Parrallel Words in Japan by Jan Vranovsky

Tokyo based, Jan Vranovsky photographs modest, unassuming places across Japan. From deserted streets to industrial buildings, his images capture the calm, understated beauty in seemingly mundane spaces which are brought to life by incidental pattern or a striking pop of colour.

I've been itching to visit Japan for some time now. There's the savings jar that's been staring at me, just waiting to be filled. The text above, written by Richard Jeel, for Form&Thread (who make our favourite socks), just made that travel urge 20x stronger.

See more images from Jan Vranovsky's Parrallel Worlds project here.

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Giveaway | Win B&S January Package

It’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending when out shopping for things you love. Whether it’s a jacket you’ve had bookmarked since before Christmas or an impulse purchase on the way to the till, your tightly controlled budget can quickly be forgotten – and this happens just as much online as it does in shops.

With months of darker, colder evenings ahead, it can becomes all too easy for your energy bills to rise far beyond the expected – especially as there’s no price tag to keep you in check.  So, I wanted to show you how difficult it can be to keep a track of your spending without any idea of how much things cost.

With a little help from E.ON we've chosen a selection of items from across several of our favourite brands, for our latest giveaway. But what we want you to do is tell us just how much you think the total price comes to?

 How Much Is All This Worth? The Monocle Guide to Cosy Homes, Honest Skincare candle, Field Notes note pad x3, Form & Thread socks x3, Aesop handcream, Timex Weekender watch, Coco Chocolatier bar x3.

The closest to the correct total will win all of the goodies while, for everyone else, it may be a good time to start thinking about ways to keep an eye on your spending. Thankfully, for those of you wanting to get a grip on how much you spend on energy, help is at hand. E.ONs smart pay as you go meter allows you to keep tight control on how much you spend on energy, by showing exactly how much you’re using in real time. 

All of which means you’ll have some extra cash to spend on the things you really love. This one is open to UK only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This competition is brought to you in partnership with E.ON. See if you could save money with their gas and electricity deals today. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Outfit | Kickers 40th Anniversary Denim Kick Hi

Russell wears - Kickers Denim Kick Hi | Universal Works Jacket | ASOS Shirt | Barbour Chinos | Urban Industry T-Shirt | Form + Thread Socks

Growing up in the 90s was full-on awesome times. There were a few stand out things from my days in short trousers; inline skates, Pogs, Panini football stickers (trade you for a shiny?...) SM:TV, Zap ice lollies, WWF wrestling and Super Nintendo. But one name which you'll find high on many peoples' list is Kickers.

It was almost a rite of passage to get a fresh pair of Kickers come September time, and even from an early age I was more enthused by footwear than actually turning up for class on time. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Kickers Kick Hi boot, the brand have gone and created something to mark the occasion; a limited edition all denim Kick Hi. The Kick Hi's creator Daniel Raufast, originally designed the shoe to be worn with denim, and as a tribute to that sentiment the Kickers team have switched the meaning of the silhouette.

 Russell Wears - Same as before, with Harry Stedman Jacket | Reigning Champ Sweatshirt | Chronograph Watch c/o Timex

We've teamed up with the French brand to celebrate this milestone. As the Kickers boot reminds us so much of our childhood we thought we'd visit the location where those school days used to begin - the bus station. But not just your regular bus station, one which was named one of "Britain's ugliest buildings" - which happens to be one of my favourites. I love those razor-edged balconies. We also stopped by the city's newest coffee shop, Ham & Jam.

Thanks to my buddy Russ Erwin for letting me photography him. Look out for Part Two of our collaboration with Kickers, coming soon! #mykickers #kickhi40th

This post is in partnership with Kickers. Thank you for taking the time to support the brands + businesses that make this blog happen.

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Blogging | Where Are We Heading?

