Keycals Keyboard Stickers

These colourful key stickers by Kidecals would make a nice gift idea for Christmas, "very Pinterest" as they say. I'm sticking the mint green ones straight on my wishlist. Keycals are available in several colours and patterns here.

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AW Selection @ Harvey Nichols

Oliver Spencer Two-Tone Jacket, Hentsch Man Wool Jumper, YMC Stitch Shirt, Bike Repair Shop Cord/Cotton Trousers, Norse Projects Stripe T-Shirt, Jet 8 Reversible Jacket, Paul Smith Wooly Hat, Katie Eary Skateboard Deck.

We're slap bang in the middle of Autumn now, as I write this the hailstone is hitting against the window and brollies are being made redundant due to the insanely windy condition. It does make me wonder why everyone longs for Autumn to arrive. It's ok when you're wrapped up warm, sitting near a fire but once it's upon us it doesn't make for a smooth ride, at least in the UK anyway.

With that being said the colder weather does brings plenty more clothing options. Sure there's still that guy who's too stubborn to stop wearing shorts but for the rest of us it's time to layer up. Harvey Nichols recently got in touch and asked me to pick out some of my favourites bits from their current AW collection:

I tried select a few pieces that would all work together, minus the skateboard of course. This wool Harrington Jacket by Oliver Spencer stood out with its unusual circular pocket detail and would be perfect for layering over the Hentsch Man Knit and royal blue YMC shirt. The Bike Repair Shop trousers make a nice change from denim; thick enough for cooler days, with the added details of the reinforced cord waistband, decent for the daily commute. Sweatshirts are Winter's best friend and you can't go wrong with grey, stick this Norse Projects Stripe T-Shirt underneath and you're set. I'd wear it with the Jet 8 Reversible Jacket (not a brand I'm familiar with), a basic t-shirt and the PS wooly hat. The job's a good'un. I've added in the Katie Eary skateboard deck because it's cool as hell, and whilst I still can't skateboard it would look pretty smashing on my wall.

What items are you looking for the Autumn/Winter, or are you sticking to what you've already got?

All items are available at Harvey Nichols.

size? Giveaway - Due to a couple of technical hitches the size? giveaway will now be back online over the next few days. Sorry about this guys, but all entries will be carried over and none will be lost.

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Drink Up - Adnams Innovation Review

Having tried a few of Adnams' beers in the past I was pleased to see a new one appear in the local supermarket. I spotted it when I was doing my weekly rounds and got sucked in by the label, so I thought it I'd give it a shot.

Details - Adnams Innovation is a classic IPA which packs a right punch. Coming in at 6.7% Abv, it's not overly strong but it's so flavoursome that you could easily be tricked into thinking it's more potent ale. It's one is for the hoppy fans, plenty of fruit with a distinct tangy aftertaste that won't be forgotten in a hurry. Highly recommended.

Adnams Innovation can be found in the "regional ales" section in supermarkets and is currently on offer at Booths in North West, England for £1.50 per bottle.

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Harry Stedman x Golden Bear Varsity Jacket

I'll make no apologies for the amount of American made products and sportswear that's featured on the blog of late, it's just the way my personal tastes seem to be gravitating, but for good reason. Today's post is another fine example, as Harry Stedman have just released their version of the classic 1950's varsity jacket. Available in two versions, Slim (Grey) and Classic (Forest Green, boxy fit), the Varsity Jacket has been produced in collaboration with renowned outerwear manufactures, Golden Bear. 

Designed in Harry Stedman's London studio and made at Golden Bear's prestigious San Francisco factory, the Varsity Jacket is an excellent example of a classic menswear garment being brought up to date (slimmer body/shoulders). Perfect for winter, the jacket itself is made from a mix of wool, nylon and leather, quilted lining and traditional ribbed cuffs, hem and collar. They've kept things subtle, which is definitely the way to go with "archived" garments in my opinion. Lots of brands could take advice from this, instead of creating overly-designed pieces.

Readers of Buckets & Spades may remember the post on Harry Stedman's debut lookbook back in April and I've considered myself a fan of the brand ever since. Along with head designer at HS, Amy Greenland, my man Johnny Ridley had a hand in designing the jackets:

Buckets + Spades - What was the thought process when creating the Varsity Jacket?

