MerkBritish
Barbour
1 actieve items
J. Barbour & Sons was established in 1894 by John Barbour, a Scottish-born merchant who settled in South Shields, a busy port town on the northeast coast of England. The location was no accident. South Shields was home to sailors, fishermen, dockers, and shipyard workers who needed clothing that could stand up to North Sea weather. Barbour's first products, sold under the Beacon Brand name, were oilskin coats, thick, wax-treated fabrics that kept working men dry. The company published its first mail-order catalogue in 1908, expanding the customer base well beyond the docks.
The material itself evolved significantly in the decades that followed. By the 1930s, Barbour had moved toward paraffin-impregnated cotton, which was softer and more practical than earlier oilskin but just as water-resistant. This shift toward waxed cotton became the technical foundation for everything the brand would later build. Around the same time, the company diversified into motorcycling gear. Duncan Barbour, John's grandson, designed a one-piece suit in 1936 and named it after the International Six-Day Trials, an off-road motorcycle race. Barbour International suits were worn by virtually every British international motorcycling team from 1936 until 1977.
The brand's most enduring garment, the Beaufort jacket, arrived in 1983. Designed by Dame Margaret Barbour, it featured a hip-length cut, tartan lining, large front pockets, and a full-length rear game pocket. The first Royal Warrant had already arrived from the Duke of Edinburgh in 1974, followed by one from Queen Elizabeth II in 1982 and the Prince of Wales in 1987. The British royal family's long association with Barbour, worn on estates, at country shows, and during informal public appearances, gave the brand a cultural legibility that advertising money could not buy.
Barbour has always maintained repair and rewaxing services at its South Shields headquarters, which reinforces the brand's argument that its jackets are not seasonal purchases but durable objects that can last decades with proper care. This emphasis on longevity sits alongside a heritage-driven design philosophy that the brand has balanced carefully against contemporary collaborations. In recent years, partnerships with Copenhagen-based Norse Projects and the Arket label have extended Barbour's appeal in the Nordic market, where its weatherproof practicality translates directly to the climate.
At Nordic auction houses, Barbour pieces appear primarily at Helsingborgs Auktionskammare, which accounts for the majority of the brand's Swedish auction activity. Items sold include the Classic Northumbria jacket, the Beadnell wax jacket, and various corduroy pieces, with prices typically ranging between 1,000 and 2,100 SEK. Bidding activity suggests steady but modest demand, Barbour at auction tends to attract practical buyers rather than fashion collectors.