Why the ‘80s could be the perfect focus for your next fashion makeover

Let’s face it: when people talk about something being “straight out of the ‘80s”, it isn’t always complementary. Whether they’re referring to your mobile phone or home décor, the decade so often conjures up images of ill-advised brashness and excess. The same has often been said of the fashion of the time – not for no reason was the ‘80s described as the decade that style forgot. In theory, then, does this period offer much hope as a source of inspiration for your fashion makeover, even if you are getting help from Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com)?

Actually, our answer would be a resounding yes. This is, after all, a pretty fascinating, if tumultuous decade for prospective clients of stylists in London to study. With Margaret Thatcher in power on this side of the pond and Ronald Reagan seizing the American presidency in ‘81, the free love of the ‘70s was firmly over – hastened by the emergence of AIDS/HIV. Economic policies in major Western nations became laissez-faire once more, while the widespread famine in Ethiopia led to high profile fundraising efforts like the Live Aid concert in 1985.

Indeed, any prospective client of our fashion stylists in London only needs to look at the guest list of that concert to identify a few of the bona fide style icons that emerged in that decade. Among those on stage was Madonna, whose explosion to prominence with hits like “Material Girl” and “Like a Virgin” drew attention to what would become enduring motifs of ‘80s style – from her pink, dyed hair and torn stockings to string vest and multiple bangles. Neon brights, studded jewellery and denim pencil skirts are among the Queen of Pop’s ‘80s fashion staples which have come back into fashion in recent years, albeit withn a suitably early 21^st century twist.

Few women could come near Madonna for outrageousness as the ‘80s progressed, but one undoubted rival on that front was Jamaican singer, actress and supermodel Grace Jones, who complemented her prodigious height of almost six feet and razor-sharp cheekbones with a power dressing, giant shoulder pad look that seemed to scream ‘80s. Grace completely fit the bill of the stronger, edgier woman who was emerging at this time, collaborating with some of the greats of art and fashion such as Andy Warhol and Jean Paul Goude, as well as being a suitably villainous Bond girl in A View to a Kill.

Demi Moore, Christy Turlington, Princess Diana and Stephanie Seymour were just some of the many other women proving that the ‘80s were far from a fashion wilderness, and that’s before you consider men like Rick James, Morrissey and the suitably ‘blinged’ BA Baracus, better known as the A-Team’s Mr T. Thankfully, recent reinterpretations of ‘80s styles do tend to be more tasteful than the originals, but the period is nonetheless a rich mine of inspiration for major fashion labels.

The personal shopper services in London from Shikkuu Guides can help you tap into trends from the past in a stylish rather than referential way. Find out more at http://www.shikkuuguides.com. 

Turn to Shikkuu Guides for a corporate ‘day out’ with a difference

We all want to look good – of course we do. Even if you are an overworked executive who has never so much as glanced towards a rack of fashion magazines in your life, you’ll have probably at least stopped in front of the reflection of a shop window on the way to work, perhaps admiring your hair a bit before carrying on your merry way. But what if our renowned fashionstylists in London here at Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) could give not only you, but also all of your employees, the style revival of a lifetime?

Shikkuu Guides has assembled a great set of corporate packages and opportunities based around our unparalleled style expertise, whether you and your employees are concerted fashionistas or actually pretty ‘green’ about the whole thing. You may have recently considered the best team building exercises, for example, and are looking for something a bit different to white water rafting for a change. Well, now’s your opportunity!

All members of your team, whether male or female, humble support staff or top executive, could gain from the services of a style advisor in London. Our styling sessions are informal, interactive and informative, but above all, fun. It is during such sessions that participants can be advised on the looks that best work for them, both in and outside the office. As is the case with our non-corporate sessions, we consider personal size and shape before imparting style advice which is tailored to you. From a corporate point of view that will keep you and your employees looking good for those vital client meetings, interviews and networking events – as well as the usual busy Monday morning.

