Barbour is a British brand founded in 1894 and which has become a symbol of English casual thanks to the garments frequently worn by the Royal family. With its iconic and timeless waterproof outerwear, Barbour is a symbol of British style, with a wide range of loyal customers. Iconic garments of the Barbour men's clothing collection are the waxed and waterproof jackets, lined in tartan and in midi or maxi length, as well as quilted jackets and gilets, casual shirts, often also in tartan or check, polo shirts, t-shirts and knitwear. The men's line also includes trousers, in velvet or in colors similar to nature up to men's accessories, with bags and backpacks, leather or woven fabric belts, hats and gloves. Also for the Barbour women's clothing collection you can find the classic waxed jackets with corduroy collars, quilted jackets with fur, a selection of knitwear, checked, patterned or corduroy shirts, up to trousers from jeans, jumpsuits or maxi skirts. Leather or fabric bags, backpacks, wool, fisherman or fedora hats and gloves are also offered in the women's accessories line as well as in the men's line.
Barbour's identity is based on the ability of the garments produced to protect against bad weather, while still providing comfort for work. The idea of practical sense and the constant themes related to travel soon led to its evolution, thus becoming, as Helen Barbour says, "the best British heritage brand”, concept used also for Malcolm Barbour's slogans, such as the well-known "The best British clothing for the worst British weather”. Great popularity was also conferred on it by the numerous prominent personalities who made Barbour garments iconic pieces of history, first of all the members of the English Royal family, from the Bedale worn by Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh to Lady Diana, often photographed with the Barbour jacket, up to Kate Middelton together with Prince William and obviously Elizabeth II, who also gave the brand special awards. The iconic jacket is also present in the history of music or cinema, worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall, and brought back into vogue among the younger generation by the Netflix series "The Crown". A brand committed to social and environmental issues, in 2019 it launched Re-Loved, in collaboration with Ganni, a project that allows you to return jackets that are no longer used, obtaining credit.
The history of Barbour, founded by John Barbour, starts from the opening of J Barbour & Sons in South Shields, first creating waxed jackets and then dressing bikers. It was then in 1930 that the Thornproof fabric was introduced, less rigid than the previous oilskin and more comfortable to wear. Always family-run company, after John Barbour his brother Jack took over, then Malcolm Barbour, the brand's first designer. It was in 1972 that Margaret Barbour, later joined by her daughter Helen, was appointed president, transforming the brand into an international fashion icon. Among the prominent collaborations we find the one with Vans, Noah and with Alexa Chung. Barbour confirms itself unaffected by lighter fashions, in fact the garments initially produced, with a coastal style and called Beacon, have been repeatedly reinterpreted in a contemporary key, as for the SS2020 collection, which retains the neo preppy style, a symbol of elegance still vintage, while still maintaining the iconic traits such as the game smell of the fabrics, a reference to humidity.
