Palace Theatre, Cambridge Circus

Philip wears vintage boots and jacket, Reiss chinos, and an ASOS cardigan.

Bouquet and a bicycle, Ravenscroft Park

Nick is the restaurant manager at Hawksmoor steakhouse. He wears Timberland boots, Topman jeans and shirt, blazer from Vietnam, and a Sandqvist rucksack.

Girls Who Read, Columbia Road

Even with the commotion of a busy flower market around the corner, it is still easy to lose yourself in a book. Clotilde is reading Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb.

Ruffians

Hair styling has never been my forte. When I was seven, I asked the barber for a grade three all over. School friends compared my new hairdo to a prickly hedgehog, although in hindsight, the term "skinhead" would have been more appropriate. When I was fifteen, I hoped to grow my hair like a rockstar, but it curled instead into an unflattering mullet. Then in sixth form, I thought it would be a great idea to grow a stupidly long emo fringe, but that soon met the scissors, when the tip fell into a spoon of cereal. 

Since then, I toyed with various hair products in the hopes of finding the perfect look, but with little avail. Hairdressers could not achieve the style I wanted, without my knowing what I wanted. Rather, what I needed was for somebody to have free reign over my head, to show me a style that suited.

Earlier this month, my wish was finally granted, when I was invited to Ruffians Barbers in Covent Garden. Following a friendly welcome and a complimentary drink, I took a seat in one of their blue leather, Takara Belmont chairs, and surrendered my mop to the magic of my barber. In short, the service was impeccable, the result was pristine, and the overall experience was charming.

Having received many a disappointing haircut in the past, I had always been grateful if I ever left a barbershop with a mildly satisfactory hairdo. The Ruffians team, on the other hand, exceeded all my expectations, with even a few quirky surprises thrown in for good measure. This is not your everyday trip to the barbers.

The appointment began with a short consultation, during which my barber - also named Joe - advised me on how we might achieve a style to suit my double-crowned cranium. He noticed my hair had a natural tendency to grow into a Beatles bowl-cut, which he planned to remedy with a vintage-inspired quiff, atop my usual short-back-and-sides.

As with any quality haircut, my hair was firstly prepared with a shampoo and condition. But rather than tipping my head backwards into the Belfast sink, I was surprisingly asked to lean forwards. Interestingly, a front wash was the traditional means of washing hair in the early twentieth century, but the chemicals from shampoos were often toxic, which led to illness and - in one particular instance at Harrods - even death. To prevent customers from inhaling the poisonous fumes, the head tilt was reversed. Nowadays, shampoos are relatively safe to use, although we might suffer from the occasional soapy eye.

When my hair was squeaky clean, my second surprise was a scalp massage. I couldn't say whether this was to prepare my head further, or simply to relax me, nevertheless it felt very pleasant. Who knew my head had been so tense? (Too much stressing, no doubt.)

Then came the main event, the haircut itself. From the moment I sat down at the cutting desk, I had given Joe complete creative licence over my coiffure, and now the fate of my hair was in his hands. My mop was chopped and trimmed with scissors and clippers, then styled with Ruffians' own products. All the while, I felt my hair was receiving the care and attention it deserved, rather than being manhandled in a ten-minute blitz.

The final result was more than I could have asked for, from the precision trim along the back and sides, to the swishy quiff at the front. Joe even tidied me up with a light vacuum, which was an unusual experience to say the least, but for the first time in my life, I had no stray hairs itching at my neck as I sat up from the chair.

Of course, a premium haircut such as this does not come cheap. You may consider £45 as steep, but if you are looking for an ordinary cut and blow dry, you should stick to your local hairdresser. Ruffians offer an intimate service, which has changed the way I look at having my hair cut. They also provide a similar service for beards, though it will be a long while yet before my fuzz-less face can even dream of booking itself in for a traditional, cut-throat razor shave.