We can give you and your employees a style makeover that takes into account your firm’s existing dress code, whether it is business casual, smart casual or involves a consistent uniform. We also consider individuals’ budgets, as well as, of course, how they actually want to look and what kind of thing they actually want to wear. Not only will your team members know how to look better as a result of our experts’ advice, but they’ll feel better as a result, and that definitely translates into greater productivity and better results for your firm. Who said a styling and grooming session was just a vanity investment, eh?

Our corporate packages are available to companies of all sizes and sectors, and can be a great way of treating employees and clients alike. We tailor the content and timing of our fashion makeover sessions to the real, practical needs of your financially stretched and time-poor business, offering half and full day events as well as evening sessions. Get in touch with Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) now for more information about how our fashion know-how could bring real benefits to your firm.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Why fashion stylists are becoming so mainstream - even amid a recession

Not so long ago, if a friend of yours suggested getting in touch with a fashion stylist in London, you might have given them a double take. After all, you might have reasoned, you're no catwalk model or rock star! In more recent times, though, chances are that you will have at least stroked your chin in interest. In fact, it may only have been a matter of money which has stopped you getting in touch with a firm like Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) in the first place, mistakenly thinking that their services are the preserve of the wealthy.

However, there's no question of the mainstream nature of fashion stylists in London these days. TV programmes like What Not To Wear and How To Look Good Naked have made the average man and woman more aware of the ways in which they, too, can be so much more confident simply as a result of the right personal fashion choices. Indeed, that word 'personal' is very much the key one, with the emphasis being on clothing that really suits you and flaunts what you are all about, instead of a 'one size fits all' approach.

These days, many of us would even be insulted by the suggestion that only mollycoddled 'stars' should make use of a style advisor in London. The bottom line is that we all deserve to look and feel good, and that's all the more possible when you have someone by your side who carefully considers such factors as your size, body shape and lifestyle in the assembly of the perfect wardrobe for you - and only you. Here at Shikkuu Guides, our services range from personal shopping and personal style and image sessions to wardrobe reviews, colour consultations and make up lessons in London.

"But ah", you might object. "Why should I invest in something as indulgent as a fashion stylist, when I'm not sure whether I'll even have a job next week?" It's true that no company or individual is entirely immune to the economic uncertainty that has prevailed around the UK in recent years, and you may believe that services like ours are something of a vanity investment.

In truth, though, style and confidence really are things that matter in solid, real world terms. People who are constantly smiling and happy and wearing the right things tend to be considerably more successful in life as a whole. Chances are, they have more friends, make a better impression at interviews and get that all-important job. Indeed, you could even ask us for advice on the right clothing and make-up for said interviews! However, personal style matters just as much if you are merely 'hobnobbing' at an art gallery opening or conference, looking for that important next contact.

Plus, we all need a bit of escapism in our lives in tough times, and who wouldn't love the escapism of a complete, personal fashion makeover? It could soon be yours, and at a remarkably competitive price, if you get in touch with the experts at Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) today.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What use is a personal shopper service to a man?

Shopping for clothes has traditionally been seen as a woman's pastime, and certainly if you are a man, you may still have a miscellany of excuses for your own failure to update that wardrobe that is oh-so-2004. Maybe you just see shopping as a chore rather than a source of enjoyment, or perhaps you're overwhelmed by the options or think that your girlfriend is better off buying your shirts. It's understandable, then, that you might not necessarily be convinced at first by the personal shopper services in London of Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com).

After all, if it's the women who are likely to be as enthusiastic about fashion as you and your male friends are about football, a personal shopper in London would surely be the preserve of women...or so you'd believe. In truth, the long-established strengths of personal shopper services - such as the ability that they give to better narrow down the many clothing options - have plenty of applicability to the male dilemma about clothes shopping. After all, as soon as you book your personal shopping experience with us, we'll get a stylist to discuss your needs over the phone, so that you are thoroughly prepared.