Johnny Ridley - We got to pick the colours, silhouette, & fabric - Golden Bear made the rest possible. We opted for one collegiate & classic, the green/black, and one more contemporary in grey. Delivering two styles that would, in theory, appeal to two different consumers.

The Harry Stedman Varsity Jacket is available here.

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Santiago Salvador's People + Weekend Links

I've got Hollie to thank for this one, she'd pinned some of Santiago Salvador's "People" illustrations to one of her boards and they instantly made me smile. I can't quite describe what it is a like about them, something to do with their rainbow colours and weird sense of movement maybe. See more of his work by clicking the link above.

This week feels like it's been a productive one. I've been making plans to visit London next month for a couple of days (does anyone want to meet up?), photographing products for reviews, reluctantly joined a new gym, working the p/t job and on the blog. Couple of interesting links for you this week, I recommend checking out the first article, it's raises some interesting points. 

Have a good one guys.

Weekend Bucket List

Thought provoking post on quitting your blog and living a more private life.
Schoolboy Couture chats to photographer Garcon Jon.
A very funny tribute to Eddie Cochran, Vic + Bob style.
Ever tried Pumpkin Beer?
Lovely black + white photographs in Newcastle.
Payday treat to myself perhaps?
An interview I did recently for Proper Magazine.
Really like these two dressers, with nine different colours.
Manchester's own, Private White V.C kits out the Goodwood Revival.

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Weekly Round Up #1

 Clockwise - Carharrt Native Shirt c/o Pavilion Clothing, Levi's 511, Clarks Originals Desert Boots, Tintin Explorers on the Moon, Farah Vintage Jacket, Uniqlo Socks, Northern Goods Co. Key Clip.

Here's a new feature for the blog, a "Weekly Round Up" of all things good. I thought I'd take the opportunity to pick out a few essentials from the week, mostly things I've been wearing, but with a couple added curiosities for good measure. Here's this week's:

Tintin Explorers on the Moon - I'm obsessed with Tintin at the moment, the humor in the comics is just wonderful and the illustrations are very charming too. Ahead of his time, Herge was a genius in my opinion. You can pick usually up a cheap copy on Amazon, go!

Carhartt Native Shirt - This tasty piece was c/o my lead sponsors Pavilion Clothing and it's had a lot of compliments so far. The colours in the Carhartt Native Shirt really work and the material is super soft. It's roomy enough to wear as a layering piece/overshirt style or with a t-shirt and jacket. The fit is quite boxy so it's not for everyone, but suits me just fine. 

Northern Goods Co. Key Clip - A shameless plug but it's a great feeling using something everyday that you've designed yourself. This week I've given my Camo clip a rest, after 8 months of solid use and swapped it for our Kelly Green version.

I'd love to hear of your essentials and curiosities this week, feel free to share them in the comments below!

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Nike Flyknit Air Max + Thoughts on Customising

The soon to be released Nike Flyknit Air Max caught my eye this week, but in particular, it was the soles that I couldn't get out of my head. They're like a cross between Jelly Babies and ice cube trays, which is a bit off track, but it then got my thinking about the possibility of fully customiseable soles. Is this even a thing? If it's not then I could see it working in a similar way to the images above, different colours and patterns. What do you reckon, good idea?

The Flyknit Air Max brings together the super cushioning technology of the original Airmax and supportive, breathable and lightweight characteristics of the Flyknit. The upper features their Flywire lacing system, which add extra and stability (as seen on my Flyknit Lunar1+ outfit post a few weeks ago). Two of the soles above also belong to the AirMax 2014.

It seems like everyone's going crazy for the customisable vibes at the moment, I can definitely see the appeal though. It's a chance for adults to get back to their teenage roots without having to doodle on their backpacks! I came across this post on Style of Sport (really nice blog, well worth checking out) the other day talking about the variety of products available to customise, there's even swimming goggles on there! What's next?

The Nike Flyknit Airmax will be available from January 3rd, 2014, read more here.

