Barbour Outdoor Clothing > Reviews > Not just for the Horsey set

Author's product rating:   

Quality	Excellent
Style	Excellent
Durability	Excellent
Comfort/Safety	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Indestructable, and the only jacket you'll ever need
Disadvantages:	Expensive, but worth every penny

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Nothing quite sums up the British 'country set' as the ubiquitous waxed cotton 'Barbour' jacket.

The founder (John Barbour) was actually a Scotsman, and formed the company which bears his name in the Northumbrian port of North Shields, supplying oilskins for the fishing industry.

Over time, he diversified to provide a range of clothing which suited practically any outdoor pursuit where rain and harsh weather are important factors.

To this day, the company produce a vast array of clothing items mostly catering for the "huntin' shootin' and fishin" set - including jackets, trousers, shorts, gillets, hoods, equestrian gear etc.

It was only in the 1980s that the wax jacket became popularised in the 'yuppie bible'; 'The Sloan Ranger Handbook' in which - Barbour was the die-facto brand of choice.

This, predictably, resulted in thousand of generic copies, many produced in the far east, all featuring moss green waxed cotton, tartan lining, and big chunky zips.

The cost of the genuine article still remains a premium, typically £150, although cheaper and more expensive models are available, how come there's still a market for these, when you can typically pick up a 'copy' for about 25 quid at a local Sunday market? - simple - the same reason a Rolls Royce costs upwards of £50,000, and a family saloon can be bought for £5,000 - quality!

I regret to advise for several years I sported several of these 'lookie likie' garments, however after a year or so, they simply fell to bits on me, and refused to keep out the rain!

Barbour claim to use only the highest quality materials, long fibre Egyptian cotton, brass fittings (so it doesn't rust) woollen lining, and just to make sure the jacket stays in optimum condition, they offer a competitive repair and re-proofing service.

My own jacket, a 'Northumberland' has been in use now for around four years.

It is a three quarter length jacket, moss green, four pockets on the outside (two hand warmer pockets, two bellow pockets, with two draining eyelets) map pocket on the left side of the zip seam. It comes fitted with four eyelets concealed under the armpits for ventilation. Inside, the upper half of the jacket is lined in hard wearing woollen plaid, the bottom six inches is proofed nylon, again, with vent eyelets.

There is one inside pocket at the right hand side, kept closed with a Velcro tab, and two huge detachable 'poacher' pockets in the waterproof nylon - these have proved invaluable for bringing home sticky or moist items, such as fish suppers, kababs, or dare I say it, half drunk pints in glasses! - it also fits that other cultural icon of the 1980s; the Filofax!

The collar is brown corduroy, and features a 'storm fastening' which allows it to be tightly closed around the mouth and nose in foul weather.

There are several things which I like about my jacket;

First of all, it's timeless, they never go out of date, secondly, they are as equally acceptable forms of dress from a funeral to a Sunday afternoon walk in the country, they never look especially smart, so nobody minds the occasional spot of dirt, and they are practically indestructible.

What I especially like is the fact it's breathable- whilst it starts off heavy, and quite stiff, the cotton soon loosens up and becomes quite flexible. A shower of rain will cause the cotton fibres to expand and keep the rest of the wet out.

What isn't immediately obvious is the fact that cotton doesn't rustle in the same way that man made fibres do; of you are trying to do a bit of wildlife watching, there's nothing more off-putting than the 'swish'swish' of a nylon rain cheater to chase the animals and birds away.

This brings me on to about the only thing I find a little disconcerting; Barbour has been informally adopted by the 'countryside alliance' as the 'dress uniform' - whilst I've never been challenged, it's only a question of time I have to explain my 'anti blood-sport' views.

Barbour has been around for over a hundred years, and by there focus on quality of traditional materials, manufacturing processes, and after sales service, deserve to stay in business for at least another hundred more.