How to Buy a Barbour Jacket, According to Brits
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Barbours are increasingly popular among Cotswolds-fantasizing Americans, although it’s possible that the Brits arequietly making fun of us for it. These waxed-cotton jackets were originally designed for use by fishermen and sailors in the late-19th century, but their recognizably tartan-lined designs became an upper-middle-class status symbol in the 1980s and ’90s, when Dame Margaret Barbour took creative control of the brand and started marketing it toward the preppy Sloane Ranger set (most famous member: Princess Diana).
Class connotations aside, true Barbour devotees say that ease of wear and repair forms the main appeal of these jackets. Unlike syntheticraincoatsthat lose their waterproofing over time, Barbours can be re-waxed over the course of decades, and any fabric tears are easily patched or sewn up. They can even outlive their original owners if properly maintained.
With gray, London-esque April skies overhead here in New York, I asked longtime Barbour wearers, stockists, and repair specialists from across the pond how to buy one without looking like a tosser.
Keep it simple and buy a Bedale or a Beaufort
Barbour has expanded beyond its core range in recent years, collaborating with the likes of Alexa Chung, Margaret Howell, Ganni, and Paul Smith to come up with trendy trench coats made from showerproof non-waxed fabric in fun prints. But everybody I spoke with for this story insisted that the safest choice is still one of the original designs. “The most recognizable is the Bedale, followed closely by the Beaufort,” says Ashley Hoare, brand manager at waxed-jacket-repair-specialistOily Jackin Kent. “Both are practical, mid-length jackets originally designed for outdoor use.” He adds that green is the most traditional colorway that “most people picture when they think of British-countryside style, and it ages particularly well over time.”
The Bedale and (slightly longer and drapier) Beaufort are both technicallysold in men’s sizing only; the brand makes a similar yet more tailored style, the Beadnell, for women. “But with the fashion being for more oversize jackets, plenty of women opt for the Bedale,” says Sara Jeffrey, co-owner of family-run Barbour retailerCox the Saddlerin Buckinghamshire. She adds that taller people might also prefer longer jackets like the Classic Northumbia or the Border. Ryan Mallinson, founder of the waxed-jacket-reproofing and vintage-resale storeMallin & Sonin West Yorkshire, is personally a fan of the long-yet-boxy Solway style, which also dates back decades.
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The hood is optional and probably unnecessary
Although designed to be worn in a famously miserable climate, the most classic Barbours come without hoods. While you can spend another $55 for a button-on one, it’s not essential, says Mallinson, who himself prefers to wear a flat cap or wool fisherman’s beanie. “If you were to ask me me how many jackets come into our workshop with a detachable hood, I would say 5 percent,” says Hoare. “It’s not that the quality is low or the design is bad. They just don’t seem to be a priority to own or use.”
Jeffrey is more pro-hood but points out that it’s hard to color-match your hood and jacket, as they will be “perpetually at different points in their re-waxing journeys.” She also likes Barbour’s waxed-cotton bucket hats.
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The hidden hunting pocket holds more than just pheasant
Barbour’s Beaufort, Border, and Classic Northumbria jackets all have hidden game pockets that are large enough for, well, whichever bird you happen to shoot on your hunting expedition. These pockets offer surprisingly useful storage even if your aim isn’t so good, says Hoare, who calls them “a discreet backpack for daily essentials: hats, purses, even the odd bottle of wine.” As a parent, Mallinson finds his “poacher’s pocket” to be useful for housing a stash of wet wipes and snacks. And a recent customer of his came in for a jacket cleaning after filling one with salmon during a fishing trip.
If you want to shop secondhand, sniff first
It’s a subject of much discussion on theBarbour sub-Redditthat the brand no longer manufactures many of its jackets in England. The only 100 percent cotton, made-in-England styles still sold new are the aforementioned Beaufort and Bedale, with everything else containing at least some polyester and being outsourced to Moldova. Vintage and secondhand Barbours abound on eBay and Etsy, often affixed with those coveted “Made in England” labels. Again, this doesn’t necessarily signal a clear quality difference. “Older jackets often have a slightly heavier feel, but many newer ones are still made to a very good standard,” says Hoare. “The key with vintage is uniqueness — you could end up with something that’s undeniably yours in appearance.” Jeffrey adds, “I have handled Barbour jackets daily for around four decades, and it took me a couple of years to realize manufacture had been shifted abroad. This is in stark contrast to Hunter’s Wellington boots, for example, which, when production moved to China, were instantly distinguishable from their made-in-Scotland product in terms of quality.”
The best way to identify a genuine vintage Barbour is to take a look at the lining. Older jackets are lined with either yellow, green, and blue Dress Gordon tartan or a similarly distinctive red, white, and blue tartan, making them “readily distinguishable from jackets made this century,” says Jeffrey.
When buying secondhand, focus on “actual measurements over label size, as the different eras of jackets can vary massively,” advises Mallinson. “You should also ask about the smell. If it’s been stored away in a damp room for years, a Barbour can adopt a smell that some deem unwearable and can be hard to shift.”
The more worn in, the better
A brand-new Barbour jacket will be slightly shiny and tacky to the touch, gradually developing a more matte look and feel over time. This patinaisthe point, saysAudrey Kavanagh-Dowsett, co-owner of the West Village’s longtime British outpostTea & Sympathy. “Your jacket looks cooler the more it’s worn in. Walk through the streets of London at 5 p.m. on a Friday and it’s a sea of lads coming from the office in their suits with their Barbours chucked on, and they’re leaning against the side of the pub, getting them a bit messed up.”
Jeffrey has met farmers who’ll drive over their new Barbours with tractors to make them look more used. If you don’t have any harvesting equipment at your disposal, Barbour’s Classic line is made from rougher Sylkoil cotton, which has a more matte appearance straight out of the factory.
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But you should still re-wax regularly
As soon as your Barbour starts letting water through (usually at the shoulders), “it’s time for a re-wax,” says Jeffrey. Visit a Barbour store (Kavanagh-Dowsett takes her jacket to the Upper East Side one), mail it in, visit a third-party re-waxer, or bravely DIY with a tin of Barbour’s original water-repelling, puncture-preventing formula.
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And a few rival brands
It’s possible to buy a good-quality waxed jacket that wasn’t featured onThe Crown.Though less known overseas, Belstaff is another brand with a similar heritage to Barbour, and Mallinson also suggests taking a look at the waxy offerings of Peregrine and HebTroCo. As long as you like the look of your waxed jacket, the brand name matters less than how well it is made, says Hoare. “And whether it can be maintained and re-waxed over time, which is ultimately what gives these garments their longevity.”
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