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Buck Mason - American Classics

This week marks the launch of a new venture between to friends; two midwestern guys obsessed with classic design, local production and most importantly, quality products. Buck Mason is a new American menswear brand, co-founded by Erik Schnakenberg and Sasha Koehn, who both have fond memories from their childhood's, hoping to grow up and be just like their dads. The uniform of work jackets, flannel shirts, Levi's and Red Wing boots spurred on their desire to create simple, everyday garments which will stand up all year around.

Similar to The Chapar, Buck Mason has have made the shopping bit easy. As well as buying items from their collection individually they have put together Packages, which include six essential pieces to easily fit into your wardrobe. For example The Starter Kit includes basic tees, henleys, oxford shirts and denim, all the stuff that guys want to wear. The denim itself is a 14 oz Selvedge slim fit, made on a 1940's shuttle loom and constructed in LA. All of their products are made in the US, using locally sourced fabrics, however prices have been kept impressively affordable.

For more information visit Buck Mason, press play below to see their story.

  

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Topo Design x Woolrich Collection

Colorado based outdoors brand Topo Designs have hooked up with American fabric specialists Woolrich Woolen Mills to create a small collection, featuring some of their most popular products. The collection includes three pieces, the Kettlersack backpack, Duffle and handy Dopp Kit, which are all using Woolrich's distinctive woolen fabric and Topo's clever and practical design.

Each piece features a water resistant coated pack liner, durable red YKK zippers and signature bright coloured parachute hooks and are all constructed in Denver, Colorado. After featuring their Travel Bag on the blog a few months back it's been great to see Topo going from strength to strength, working alongside other established US brands, creating quality American made products. I'm also excited to see what's next for their range of apparel, the turquoise Fleece Jacket is something else. Topo, you rock.

View the full Topo x Woolrich collection here.

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Wedding Ideas - DIY Confetti Balloons

DIY Confetti Balloons via Studio DIY. I can't wait to show Hollie this, she's going to love it. Potentially a really cool idea for our wedding I reckon. Plus it looks pretty easy to recreate, so it's something I could actually lend a hand with. Win win. Does anyone remember the Balloon Invitation I made?

Visit Studio DIY for instructions.

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Instagram Polaroid Prints

First it was fridge magnets now I've had a go at turning Instagram images into Polaroid prints. When I was a teenager it was the done thing to buy a disposable camera each week, before heading into town on a Friday night, now most of my images just get collected on iPhoto. I actually can't remember the last time I printed off photos I've taken with a digital camera. Speaking of which, does anyone remember the Gamboy printer? It looks so dated now but I remember when everyone wanted one.

Printed are offering an Instagram printing service so I thought I'd give it a bash. They came out pretty good, with the advantage of Polaroid-style prints having extra space to make notes! Bless little Chole, she'll be going straight into a frame.

Use the code "BAS8371" to receive 20% off all Instagram Prints at Printed.

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My Favourite Fives on Proper Mag

My favourite place - Savannah, Georgia.

I'm pretty excited to share this with you today, Proper Mag recently interviewed me for their Favourite Fives series on their site. I'm sitting along side some pretty big names so I was extremely flattered to take part, as if they even know who I am?! Check out my Favourite Fives here.

You've still got a few days to enter the tuktuk Giveaway, you could win one of two shirts from their AW13 collection.

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Animal Illustrations by Josh Brill + Weekend Links

This series of illustrations by Josh Brill was a nice little mid-week find. There's something about their eyes that gives them a weird sense of life. I'm not talking rubbish honest, check them out for yourselves. They can be bought as prints from the link above.

This weekend I'm attempting to push myself a bit harder and get myself out for an early run, using the Can't vs Don't attitude (see below), I'll probably ruin in all with a takeaway later though. What's going down this weekend, is there anything interesting going on in your area?

Weekend Bucket List

Off to buy pumpkins to make this smoothie recipe.
Mamnick's new cycling shoes something else.
Can't vs Don't - An interesting way of trying to change habits.
Win a tuktuk AW13 shirt, Floral or Cord?
The Street Etiquette fellas recently travel to Johannesburg.
Really lovely wedding photography by Tom Ravenshear, I hope ours looks this nice!
Beautiful shots of Sapa in Vietnam.

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