 Wearing - Jack Spade Chinos | Converse 1970s | Socks c/o Pennine Outdoorswear

I've got a full week of working from home coming up - with a few posts to write up and tons of photos to edit, while I also start to make plans for the next two months. One priority is to put the wheels in motion for our Euro road trip...too much talking and not enough doing on my part.

With a bit more time to organise myself this week it's got me thinking about what's next for me, and what the future holds for this blog. I've been working on the blog pretty much full time for about a year and a half now, and along with help from Hollie, Nik + Yasumi, we seem to have got a good thing going. A really good thing in fact, and your feedback has been amazing. It's hard work, but I'm having a blast meeting new people and opening up exciting opportunities.

Like with any project or job, I just need to check-in and make sure I'm on the right track and achieving my goals - I know a fresh new layout has been needed for some time. So this week you'll find me sitting at my desk, in comfy socks, ready to get stuff done!

What is next for Buckets? Only time will tell, but I know it's heading in a positive direction.

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Ideas | Fresh Socks with Pharmacie Goods

To me socks might be the perfect Christmas present I could receive. We're past the point where socks are just an afterthought to yet another unimaginative bundle from your only-see-once-every-blue-moon relative. Speed up to the last few years and it's hard to ignore that socks are huge deal. But I'm taking about the ones that will last through a good few winters at least, and not form holes are the first site of a boot. With imaginative patterns, interesting colour combos, stronger fabrics and an emphasis on sustainability sourced materials becoming common, I for one welcome another to the market.

And that's just what we have here. Pharmacie Goods caught my attention on the Twitter machine a few months ago - A monthly sock subscription service with an eye for quality and attention to detail. They like to keep things simple: One pair of socks delivered direct to your door, each month.

In Pharmacie Goods' co-owner Huw Devine's own words, "There are easier ways to produce socks. There are quicker processes to produce socks. And there are cheaper places to produce socks. But today, the 'how' matters as much as the 'what'....That's why we've built our collection in collaboration with a Northern Italian factory who have spent their life learning to craft socks - doing common things uncommonly well."

I'm lucky enough to have felt Pharmacie Goods' socks and they're something else. These guys ooze class + imagination. So as I was saying, the perfect gift for Christmas could well be a monthly sock subscription. Cough...

For more information on Pharmacie Goods visit here.

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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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Ayame @ Present

Where would we be without socks? We would have wet, cold feet for a start but I feel a damn sight better off knowing that I can pull on a decent pair of colourful socks whenever I need to.

Japanese brand Ayame do some of the best looking ones around and their Sock Monkeys are the bomb.

Available at Present.

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How To Wear...Checks

Wearing - Asos wool jacket, vtg army jacket, Levi's sweatshirt, Levi's Commuter 511, Clarks Desert Legend,

 Universal Works socks, Dents scarf

Wearing - Gap blazer, Albam Simple shirt, Levi's Commuter chinos, Clarks Desert Trek, Burlington Socks, M&S scarf

 Wearing - Albam Alpine Harrington, Carhartt check shirt, Lee jeans, New Balance 420, Uniqlo socks, Timex Weekender 

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Voucher Codes's Most Wanted magazine to take part in their latest consumer research challenge, "How To Wear...". Each participant was assigned one of this Spring's trends and was given the instruction to have a nosey around to highstreet to see what they could muster up. I was given Checks as my trend so I promptly headed into Manchester town centre to see what the highstreet had to offer. I knew I didn't just want to go for a load of check shirts so I searched for variants in the pattern. Along with items already in my wardrobe the 3 looks about is what I came up with. Three different looks with four different check.

The Dents scarf is a piece from last Christmas, picked up in TKMaxx, the second is a pair of Burlington Argyle Socks from Oi Polloi, which was worn with an old M&S check scarf and the third the Bangor Check Shirt picked up in the Carharrt store.

There's plenty of interesting checks out there on the highstreet, you just need to have a good search for them. Thanks to Voucher Codes for asking me to be apart of the challenge.

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