A few weeks on, my hair is growing out well, having taken Joe's advice on how to maintain my look and prevent the bowl-cut from making an infamous return. Without sounding too cliché, my visit to Ruffians was the best haircut I have ever had, and considering the hereditary curse of baldness could catch up with me in as little as ten years' time, I'd say it is worth treating my hair while I still have it!

Special thanks to Adam Brady for taking photos, while I was otherwise preoccupied.

Shoreditch High Street, London

Spitalfields, London

Harry, architect, wears Nike trainers, Ben Sherman jeans, an Urban Outfitters jacket,
Gap shirt, and Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses.

Earlham Street, Seven Dials

Dennis studies a hard-hitting combo of Philosophy and Jewish Studies at King's College. He wears Nike shoes, Zara coat, and all else is from American Apparel.

A man and his machine, Hackney Road

I may know very little about motorbikes, but I do know that if you're serious about your cycle, you need the leathers to go with it. Just like this biker, who roared away before I could catch his name. Everything about him radiates an essence of cool.

Vogue Festival, London

Louise wears Acne boots, an H&M blouse, Monki coat, and Ray Ban sunglasses.

Gray, Vogue Festival

Lindy Bop blooms, Shoreditch

Dentistry student Elizabeth looks blooming lovely in her retro Lindy Bop dress and golden curls. She also wears Choice shoes, a vintage handbag, and a Fossil watch.

Lamb Street, Spitalfields

Brick Lane, London

I thought I'd trial some movement into my street style photography. Which pose do you prefer? Like shows us his interpretation of monochrome menswear, with a clean-cut finish and swept-back hairstyle.

Be An Original

When the folks at Original Penguin invited me to style an original, vintage-inspired look for their #BeAnOriginal campaign, I jumped at the chance to get my dapper on. But when putting together my chosen ensemble, I couldn't help pondering... Is there such a thing as original style any more?

NEXT OXFORD SHIRT / BEALES LEATHER BELT / TOPMAN TWEED TROUSERS
DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH / ORIGINAL PENGUIN TAN LEATHER BROGUES

With there being such a diverse culture of fashion, establishing a unique style is near to impossible. Despite the challenge set to me, my outfit is far from original. A white shirt is a staple of any man's wardrobe, tweed is the go-to material for vintage-esque fashion, and leather brogues are a gentleman's everyday shoes. Even if I were to throw on a patterned jumper and a trademark bow tie, it still wouldn't be a pinnacle of originality.

But style is a very personal quality. Although we may not have original looks, nobody else decides how we get dressed in the morning. We may be influenced by seasonal trends, but our fashion sense is tailored to our tastes and individuality, reflective of our lifestyles and - without sounding too deep - our inner selves. We wear what is comfortable, what makes us feel confident. As a street style photographer, I know this all too well.

All in all, I suppose "original style" isn't so much about creating a one-of-a-kind look as it is about the thoughts behind our looks, which are unique to each of us. I can't say if that is what Original Penguin were after when they set their brief, but it feels right to me.

City bound, Woking Station

The painter, Earlham Street

Twinks Burnett, Vogue Festival

Whether in Bournemouth, Brighton or London, it is such a delight to bump into Twinks. Her vibrant and eccentric style perfectly matches her fun and colourful personality, and she has one of the biggest smiles you may see. Her confidence and creative flair have seen her go from strength to strength as a talented stylist and accessories designer. I wouldn't put it past her to become a next generation icon of the fashion industry.

If you enjoy Twinks' style, please vote for her to win Harrods Live! All you have to do is visit the Harrods Facebook page and 'like' her catwalk photo. The winner will receive £1,000 to spend in-store, and I can think of nobody else more deserving. Go, go, go!

Great Portland Street, London

Southbank, London

Sofia, Vogue Festival

Smiley style blogger Sofia wears an elegant Valentino dress and Nursace shoes.

Thomas, Woking Station

Trigger happy, Vogue Festival

A charming scene between four photographers, on a sunny Vogue Festival weekend.
Left to right: Abdel Abdulai, Daniel Bruno Grandl, David Nyanzi and Andreea Bodgan.