger than it’s usual size. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

If you’ve met a guy who doesn’t like tucking his shirt, then he’s an obvious culprit. What they do to hide the unusual crouch is wear another oversized shirt or t-shirt then un-tuck it so that it can cover the sin below.

This behaviour is wrong, yes the shirt or t-shirt hides what’s going on below, but your confidence is devoured upon in the process. Because even though the whole world is not aware of what’s going on, you are aware. You’ll therefore become uncomfortable, constantly making sure that your shirt does not go above your belt.

I am a guy, I understand the pain it takes to get a trouser that fits perfectly, I also know that we luck patience and that trying out one outfit after another is not our thing. But I beseech you, next time you are out shopping, please try and fit out that trouser before you buy it, forget just for a moment that you have a belt, in fact pretend as if they do not exist, then get yourself a trouser.

Till next time!!! “Look good, to feel good”

Men & haircuts. (What you need to know)

“With a good haircut you don’t need to worry about the shape of your head.”

You’ve not known what stress means until you come across a woman who’s about to get her hair done. She’ll keep on flipping through tonnes of magazines looking for nothing else but a style. I was even surprised to find out that they start researching for a style two weeks before having their hair done. This fact left me wondering, is it really such a big deal?

 

 

The answer is YES!!!! And a big one!! You see, one’s hair is like a preface. It gives you a glimpse of what the inside looks like. It’s a private part that isn’t really private. And women understand this fact, even though theirs is more of a competition thing. That’s why most people spend their whole lives hiding it in caps. I mean, If you were to look at my hair and find it’s full of dandruff, what conclusion would you arrive at?

So this brings us to the question, do men also go through this stress with their haircuts? Are they also as sensitive as women are about their hair? And are there hidden facts about men’s haircuts?

Haircut is the most important aspect of any man’s grooming. It curves out his physical complexion in 3D. And they know it. If you are in doubt go ask any barber, he will describe everything to you in diagrams.

Men just like women, are also very sensitive and specific about any detail that pertains to their hair. Unlike women though, their stress is only limited to whether or not the barber will get that style exactly how he wants it or how his girlfriend likes it. You heard me, how his girlfriend likes it. You’ll be surprised at how crucial a role women play when it comes to which style a man will have on his head. That however is not a topic for today.

Men usually have one or two specific haircuts that they go with. This helps with managing stress that he has to go through.
And I’m talking about serious Men, those that have undergone a series of different haircuts until they have narrowed down to two or three styles that best fits them. Not this boys who give the barber a hard time trying to curve a style that does not and will never match their crooked heads, no offense. I’m sure you’ve seen such people. And poor barber if he doesn’t get the style right.

“Don’t rush, take your time, to make sure that haircut counts.”

Every man will tell you that he knows his hair style is messed up or not right from the first stroke the barber puts on his head. And no man likes it when a barber he has visited several times asks him how he should shave him. That’s an instant warning sign that things are likely to go south.

Haircuts and hair styles give a man a certain edge. They ensure that he carries with him a commanding aura. You can tell a man likes his haircut simply by watching his body language.

A good haircut gives you a different walking style, puts a mischievous smile on your face, and ensures that your body posture is steady and confident.

It is also part a parcel of your dress code. It complements it. Putting a final fine touch that communicates your masculinity. Some people even go as far as having a different haircut for every outfit. Which I would not advice, unless you are very sure and you have a trustworthy barber. Most of these barbers are simply out to make a living, they have no consideration for your style whatsoever. The only style they are aware of is “Jordan.” But again, who doesn’t. Even a blind man can pull that style off.

There are however several factors to consider before arriving at one or two haircuts. Some of these factors are social, physical and even financial. Keep it locked to find out. It’s quite interesting.

“Clean cut that is both simple and trendy.”

Till next time, I leave you with this saying, “ a good barber is one that you only tell once how you would like to be shaved and he gets it.”

Easter Gift!!!

 

 

 

Why women are so obsessed with your shoes.

“I’m a gentleman who is here to do business.”

“I love your shoes!!!” I have heard women use those words on my friend Okafor, more times than I can remember. And for a long time I thought it was because he was a Nigerian, and you know how kenyan women are with those guys. No offence nor pan intended.

I remember some years back, I was still a young boy with an appetite for life. I loved shopping. I still do, but not with the same vigor and attitude that I possessed back then. So I went and made myself a legal or should I say illegal owner of a number of clothes, some of them designers from the likes of, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Balmain. Courtesy of a wrong mobile money transfer from an unknown number. Don’t judge me, I bet you’ve benefited from the same, if not, you’ve thought about it, which makes you just as guilty.

“I’m easy going and approachable.”