The range of subjects that you may discuss during this initial 'style consultation' can include your overall aim for your personal shopping session, as well as your size and body type and any specific areas, brands or stores that have caught your eye, and that could therefore be incorporated into the shopping trip. This preparation helps to avoid one of the things that men hate most about clothes shopping - the constant waiting around while their partner idly sifts through the clothes racks. A fashion makeover with us is about being purposeful and making the most of the time that you have with us.

We charge an affordable fee for several hours of personal shopping, and we're confident that you'll soon have a wardrobe to be proud of; one that is both timeless and subtly respectful of current trends. We carefully consider your own tastes and needs, including your budget, and you aren't obliged to buy anything if you can't find anything that you truly want to buy.

The stores that are to be visited are planned out as soon as the initial style consultation is over. For an extra fee, you can even book a personal style and image session with one of our stylists in London, learning how to select a style, cut and colour that perfectly suits your own body type and skin tone. A wardrobe review and colour consultation is also available. Certainly, if the increasing popularity of these services among men is anything to go by, that metrosexual image of years past is becoming more out of date by the day!

Contact Shikkuu Guides at http://www.shikkuuguides.com now for more information on how our services could finally get you loving shopping as a man.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Why should you choose an independent personal shopper?

If you’ve given yourself a few moments to peruse the Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) website, you’ll have hopefully got a basic grasp of what our personal shoppers do. Essentially, in conjunction with our other services like personal styling, make up lessons and wardrobe reviews, our personal shopper in London will work hard to ensure that your wardrobe is firmly 2013, albeit tailored to how you truly want to look, by giving you the complete and well-prepared retail tour of London.

There is, however, another obvious contender in the personal shopper stakes...the personal shopper who is tied to a particular high street store. This is how high street stores have responded to the phenomenon of independent personal shopper services in London, like ours, and taking advantage of this new option is certainly tempting, especially if you have a particular favourite store. However, we would at least give you several caveats before you go for this option.

Firstly, the most obvious point: a high street personal shopper is firmly motivated by the interests of their employer. That means that it is in their interests to get you to spend as much as possible in that given store, and you’ll have probably guessed that this doesn’t necessarily exactly correspond with your own interests. Such a personal shopper is therefore likely to be very familiar with the store’s own ranges, even possibly pairing together the same items for you as they did for their last few clients – who may have had very different requirements to you.

This may mean you come out of the experience with an outfit that may look good enough in isolation, but which isn’t really the perfect match to your own needs or what you might have been hoping for. After all, when you’re spending money not only on a personal shopper but also potentially on a style advisor in London, you’ll want every detail to be perfect. If a particular outfit isn’t quite right, you’ll want your personal shopper to be sufficiently independent to suggest that you look elsewhere first.

This naturally brings us onto the advantages of choosing an independent personal shopper to give you your fashion makeover. Here at Shikkuu Guides, our personal shoppers are perfectly trained to hunt out the clothes and accessories that are an exact match to you and your personal style – and lifestyle. We fully consider such aspects as your body shape, personality, daily lifestyle and, of course, budget. Above all else, we pay attention to your own sense of style, never selecting outfits that you are not comfortable with wearing. Nor are you obliged to spend a single penny if you don’t want to – the affordable fee aside.

Of course, it would be remiss of us to suggest that personal shopper services in London with connections to high stores do not have their benefits. They do – but we’re also confident that you’ll find an independent, tailored service like that of Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) to be the superior option.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

The rise of Street Style; time to raise your game!

You don’t have to be a leading fashion stylist in London to have heard about ‘Street Style’. The last few years has seen the rise of this global phenomenon: fashion bloggers snapping normal yet stylish people out and about in the street and people copying these looks all around the world. More than just another way to while away hours on the internet, Street Style blogs actually mean that anyone who wants to be stylish now has to raise their game! Allow Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com/) to explain...

