There's no doubt that a rich bronze tan can do wonders for your appearance. Since many of us cant afford to go on holiday this year, a new survey has discovered that one in five sunbed users will be using them even more this summer. But how safe are they and what price are you prepared to pay to look good this summer?!?

Lets put it this way: Eight minutes on a sunbed with no sunscreen on is much worse than spending a whole day in the sun applying sunscreen regularly. It is crucial that you always wear a high SPF. A sunbed is an intense blast of radiation and you have no protection on your skin. Plus sunbeds damage skin tissue which causes premature ageing?!? Now isn't that defeating the purpose of looking good in the first place?!?

Fashicon brings you an alternative and much safer way of looking your best this summer. They offer you clothing and accessories from a hand-picked bunch of forward thinking brands such as Proper English, Junk de Luxe, Boxfresh, Villain, Modern Amusement, and Aem`Kei. Now you can enjoy the precious days in the sun and cover up with the best from Fashicon.co.uk. Looking good has never come at such a low price! Visit Fashicon today and trust us on the sunscreen!

The beatniks are the original motive for Junk de Luxe. In the US the beat generation was inspired by writers and poets who made existentialism popular. The young generation of fans gave rise to a whole new suit of armour: beards, torn and loose sweaters, loose turtleneck collars, worn slacks or jeans, crumpled corduroy jackets and shirts set of by unshined shoes. English tailoring became part of street wear existentialism and statements. Second hand fashion was born?!?

Junk de Luxe brings you street fashion with a hint of Savile Row tradition – and on top of that a dash of Rock´n Roll. Clean cut, authentic, and always of high quality, each garment is designed to stand on its own as a unique piece, rather than being designed according to trends or fashion clichés.

Junk de Luxe is designed to highlight your personality without overshadowing it.

Fashion changes but style remains, and Junk de Luxe walks the fine line with their designs. Visit www.fashicon.co.uk today and experience the art of combination with our Junk de Luxe range.

Keeping in touch is what we love to do, we are always looking out for the next big thing in fashion and when we find it we like to share.

The Internet is all about information and the sharing of resources and knowledge. If you haven’t already seen us on twitter then check us out here, we would love to have you as a follower and to follow you.

If you would like to contribute to any of our blogs or be a part of the Fashicon movement then drop us an email.

Our newsletters are beginning to kick up a bit of a storm and we have had great feedback. Every month we send out a completely different style of newsletter informing you of the latest brands. We refuse to send out the same tired email month on month – Fashicon is constantly changing and so are we.

Feel free to take a look at some of our recent mailshots:

The Business: https://www.fashicon.co.uk/news/business/index.php

Fila Vintage

Fila Gold

Spring and Summer Polo Collections

If you would like to receive these directly to your mailbox then please visit the site and enter your email address at the top of the page, look forward to hearing from you soon.

Fashicon are celebrating our 1st Birthday and would love to share our celebrations with you. Click here to view our latest newsletter – you may just find a little pressie all wrapped up and waiting for you!

With the current financial crisis seeming to get worse by the day it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the rising cost of everything. All life’s basic necessities such as food, heat and petrol have risen dramatically in the last 12 months meaning that shopping for more pleasurable items such as clothes has been put on the back burner!!

Here at Fashicon we are trying to lighten the load a little on some of your wardrobe essentials. Not only do we have the smallest prices around – we have now increased the number of products on offer in our sale at a massive 50% reduction!!!

We have a huge selection of menswear on offer in our sale covering everything from t-shirts and shirts, to jumpers and jackets. All your favourite brand names are included too such as Boxfresh, Junk de Luxe, Gabicci Vintage, Modern Amusement and Fila Gold so you can afford to treat yourself without breaking the bank!!!!

For a limited time only we are offering free recorded delivery too on all orders!!! Simply shop as normal and just select the free recorded delivery option when you checkout, and we will dispatch your order with no postage charge!!

Why not take a look at our website at www.fashicon.co.uk and start saving today!?!

There’s nothing worse than serving someone the finest Cristal champagne when they can’t tell the difference between champagne and Asti Spumante!?! On the other hand, it would be fantastic if you could plate up a cheap spaghetti Bolognese and fool all your guests into thinking it was a gourmet meal!?! Well the same rules can be applied to your wardrobe (sort of!?!) Pay more for the items that people will see and cut back on the items that can be hidden - like your socks.

Although it can prove difficult to successfully achieve the right balance between cheap and chic – it can be done if you know what to look for!?! So read on to discover our top 5 tips on how to create a champagne look on a cava budget!?!?

1. More and more shirts are now being designed with cufflink holes instead of buttons, offering a great opportunity to add a little touch of your own personality to your outfit. It’s the little details that count the most and few other items of clothing can add so much instant class and polish to your look, so it’s always worth splashing the cash on a quality set of cufflinks.

2. This season promises to be a year when coats will shine in a variety of styles and shapes. A stylish coat is a real fashion essential as its one of the first things people will see when you walk through a door. Splurging on one quality coat or jacket is always worthwhile as it will be worn almost daily and can make less expensive clothes look better designed!!?