Anyway I know that might seem like a good thing, a blessing even, but far from it. Something tragic also happened on that day. I forgot or rather, my cash ran out before I could buy SHOES!!! Please don’t laugh coz it not funny. Really!!! It’s not, at least not after you hear my predicaments thereafter.

Given the only thing I lucked were SHOES, I used the little money I had to buy some cheap ones. Two pairs to be exact. That was the beginning to my end!!! That’s the day I noticed women start looking at you from your feet up, and not vice versa. And you can imagine the disaster they found when they did that to me. I’ve purposely choose not to mention the culprits for reasons of confidentiality. Something was obviously amiss. Cool outfits, wrong shoes.

” If a woman opens your closet n sees these babies, tell me what she’ll  think?”

I don’t want to continue with my sad narrative, coz trust me the rest of it is too embarrassing, I’m sure you already have the picture, but just so you know, I got no lady as I had initially positively anticipated, and the only one that talked to me, simply wanted one of my designer shirts for her brother, can you imagine!!! So sick!!! Right!!!! No mercy nor remorse at all. Pure cold blooded.

That incidence drove me to find out exactly, what’s women with men shoes? What is it that they see when they look at them? Or is it simply something they use as an ice breaker to conversations? What I found blew my mind.

“I can smell the confidence in this man.”

Women are capable of reading a lot from your shoes. They take a quick glance at them and immediately, you either score of loose points. Note, good SHOES is not a guarantee thou’ that you’ve nailed it, far from it. You have to complete the puzzle with the right outfit. Yes! It’s a good appetizer. But don’t raise the lady’s appetite only to spoil it with something weird up stairs. You make her think, you either borrowed the clothes or worse, you shop lifted them.

Shoes are the foundation to a man’s dressing. They tell a lady whether you are fashionable, stable, trustworthy, spendthrift, handy, caring, stingy, talented, sporty and so much more. Like my friend Okafor, the ladies loved him. Not that he was a smooth operator, or something, quite the contrary. He simply invested in good shoes and took his time looking after them.

Due to the seriousness of the matter I took my time to sample a few shoes and what women see when they spot you in them.
1. Desert boots: A woman is able to deduce that you are a guy whose detailed but not at all flashy.

2. Driving mocks: This ones the lady will simply glance once and know that you are a guy who knows style, but at the same time is capable of high maintenance because those things require some tender love and care, believe me.

3. Sandal with socks: Haha! Please just allow me to laugh first. Frankly, personality I hate these staff, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them. But for the ones who do, this is what a woman will see, lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Please for heaven’s sake don’t ever try it!!!

4. Lace-up Oxfords: Damn! I really lovee these niggas. If you do too, then the next time you wear them this is what she will see, that you are a gentleman, and not just a gentleman but one who means business, interesting right! hehe!!!

5. Air Jordan: now as much as I love these shoes I hardly wear them, in fact I can’t remember when last I owned them, so if you are looking for a gift for me, you’ve just found one. So what do they see in these babies: They see that you are a serious sneakers head, who can easily stand her up just because you were in line waiting for the latest arrivals.

Let just leave it there for today, I will tell you more about other types of shoes later including those converse you love so much, timberlands, Sperry boat shoes and so on, you can even comment with suggestions.
PS. The next time you want to shop, please start with nothing else but SHOES! SHOES! SHOES!! And do take a lady friend with you, she’ll come in handy believe me.

As the saying goes “ a man is only as good as the SHOES he wears.”

”what can possibly go wrong”

Why you should allow her to dress you.

“If she tells you to remove it, listen to her.”

Any woman will agree with me that they like it when their men dress in a particular way. And even better when she’s the one who has recommended that outfit.

I will tell you a short story. Two years ago I was dating this girl, she knew very little about fashion, but had everything to say about the same, female news anchors suffered the most. She would go, “what is this woman wearing!!! My goodness!!! She would have chosen a yellow top to match her yellow shoes!!! Who dresses these women, jeeezz!!!”

All I did was listen, never thought I would be a victim one day. And it wasn’t long. It was on a Christmas eve, it’s still very vivid in my head. We were to go meet her lady friends, she wanted to introduce me to them. So I showed and dressed. And believe me I nailed it, or rather that’s what I thought, because clearly she had other ideas. She was waiting in the living room. “What do you think?” I asked. The only response I got was silence. Then when she finally spoke, this is what she said, “are you sure that’s what you want to wear!!
Trust me from the way it was asked, I knew the question was purely rhetorical!! I went back and changed, the rest as they say is history.

“Smart casual allows you to catch up on news without looking too serious.”

I know some men are already silently if not loudly condemning me as being weak, but they are sailing the same boat. This is what I will say, the next time your lady looks at your outfit with a certain eye, or asks a question, or takes time before she comments about what you are wearing, act with immediate effect. It’s a red SIGN!!!

