David Beckham is more than a superstar footballer. Blessed with good looks, a pop star wife and a talent for self-promotion, Beckham is among the world's most influential fashion icons. Being David Beckham is now a lifestyle for many people!

Full Name: David Robert

Joseph Beckham

Date of Birth: 2nd May 1975

Place of Birth: Leytonstone, London

Height: 6 ft

Weight: 11st 9

Hair today, gone tomorrow

A change in the Beckham hairstyle is headline news.

His cornrow style, a series of parallel small plaits pulled tightly to the head, is the latest trend-setting cut that have included a Mohican, a skin head and an Alice band in the past two years.

So what's great about braids? They keep your hair tidy as you do not need to brush for 2 to 4 weeks and, above all, it looks good.

However there is always a price to pay for fashion and this case is no exception - it comes in the form of pain. Once the rows have been set, the tension on the roots can be very uncomfortable for a short time afterwards and can cause headaches.

I know a lot of fans will wish to copy their footballing hero and if you want to cause a stir this is the perfect summer style. It can last for up to three months and is very carefree.

You can get braids at loads of places in Beijing such as Tony & Guy (a Chinese-British hair stylist) and Eric Hairdressing & Beauty in Kerry Centre.

Beckham reputedly paid 450 pound (US$720) for his braids, but what can you expect to shell out for yours?

Well, we reckon you can get your hair braided for less than 600 yuan (US$72). Expect to be in the salon for up to 4 or 5 hours.

Best of the dressed

It often seems that David Beckham is as famous for his wardrobe as he is for his career in football. In recent years, we've seen hand-made shoes, Italian suits, leather trousers and silk sarongs. He does sport the odd diamond earring worth around 7,000 pound, a 50,000 pound wedding ring and a limited edition white-gold Panerai watch.

And, of course, the inimitable Prada moccasins.

So what to do ...

Wake up in your clothes, dust yourself down and prepare for battle: we're going shopping - Beckham style. Ports of call include Gucci (for leather jackets and belts), Fendi (for shirts and suits), and David's favourite off-the-pitch shoe store, Prada.

However, not everyone is earning 50,000 pounds a week like Beckham so it is important to know where you can buy good-quality clothes at cheaper prices.

Beijing Weekend suggests shopping at these locations:

Silk Market

Location: Dongdaqiao, Chaoyang District

Yaxiu Clothes Market

Location: West of Sanlitun North Bar Stree

Tattoo

Beckham has his elder son's name "Brooklyn," tattooed on his lower back, a large Angel on his upper back, his wife's name "Victoria" spelt (incorrectly) in Hindi on his left forearm and a Roman Numeral VII (seven) on his other arm.

And recently he has had the name of his second child tattooed on his back above the guardian angel.

About the Hindi tattoo of his wife's name, David said: "I wanted a new tattoo for ages but we agreed it would look tacky if I had Victoria just in English."

That's what has made David's tattoo special. Fancy one to express your individuality? You may find it in Beijing's few tattooing workshops:

Jipi Caihui

Location: 466 Dongsibei Dajie, Dongcheng District

Tel: 8404-4558

Just for kicks

T-shirt

The obvious beginning for Beckham's fans is to buy one of his Real Madrid shirts to wear about town. As Beckham has just joined the Spanish club, his new white jersey with the number 23 cannot be found in Beijing yet. However, online purchases through Chinese website www.eachnet.com are available. Vendors in Wenzhou, a city in East China's Zhejiang Province, are offering bulk purchases of replicas of the new shirt at 45 yuan (US$5.4) each.

Football shoes

Adidas Precision SG (left)

Changeable studded boot for soft ground as worn by David Beckham.

Adidas Pred Mainia

Mania XTRX FG Football Shoe. David Beckham's firm ground boot with all the Predator features in the same dynamic colourway.