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August 11, 2022 By Jonathan Leave a Comment
The Barbour jacket has become a fashionable item of urban wear, but the clothing had more humble origins as work-wear for fishermen, gamekeepers, and soldiers. Their adoption by motorbike riders in the 1930s was their first entry into a more glamorous world, and their reputation as reliable, long-lasting protective clothing hinged on the quality of the manufacturing and fabric. Originally made from oilcloth, they began to be made with an improved fabric – waxed cotton – in the 1930s. Today some are made with Teflon-coated fabrics. The firm has passed through five generations of the Barbour family, beginning when John Barbour opened the first shop in 1894 in the northeast of England. For much of its life, it has been, and remains, under the control of Barbour women, who were largely responsible for its move from utility to fashion. Unlike so many traditional businesses, it remains in the hands of the original family and still makes its products in the UK. The classic dark-green color, plaid lining, corduroy collar, patch pockets, and ring-pull zip have been copied, but never beaten as the iconic outdoor coat.
South Shields sits on the River Tyne, in the northeast of England. August is the driest month, and then you can expect rain or drizzle on only 11 days of the month. For the rest of the year, it is as likely to rain (or snow) on any given day as not. So it should not surprise us that oilcloth – a closely woven cotton fabric treated with linseed to make it waterproof – was the focus for a business venture undertaken in 1894 by John Barbour in that town. He opened a shop at 5 Market Place, South Shields, selling what was known at that time as ‘American cloth,’ imported from the USA. Cheap cotton from the fields and mills of the south was stretched out and first treated with gelatin before being doused with a mixture of flax seed oil and lead minerals. At that time, oilcloth was the only waterproof material available at a reasonable price as protective clothing for fishermen and outdoor workers. Leather was too expensive, and the rubber-coated fabric invented by Charles McIntosh was smelly, heavy, and inflexible. For comfort and movement, oil cloth was the best choice.
Like McIntosh, John Barbour was Scots, coming from Galloway, but little is known of his early life. By the early 20th century, he was successfully selling clothing made from his oilcloth, which he called ‘Slickoil’. Coats, trousers, jackets, and overalls were all made from it, with leather re-enforcements around the button-holes, leather binding of the seams to make them more waterproof, and a velvet collar for warmth and comfort. As the seams were still the weakest part, most likely to leak, a one-piece cape was often added over the shoulders.
When John’s sons Jack and Malcolm joined the firm in 1912, the business changed its name to Barbour and Sons Ltd. Malcolm realized that their market was too small for the firm to grow, so he developed a mail-order catalog. This was sent all over the world, from South America to Hong Kong, where ever the British were living, which often seemed to be places with plenty of rain. During WWI, Barbour coats were worn by cavalry officers in the trenches, and waterproof sleeping bags were added to the range. By 1917, 75% of the company’s business was being generated by its catalog. Their market was with everyone exposed to water, from officers in the merchant navy to hunters, fishermen, walkers, and even drivers, as early cars were often completely open to the elements. In 1918 John died, and Jack became Chairman of the company.
Oilcloth was by no means the perfect fabric. It did eventually become wet, and the color, which began as green from the lead added to the oil, gradually turned yellow. Indeed, this was the origin of the traditional yellow color associated with fishermen’s coats. In the 1920s a Scottish cotton mill called Webster’s developed a new fabric. The process was complex, requiring the participation of two other specialized businesses. The fabric was woven at Webster’s mill, then taken to Lancashire to be dyed. It then traveled to London, where it was treated with a solution containing copper salts, after which it returned to Lancashire to be waxed. From there, it went back to Webster’s, who controlled the sale and distribution of this waxed cotton fabric, which they marketed as ‘Japara.’ The dye process could produce two colors, black and olive green. The black was stable, but the olive varied considerably between batches. So to create a more consistent look for clothing made from it, a brown corduroy collar was added. Fishermen, farmers, and gamekeepers all adopted this new fabric, and Barbour’s began to use it for their clothing lines.
In 1928, Malcolm Barbour’s only son, Duncan, joined the firm following Jack’s resignation and the rise of Malcolm to the head of the business. Duncan was an enthusiast of the relatively new activity of motor-biking, and he saw a need for a protective, waterproof jacket for the sport. For the 1936 International Six Day Trials event, he designed a wax cotton jacket, and trouser combination called the Barbour International. It immediately became so popular that almost every British team up until 1977 wore it in its unchanged, original version. In the 1954 Six Day Trials event, over 70% of all the competitors wore one. In 1964, the International was won by the USA – everyone in the team wore the Barbour International suit, including the actor Steve McQueen. It was adopted by army motorcycle display teams, and 14 different police forces issued them to their motorcycle patrolmen. The publicity the firm gained was invaluable to its growth. The jacket of the 1936 suit is still sold today, with all the original features, including the buckled throat strap and a slanted map pocket for easy access while riding a bike.
With the outbreak of WWII, Duncan went to war, so Malcolm’s wife Nancy joined him to help run the business. Together they developed the Ursula suit, a jacket, and trouser combination, which became standard issue for submariners throughout of the war. Nancy stayed on after the war ended, and she became Chairman in 1963 when Malcolm died. In 1972 Nancy’s daughter Margaret became Chairman. Two years later, the firm received its first Royal Warrant from the Duke of Edinburgh as Manufacturers of Waterproof and Protective Clothing.
1980 was the year when the Bedale jacket was introduced. Designed as a lightweight riding jacket, with no belt and large pockets, it had the classic green plaid lining which had already been used for earlier items. Thornproof, it rapidly gained favor with hikers and gardeners, and its brown corduroy collar, zip front, and warm lining soon made it, and the similar Beaufort Jacket, the best-known and iconic Barbour jackets.
Through all this time, the original factory in South Shields was operating, but in 1981 a new factory was opened nearly, in Simonside. The jackets continue to be made by hand in that factory today. In 1982, a second Royal Warrant was given to the firm by Queen Elizabeth, and a third arrived from the Prince of Wales in 1988.
In America, Steve McQueen had worn the Barbour International in 1964, and a growing fan club had embraced the functional and reliable waxed cotton jackets. In response to this growing interest, the company opened Barbour Inc. in New Hampshire in 1987. The following year Barbour (Europe) Ltd. opened in Germany. Barbour France opened in Paris the next year. The character Jack McCoy, played by Sam Waterson in the 1990s TV show ‘Law & Order’ could often be seen leaving the courthouse with a Barbour jacket over his suit.
By 1997 the firm was well established, and the fifth generation of the Barbour family joined, with Helen Barbour becoming Vice Chairman. In the new century, Barbour jackets solidly migrated from the countryside into the city and could be seen as often on rock musicians and executives as on riders and gardeners. 2008 saw a radical departure with the development of the prize-winning Linhope 3-in-1 shooting jacket using a new, Teflon-coated fabric to replace the traditional waxed cotton. The firm continues to win awards and honors, and it has expanded its clothing range to include knitwear and shirts. Today there are numerous competitors making waxed cotton coats and jackets, with Australia offering especially fierce competition, but Barbour still retains their edge as the premium brand – with prices reflecting that. Today the company remains in the private hands of the family, with Margaret still at the helm and sales approaching £150 million a year.
Barbour has 30 own-name stores around the world, with stores in London in Covent Garden, Regent Street, Piccadilly, Carnaby Street, and Leadenhall Market. There is a factory outlet in South Shields, Tyne & Wear. You can also order the readily online.
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Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile with an obsession for Britain that borders on psychosis. Anglotopia is his passionate side-gig and he's always dreaming of his next trip to England, wishing he lived there - specifically Dorset.
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