Britons have long been excited by weatherproof clothing and we love Barbour more than any other

Christmas Day in Sunderland, and 13 year-old Alice has just unwrapped a navy Barbour jacket, made eight miles down the road in South Shields. A horse-mad teen, Alice wore her present to death, cleaning it with a tin of Barbour wax when it smelt too much of stables. When she went to university, her horse was sold, but her jacket remained in circulation, worn by family members until a few years ago, when Alice, now in her 50s and living in London, decided to take ownership again.  

Now a successful lawyer, Alice, could just as easily have chosen to upgrade her childhood Barbour with a souped-up version by Chloe, the fabled Parisian label who is the latest to collaborate with the 128 year-old brand, and whose “Dani” wax trench coat currently sells for £1,880. She could equally have purchased a £699 padded Barbour by the London-based designer Roksanda Ilincic, or an “Elizabeth”, a long line jacket by Alexa Chung, the model turned designer whose seventh collection for Barbour is in stores.  

That Alice eschewed these options in favour of her 40-year-old favourite illustrates the quintessence of Barbour’s success, and the reason it has endured where so many other British businesses have failed. A Barbour is for life. Not many British brands can boast of being family-owned, never mind for a fifth generation. Nor can many boast of being genuinely sustainable: in 2021, the company celebrated “a centenary of re-waxing”, one way it encourages customers to extend the life of existing Barbours via its cleaning and repairing service. Prices for a re-wax start at £35.  

Barbour’s “make do and mend” ethos was a core message decades before sustainability became fashionable, and is one of the reasons the brand is so beloved by thrifty Brits, who love nothing more than passing down an heirloom, be it a watch or jacket. 

If you are British, the chances are that you will have a Barbour lurking somewhere in your house. We are a nation of outerwear lovers, a trait borne partly out of necessity – our climate dictates it – but partly out of predilection, too. Where Italians are excited by handbags, we are excited by waterproof jackets, our pulses quickening when we find a winter coat that will help us weather the storms.

For the brand’s legion of fans, a Barbour is as British as fish and chips, and equally down to earth. It may have three royal warrants, and have been beloved by the Queen, but it’s just as beloved by agricultural workers, who value its protective qualities, and office workers, who adopt it as a symbol of affluence. From Edinburgh to Edmonton, Barbour’s ubiquity among City workers has led to its quilted iteration being dubbed “the most heterosexual jacket alive.”

One could equally argue that it’s the most middle-class jacket alive. Hugely popular among the Royal Family, King Charles, the Princess Royal and the Princess of Wales are all fans, as was a young Lady Diana Spencer. For second-homers with a country bolthole, a Barbour is as integral a part of their weekend look as a labrador, or a pair of Hunter wellies.

A large part of Barbour’s appeal is that it offers an attainable type of luxury, while remaining pleasingly unpretentious. It might collaborate with fashion designers, but at its core Barbour remains utilitarian, which is what makes it such a hit at festivals. 

Kate Moss, Stella McCartney, Sienna Miller and Lily Allen are a handful of celebrities who have been spotted at Glastonbury wearing Barbours throughout the years, with Chung’s festival allegiance – and selling power – leading the company to approach her to collaborate. “Growing up in Hampshire, a waxed Barbour was part of my trusty childhood uniform, and has been part of my wardrobe ever since,” she says. “I’ve been wearing them for as long as I can remember.”

Like jeans, Barbours are neither in nor out of fashion, which gives designers a fairly free rein.

“It’s this versatility that I love, as well as their incredible heritage and craftsmanship,” says Roksanda Ilincic. “Their archive dates back to 1948 - and I loved the idea of adding a modern take to their much-loved heritage.”

And what a heritage it is; a British love story that dates back to 1894, when John Barbour, a Scotsman from Galloway, opened the first Barbour store in South Shields, selling oilskins to protect the area’s growing community of sailors, fisherman and dockers. 

In 1908, his son, Malcolm, introduced the first Barbour catalogue, expanding the business worldwide via mail order, an initiative that saw orders coming in from as far as Chile and New Zealand. In 1936, John’s grandson, Duncan - a keen motorcyclist – introduced a one-piece motorcycle suit, leading to the creation of Barbour International, which still exists as a brand. Called to war in 1939, Duncan’s wife, Nancy, took over the running of the business, developing the Ursula suit, which became standard issue for members of the Submarine Service. In 1964, Nancy took over as chairman, and was succeeded in 1972 by her daughter-in-law, Margaret.

Now 82, Dame Margaret (CBE, DBE) is something of a legend, a past president of the Royal Warrant Holders Association (the first woman to hold the position) who in 1988 set up the Barbour Foundation to support charities in the North East of England. Over £26 million has been donated to date. In 1999, she and her daughter, Helen, established a Women’s Fund to deliver benefit and social wellbeing to women in her local Tyne & Wear. An honorary doctor of the University of Sunderland and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, she’s equally passionate about supporting the local economy.

While rapid global expansion in 2000 necessitated shifting some manufacturing to Europe and Asia, Barbour’s most popular waxed jackets, the Bedale and the Beaufort, continue to be made in the same South Shields factory that was built in 1957, with around 120,000 being manufactured a year. Repairs and rewaxing services are all carried out from there. While the brand is currently sold in 55 countries, its core operation is still in South Shields.

Happily for locals, it’s a company that’s thriving. In 2020, the latest year for which figures are available, revenues rose by £17.6m to £242.8m, an impressive 7.8 per cent, especially during a pandemic. Nor are these figures likely to wane: with quality, sustainability and durability currently front of mind for everyone, Barbour’s time is now. By doing what it has always done, and staying true to its principles, it really is the best of British. 

Do you own a Barbour? Why do you think the brand has stood the test of time? Please let us know in the comments below

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