3. If you invest in one good quality classic cut suit then it will last you for the next decade at least. Always choose a dark colour and it will see you through every kind of social or work engagement in style, while the overall look of the suit can easily be changed by adding a different shirt or tie as required.

4. Spend wisely on your accessories and they can be a fantastic wardrobe staple. A well chosen quality belt, watch or wallet will last you for years and will help to smarten up your look in an instant.

5. Since your wardrobe probably only requires one or two pairs of ultra cool jeans, make sure you choose your designer denim carefully. Stick to darker washes without too many flashy details and your investment will reap dividends and compliments for years to come.

Here at Fashicon we stock only the very latest and best designs and all at ridiculously low prices too!?! So, if you fancy checking out one of the internet’s biggest fashion secrets - why not take a look at our website at www.fashicon.co.uk today?!?!

Checks are going to be everywhere again this season after big designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Dries Van Noten featured them heavily during their catwalk shows. Like every fashion trend though it’s very easy to get wrong and if you go a check too far then you’ll look more cowboy than haute couture!?!

So, here at Fashicon we are asking that age old question: Is it really possible to wear checks without looking like a cowboy?!?!

Men’s checked shirts have always looked great when teamed with jeans, and this season there are some very subtly coloured versions available which are bang on trend. Men of any age look great in checks and a carefully selected shirt will bring your wardrobe up to date in an instant. Take the Godfrey shirt from Farah Vintage, a classic design which has been brought right up to date with the coloured check detail and will look great teamed with either jeans or trousers, giving you an instant suaveness without looking like you’ve tried too hard!?!

In the case of checks – it always pays to remember that less is most definitely more, and if you start to look like you’ve lost your bagpipes then it’s time to tone it down!?!

If you like the idea of keeping up to date with the very latest menswear trends, but would prefer not to be the laughing stock of the town when you go out – why not check out our website at www.fashicon.co.uk for some ideas?!?

For a limited time only we are offering free recorded delivery on all orders!!! Simply shop as normal and just select the free recorded delivery option when you checkout, and we will dispatch your order with no postage charge!!

Here at Fashicon we are trying to lighten the load a little on some of your wardrobe essentials too. Not only do we have the smallest prices around – we have now increased the number of products on offer in our sale at a massive 50% reduction!!!

Fashicon – observe the masses and do the opposite!!! Check out our website at www.fashicon.co.uk and pick up a bargain today!?!

In the words of Mark Morrison, spring is most definitely the season to welcome back the return of the Mac!?! I seriously risk showing my age here as this song was a huge hit way back in 1997, and while it’s a fair assumption to make that he wasn’t actually singing about men’s fashion – have you heard the lyrics to ‘Return of the Mac’ he could be singing about absolutely anything!?!?

This season the Mac is a real fashion hot pick and has been seen all over the catwalks being featured by designers such as Burberry and Valentino. A quality Mac really is a failsafe item of clothing as it looks effortlessly stylish and goes with just about anything in your wardrobe due to its classic design. The cut really is the key to the Mac’s universal success as what other item in your wardrobe manages to look just as good with a suit and a tie, as it does when worn with jeans and a t-shirt?!?!

Style icons as diverse as Sean Connery and David Beckham have been snapped wearing a Mac as it really is a timeless wardrobe classic that won’t date and will suit any age. To avoid dressing like your Dad, choose a double breasted Mac in a dark navy or black and go for a laid back look by layering over jeans and trainers. If you invest in one key piece of clothing for this spring/summer season – make it a Mac as it really will last you for years.

The Mac is far more unusual and adaptable than any jacket so investing in a classic design will really see you through a multitude of social situations and fashion seasons in style!?!? Here at Fashicon we have all the very latest designs to choose from so why not check out our website at www.fashicon.co.uk and upgrade that tattered old denim jacket to a cool and stylish Mac today?!?

Following on from my previous post listing the unspoken rules to follow for dress down Friday, I thought it would also be a good idea to list the things not to wear to the office if you would a) like to keep your job, and b) not look like a plank in front of your colleagues!?!

So take a sneaky peek at the list below and make sure you haven’t got something criminal picked out to wear to the office next week!?!

1. Although these are liberated times, you can dress too casually for the office. Any type of beachwear or flip flops is strictly taboo on dress down Friday and should never be worn!?!

2. Another taboo is clubbing wear, so make sure you keep those velvet hot pants and see through shirt for the weekends only!?!

3. Jogging pants, tracksuit bottoms and sweat pants are far too casual for the office and should definitely be kept for trips to the gym only. Track jackets are the exception to the rule as these can look really stylish when teamed with jeans and a t-shirt or polo.

4. Dress down Friday is no excuse for sloppy habits either, so make sure your clothes are ironed as casual does not equal slack!?!

5. Finally, make sure your choice of t-shirt will not offend. You may know that the witty and slightly risqué slogan emblazoned across the front of your t-shirt is taken from the lyrics of your favourite heavy metal band, but your work colleagues, and more importantly your boss may not realise this!?!

Always remember it takes just three seconds to form an opinion about someone, so ask yourself what you want your colleagues to think about you at a glance!?!

If you need some inspiration for the next dress down Friday, why not check out our website at www.fashicon.co.uk – and I can guarantee you will be receiving compliments and not criticism come Friday!?!