In the Hot Seat with Matthew Spade aka Buckets and Spades

Meet Matthew Spade, a freelance content creator who explores the lifestyle industry through his Buckets & Spades blog. He launched the website in 2008 to share his ideas on design, fashion and lifestyle and it has evolved into a visual diary, following Matthew and his team on their travels.

With a sharp eye for detail, the blog is a heady mix of design, architecture, style plus his edit of best food and drink from all over the globe. We caught up with him on this photoshoot in London to find out more about him and his love for menswear. Matthew wears Yogi Footwear Caden throughout.

Describe your personal style:

At the moment it’s all quite relaxed, lots of beige, khaki, navy and beige. Anything I buy tends to have a practical and utilitarian angle, with consideration to fabrics and the details (got to have loads of pockets). There’s a subtle nod to classic Americana too, which seems to hold it all together nicely. Slight streetwear, classic menswear, contemporary details….no idea how to actually describe my style in a sentence without waffling on...

What was the first item of clothing you ever bought for yourself?

Hmmm that I bought myself, I think it was a navy blue t-shirt that said homeboy on it, which a cartoon drawing of a house. It kinda reminded me of the Peanuts comics, which I guess is where a lot of my Americana reference come from (comics, pop-culture, films etc).

Any faux-pas you'd rather forget…?

I think making mistakes is as important as getting things right, so experimenting has always been something I’m keen to do. I’ve relaxed into my style but still try to try new things, even if it’s just a material. But as a faux-pas I’d say the white skinny jeans with bright pink stitching I made myself when I was at art collage - so tight I had to get my now-wife, Hollie, to tie my shoe laces. Oh boy.

Tell us about the oldest item in your wardrobe:

A pair of Japanese selvedge denim straight fit jeans by Albam or a wax Barbour jacket with a camo lining which was a Japanese-exclusive. Both totally worn out, but still wearable on the right occasion. Items that tell a story, right!

What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought, clothing-wise?

A indigo-dyed Noragi jacket I bought in Japan in 2016. It’s lightweight, fastens at the front with a mega nice mother of pearl button and fits me perfectly. They’ve becoming a bit of a thing at the moment it would seem. I reckon the conversion rate was about £200, so not a crazy amount for something so unusual I don’t think.

How do you style your Yogi shoes?

I just treat them as a would a pair of sneakers to be honest. I’ll be wearing them with straight fit chinos and denim, relaxed shorts, button down shorts and sweatshirts. Easy!

What do your Yogi shoes say about you?

That’s an interesting question; I reckon they probably feel quite terrace casual in a way, very Manchester, cos I guess that’s my roots (coming from Lancashire), but the rest of my gear it probably saying a guy who likes to stick to a uniform, and has fun with colour. I’d like to ask people the same question to be honest!

Yogi was born in the 90s, what were you doing, what were you wearing and what were you listening to back in the day?

I was born in 1985, so 90s was my formative years at school, playing out until it was bed time and hammering the streets on my roller blades with the local kids. Pre-internet times were great and I’m glad I was able to experience both sides at that age. Music was mixed; I was heavily into hip-hop as a young teen and it was pretty much all I listened too, but Brit-Pop and Grunge was unavoidable; from De La Soul and Eminem, to Supergrass and Suede, and even a bit of Spice Girls and Wigfield…anything was “it” back then.

I was wearing a lot of oversized American football tops, combat shorts and Nike Air Max.

This season you'll be wearing…

What I’m wearing here:
Cuban colour relaxed short sleeve shirt by Oliver Spencer
Any number of lightweight navy jackets
Cut off straight work trousers by Arket
Some form of ecru socks
Moscot sunglasses

I think I’ll be searching for more pieces in seersucker and linen, basically more stuff I don’t need to get the iron out for.

Who are your style heroes? 

I always like looking back and the dudes who were around in the 50s, both the teens in their modern stuff and the slightly older guys. I don’t think there’s really one person I could say, yea here’s the man, it’s more just people on the street, the guys unaffected by trends you see when you’re traveling and then people who just have something cool going on in stores and coffee shops.

The bonus icon could be Kramer from Seinfeld, because of his loose timeless style, love of pattern and the way he holds himself. Just a top guy!

What fragrance do you wear?

I tend to take it easy on fragrances but mostly I’ll be wearing Tacit by Aesop.

Which is the best dressed nation?

I’d say the Japanese have the right recipe, there’s a deep appreciation from the way you present yourself and a think those values seem to drop down to every generation regardless of trends.

Which Yogi shoes will you be adding to your Spring/Summer wardrobe?

I’d say the Caden Centre Seam in Olive I reckon, they’d be nice with tailored shorts and a long sleeve tee.

What can we expect to see for Autumn Winter? What trends have you seen coming through?

Oh you know what, I’m a bit rubbish with trends, but seeing as the cuban collar shirts are pretty big these past few seasons maybe a long sleeved version could be something to look out for. And for sure, lots of layers and loose fitting trousers.

Follow Matthew on Instagram and Twitter. 

Visit his website here. 

Shop Matthew's Yogi Caden shoes here.

Photos by Jake Millers.