Such is the phenomenon of Street Style that even many of the top glossy fashion magazines now feature a section dedicated to the photos of non-model/non-celebrities looking super stylish out on the street. Like most fashion fans, here at Shikkuu Guides we’re big fans of Street Style for lots of reasons. For instance, it’s created lots of great fashion blogs by talented individuals who may not have found success through the old-school channels of designing, styling, fashion photography or fashion journalism. It also celebrates the fact that style is all about a personal approach, rather than having to wear certain designer clothes or stick slavishly to fads which may not suit you. It’s also brilliantly democratic: you’ll see people of all ages, genders and nationalities on Street Style blogs, wearing everything from couture to vintage, high street to hand-me-downs.

So why does the rise of Street Style mean we have to raise our game in the sartorial stakes? In short, there is no longer any excuse for any of us to look less than our best. Can’t afford designer clothes or even fashion magazines? Street Style blogs are free and daily posting makes for endless, free inspiration, while many don’t feature designer clothes at all! Want to look stylish but aren’t really into keeping up with fashion? A quick browse through Street Style blogs, as well as keeping up with updates on the Shikku Guides blog and via Twitter of course, means you can tap into trends and learn how to play with colours, proportions and accessories to great effect.

Not so long ago, we only had to worry about that one cool friend showing us up in the style stakes – you know, that one friend who always looks effortlessly cool, who seems to know exactly what suits them and rarely puts a fashion step wrong? Unfortunately, Street Style now brings hundreds of these types to our attention every single week! And even if you choose to never look at a Street Style blog in your life, we can assure you that millions around the world do, every day, so the style stakes out on your local street have been raised whether you like it or not!

The answer, for those of you who feel you may need a helping hand in this area, is faster, easier and more affordable than you think. Simply book an appointment with one of our fashion makeover experts and stylists in London here at Shikkuu Guides and within a matter of hours you’ll have the keys to unlocking your very own personal style; a style worthy of any great Street Style blog, so get photo ready! For full details, go to http://www.shikkuuguides.com/.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com/) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

New Year, new wardrobe, new you!

The New Year is a great time to take stock of all sorts of things, not least your personal style. Come January, most of us will be trying to lose a few pounds and look a little better after the excesses of the festive season, but for those who want to go that bit further and really raise their game in the style stakes, Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com/) is here to help. Our Wardrobe Review service will give you not only a new wardrobe, but a whole new you.

If you’re struggling to find clothes which suit you; if you’ve been wearing the same styles for years; if your wardrobe reflects a completely different person than the one you’ve become; or if you simply don’t know where to start when it comes to fashion, fear not! Our Wardrobe Review is both a fashion makeover (letting you in on the latest on-trend, must-have pieces) and style makeover (giving you tips on how to bring out your own personal style), not to mention being highly practical. After we’ve given you a couple of hours of our expert wisdom, you’ll have a compartmentalised, organised, and fantastic wardrobe which will work for you – months ahead of spring cleaning season!

It’s one thing to flick through fashion magazines, but quite another to translate what you see to your own wardrobe. Whether you’re a new mum, a career woman, a young fashionista in the making, or an older lady wanting to dress appropriately but fashionably, our style advisor in London will tailor their advice to you. Our team will take a look at the pieces in your existing wardrobe, talk to you about your daily life and your goals for personal style, before giving practical and specific tips which will transform not only your wardrobe but the very way you shop and dress.

And don’t worry, you don’t have to find a budget for a whole new wardrobe; while we will of course advise on which key pieces you should add, it’s also about editing down what you have and making your current clothes work for you, by wearing them in new ways, accessorising, and working with shape, fit and colour.

Take a look at the Shikkuu Guides website at http://www.shikkuuguides.com/ for the surprisingly affordable rates of our Wardrobe Review, as well as our other style services which will help you tap into a whole new you. Happy New Year, Happy New You!

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com/) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.