Why is it a red SIGN though? This is because women have a very sensitive instinct, they can smell that you are not comfortable in what you are wearing, and no woman wants to walk with a man who’s not comfortable with himself. Because when you are comfortable, you are confident. And women worship a confident man.

Women also understand you better, more than you understand yourself actually. They know what’s best for you but because you want to be the man, make all the decisions, especially those that concern you, you choose to remain rigid, thinking that she wants to change you, yet in reality she’s after your own interest.

So if you want to understand your personality better, listen to your woman, because most women fall in love with your personality which is who you are. See also https://akubrafashion.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/if-it-feels-good-wear-it

Till next time I hope you enjoy this article.
As one fashion designer likes to put it, “Your body speaks, what you wear communicates”

“A comfortable man oozes confidence and women adore a confident man”

Personality and your Dress code

When an accountant walks past you, it’s very easy to know he’s an accountant, same applies to a teacher, a lawyer, engineer, carpenter, model, Dj, socialite a pastor e.t.c. And do you know why?

The answer lies in the way they dress.
Since that’s their social life, it defines who they are, what they wear, how they talk, walk and even surprisingly, expressions that they use. If you remember in my last article we said that, one of the attributes of personality was social interactions; see more thttps://akubrafashion.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/if-it-feels-good-wear-it.

That is, who he/she regularly hangs out with, what he/she does on a daily basis, is she an introvert or an extrovert and so on. For instance, what do you think would happen if a teacher went to a class dressed as a Dj? Off course nothing stops him. But why do you think he wouldn’t dare?

I will tell you why. There’s only one reason he wouldn’t, and it’s coz it simply doesn’t feel right!!
He will look at himself on the mirror, smile and like whatever he sees, but deep inside he will have that tangling feeling, nagging him, telling him to remove it. This has happened to you too I’m sure. I know it has to me.

A woman once told me, “I love a man who smells like coffee”

Yes the Dj clothes are perfect, he’d probably look great and charming to the young teenagers. But the truth is, he wouldn’t be comfortable, that’s the truth. See also https://www.bustle.com/articles/64781-6-amazing-results-of-feeling-confident-in-what-you-wear-otherwise-known-as-ensemble-empowerment

Understanding once self is crucial towards ensuring that cloths look good on you. Noticed I said, “cloths look good on you” and not “you look good in cloth” I say this because that’s where we all get it wrong.
Everyday we struggle with trying to look good in the cloths we wear, but the reality is, we should be striving to ensure that cloths look good on us.

I know you’ve probably heard of the phrase “ he would even make rags look good.” If this phrase has been used on you, please give yourself a thumps up, coz my brother, you’ve managed to push through the fashion membrane.

What does this mean though; (to push through the fashion membrane) It simply means you’ve studied yourself, undertaking a series of trial and error. Trying hard to understand yourself and what works for you. Such that you can take a single glance at lets say shoes or a dress, a trouser and just know this will definitely do it for me without even trying it on. And vice versa.

Believe me I would love to go on coz there’s so much to say but we’ll have that time. However I’m leaving you with this one advice. Please understand yourself. That is, your personality, and that means, your beliefs, moral value traditions, your environment, age, your profession, friends and so on, coz trust me they have a serious effect on how cloths look on you. Then through trial and error, dress that personality. And you’ll know when you’ve finally done it.
Thanks for stopping by! We shall delve more on this on our next article.
Lastly, there’s is nothing good to a woman than a man who look good and knows it!!

 

if it feels good, wear it!!!

 Have you ever bought someone an outfit which they  never wore? If your answer is yes, don’t you worry, you are not alone. I have been through that myself more times than you can imagine.

But do you know why this happened? well, according to lead fashion designers like, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, and Donna Karan, it has nothing to do with the outfit you bought but everything to do with personality!!!

Everyone has a personality, and according to wiki, Personality is a set of individual differences that are affected by the development of an individual: values, attitudes, personal memories, social relationships, habits, and skill. cloths are supposed to communicate either or all of these attributes

That’s why understanding this information is very crucial towards ensuring that someone will like whatever he/she wears. Believe me, all that cloths do is communicate! communicate! communicate!

Off coarse, that which they communicate can either be positive of embarrassingly negative, and nobody wants the latter.

Anyway lemme cut this story shot. This is my first post and I don’t want to say much, however there is so much that I have to tell you about getting it right! Trust me, there is a lot more to understand before you can get kudos! for every outfit you put on. But for now lets just say, if it feels good, wear it!!

Confidence is key for every man that intends to be a winner.

Outfit is a simple chinese collar t-shirt, slimfit jeans, and official brown leather shoes  Accessories: A watch, Akubra hat, and light brown sun glasses.

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