From modest dresses to flesh-baring bikinis... it could only be the VMAs

If you're the kind of person who listens briefly to Radio 1, only to think, "does this pass for music these days?!", look away now - because in today's blog, the stylists in London of Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) are turning their attentions to a landmark event in the pop calendar that certainly attracted no shortage of gasps and outrage this time around. Yes, we're talking about the MTV Video Music Awards, where there was a fair amount of outrageous and jaw-dropping fashion, with some touches being less advisable than others for our ordinary clients!

The divas were certainly in full force at the event, and if we're honest, Lady Gaga's million-and-one costume changes mean that we really must start with her. From a yellow wig and shell bikini to leather skirts and face paint, it seems that the Fame Monster star took on more different looks than most of us could muster from our entire wardrobes. She almost looked what might be termed 'normal' when she arrived, but from the moment she took to the stage to open the show with a performance of her new single, "Applause", she showed why she remains such a favourite of many a London fashion stylist.

Gaga began her performance in an all-white nun outfit incorporating a humungous square headpiece that probably wouldn't satisfy health and safety requirements on your average London street, and she ended it in a floral thong and bikini made out of shells. Fittingly enough given the raunchy competition, it was a thong that fully exposed Gaga's behind, as nobody could fail to notice when she excitedly jumped up and out of her chair as Taylor Swift headed to the stage to accept her award in the Best Female Video category, for "I Knew You Were Trouble".

Such raunchy competition came in the form of 20 year old Miley Cyrus, who sported a bejewelled midriff baring trouser and top on the red carpet, later being seen in a cheeky cartoon leotard and finally, apparently just her bra and pants. Miley's 'twerking' performance in a nude PVC bikini shocked many viewers at least as much as Gaga's bum flash. 39 year old rapper Lil Kim's fashion choices weren't much more sedate, with her PVC mesh catsuit perfectly flaunting her curves, while Rita Ora turned up in a ridiculously long feather frock and Katy Perry, when she wasn't attracting photographers' notice with the garish gold grill on her teeth, opted for a tight fitting crop top and boxing shorts for the stage.

It all left Rihanna comparatively underwhelming in her little black dress and heels - even if her outfit was one that actual users of Shikkuu Guides' (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) personal shopper services in London might actually realistically aspire to! Certainly, the VMAs had no shortage of ludicrous fashions this year - and with the help of a style advisor in London, you may even want to incorporate a few inspiring elements, while keeping your overall wardrobe distinctly 'you'.

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.

Shikkuu Guides combines the best of online and offline shopping

In recent years there has been an increasing battle between the worlds of high street and Internet shopping – with the relative newcomer, the latter, apparently winning out. News headlines are blaze with the damage done to physical retailers by ‘showrooming’, the practice of finding a better deal for an item online after browsing for it in a high street store. People are increasingly asking about what Britain’s high streets will look like in years to come. In that context, where do the personalshopper services in London from Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) fit in?

First of all, it’s important to appreciate that we Britons have definitely not fallen out of love with the high street. We still love perusing our favourite fashion retailers, not least because of the sheer physicality of sifting through those racks, not to mention the fact that you can actually try on your latest find straight away, and carry it out of the shop immediately after purchasing. You can admire yourself in the mirror in the store’s changing rooms, and make sure that the garment that has caught your eye truly reflects your own sense of style, in addition to fitting well on your body.

There are so many other benefits to shopping on the high street that our fashion stylists in London really make the most of. After all, not only do we offer personal shopper services, but also personal style and image sessions, colour consultations and group tours and parties. What could be better than getting together with your friends for a group shopping tour in London, discovering new areas and hidden gems with the help of an informed retail tour guide? It certainly beats huddling around a computer or looking at your tablet computers on a ‘girly night in’.

But of course, there’s no denying that online shopping has its conveniences, too. You can often find what you want straight away through Google, without having to walk even a few hundred yards from one store to another – helped by the ‘recommendations’ that fashion websites offer. The Internet is also renowned for the bargains that it can bring. But wouldn’t you prefer to combine the joys of both online and offline shopping, with genuinely tailored fashion ideas being suggested to you by a human being, not a ‘one size fits all’ computer? Well, that’s certainly what a style advisor in London from Shikkuu Guides can offer.

We can give you genuinely informed suggestions on the basis of your size, body type and fashion preferences, finding the best styles available for your budget. It allows you to experience the wind in your hair doing “real” shopping, discovering many of the great fashions that would have completely passed you by if you depended entirely on the Internet. Contact our stylists in London now at http://www.shikkuuguides.com for a well-priced personal shopper experience that appeals to both your head and your heart.

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.

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.

Insider Secrets: men’s style makeovers

Admitting you need help in the style and personal grooming department didn’t used to be in the male vocabulary. In fact it used to be a badge of masculinity for the guys to claim they never gave their clothes a thought and their grooming was basic at best. Not any more, even the term ‘metrosexual male’ which referred to men who took grooming seriously, is outdated now, given that just about every man under the age of 50 takes great pride in their appearance. In the last of our series, here are some of the insider secrets of those who give men’s style makeovers, from leading personal shopping and stylists in London Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com/).

Get with the program! When carrying out a men style makeover, one of the first hurdles is to make men realise how much choice there is for them in both fashion and personal grooming in the 21^st century. A little education is often needed, as many men presume the high street, department stores and designers cater to women first and men as an afterthought. It’s simply not the case anymore, with the male fashion, accessories and grooming markets exploding in recent years. It’s the male stylist’s job to let their client into the (not-so!) secret!

Consider your image We know that deep down most young to middle-aged men look in the mirror as much as women these days, but that doesn’t mean they have given their image as much consideration as they should. Any men style makeover worth its salt will start with a consultation to take into account how the guy sees themselves and the image they want to convey. Outdoorsy and rugged? Suave and sophisticated? Wealthy and designer-label driven? Classic and tailored? Normally it doesn’t take long to realise that most men want to look a certain way, but have put little effort into doing it.

Update and evolve It’s true that men’s fashion involves a lot of classic pieces and tailoring which rarely goes out of style, but that doesn’t mean that men can afford to ignore trends completely. It’s a key area where men go wrong in the sartorial stakes – failing to update their wardrobe and evolve their personal style when needed. A men style makeover will help them do just that, editing their current wardrobe and helping them shop for key new looks, both investment pieces and more fashion-led items.

Unlock colour If some men still find the fashion world a little too feminine for their liking, then the use of colour is likely to put real fear into them. Another secret of the men’s stylist is unlocking the power of colour. That doesn’t mean including some jauntily coloured socks or a pastel-hued jumper knotted nonchalantly across the shoulders – colour can look modern, cool, subtle and – dare we say it – manly! It just needs to be done well and in keeping with the right  colours for the individual.

The men style makeover services from Shikkuu Guides includes the key to all these secrets and more, from image sessions to wardrobe reviews, colour consultations to personal shopper services in London. To find out more 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.