how to wear a barbour waxed jacket

[Kaplan]



How about some photos of Barbour jackets being worn?

 

[Crane's]

I don't have any pics of me wearing my 20+ year old Beaufort but I can tell you when I wear it.

It's an upland game and field coat and when I'm out hunting in nasty wet weather is when I wear it most times. I have worn it in and around a city when dressed casually and the weather is lousy as well. It works. Wearing a suit and tie? Hmmmm, not really. I have long coats for that purpose though I suppose my Beaufort would work but in my opinion it would be a bit "funky" looking.

 

[Edgein]

I've not had good luck with Barbour. The sleeve ends tend to fray and wear out. They require re-waxing periodically otherwise they get stiff. Nice coats, but I'd go with a more durable fabric if I needed rain gear, like gore-tex. These days there are more stylish versions vs the "mountaineering" look. My 2¢.

 

[Bounder]



I think I read somewhere (possibly on this forum) that the velvet collar goes back to the days when gentlemen wore their hair longer (early 19th century?) - long enough to reach their collars, which consequently became dirty and greasy quite quickly (those being the days before shampoo). They then had their collars replaced with velvet, which showed the dirt less, or was easier to clean or something along those lines. Presumably the problem applied to all their coats so why the habit has lasted only on covert coats and not other types I have no idea.

AFAIK, that's correct. Except that I don't think the collars are (or were) necessarily replaced with velvet so much as covered. And it isn't just covert coats. You see this on other overcoats, too. It is more noticeable on covert coats, though, as, traditionally, they are a sort of fawn color rather black or navy.

 

[E TF]

Ah of course you're right, they're common on chesterfields for example, I'd forgotten about that.

 

[NORE]

 

[Cold Iron]

This is a specific problem related to barbours. They are - unfortunately - peculiarly laden with class connotations in the UK. Anywhere else in the world, no problem.

In the late 80's I did a North Atlantic cruise courtesy of the US Navy, England was one of the ports of call. I had 2 goals there, to fly fish on a chalk stream at the birthplace of fly fishing and purchase a Barbour jacket. I soon met up with a young lady at a pub that offered to take me and a shipmate from Alaska fly fishing. I mentioned to her that I was also looking to purchase a Barbour jacket and she replied "ahhh a clit coat". When I asked her what that meant she said "every **** had one". It took me off balance to say the least. I still don't have a clit coat but do have a fair amount of Filson gear. For busting through brush when grouse hunting waxed cotton is extremely durable. And hot because it doesn't breathe, there are much better fabric choices available for hunting. I do not consider driven pheasants hunting but shooting.

I would not wear a Barbour with a suit or even a sportcoat in the city. I do however often wear my Filson black oiled cover cloth jacket when not wearing a sportcoat.

 

[MikeDT]



I've not had good luck with Barbour.  The sleeve ends tend to fray and wear out.  They require re-waxing periodically otherwise they get stiff.  Nice coats, but I'd go with a more durable fabric if I needed rain gear, like gore-tex.  These days there are more stylish versions vs the "mountaineering" look.  My 2¢.

I actually like the look of Barbour and wax cotton coats. However there's one thing I can't stand, is the fact that they can really stink. TBH find the small of wax cotton quite nauseating.

 

[RSS]



The most common look I've seen it mixed with is a pair of chinos or cords...

Listen to Needsmore shoes. It also works with denim.

 

[Willy McCoy]

I live in the northwestern United States. I have never seen a waxed Barbour coat until I found this thread. Looks like a nice utilitarian and busy garment. More at home in a rural setting than in a major cosmopolitan center.
Wearing them with a velvet collared frock coat? Taking styling pointers from a Duke or Earl nor anyone else that would never think of granting me an audience? Nope.
I have a long oil cloth duster I keep in the back of the car for rainy days at the dog park and a Filson tincloth work jacket that have saved my hide many times. Yes they smell like an old pup tent but the smell reminds me that I will go home warm & dry.
Looking at the Barbour waxed jacket I would venture to say that it would look great with a sweater and a shirt & tie.
I am sure there must be a long/plain oilcloth overcoat that could be worn with a business suit sans snaps/latches/exposed zippers and other doodads.

 

[Night Owl]

 

[E TF]

 

This is a specific problem related to barbours. They are - unfortunately - peculiarly laden with class connotations in the UK. Anywhere else in the world, no problem.

In the late 80's I did a North Atlantic cruise courtesy of the US Navy, England was one of the ports of call. I had 2 goals there, to fly fish on a chalk stream at the birthplace of fly fishing and purchase a Barbour jacket. I soon met up with a young lady at a pub that offered to take me and a shipmate from Alaska fly fishing. I mentioned to her that I was also looking to purchase a Barbour jacket and she replied "ahhh a clit coat". When I asked her what that meant she said "every **** had one". It took me off balance to say the least. I still don't have a clit coat but do have a fair amount of Filson gear. For busting through brush when grouse hunting waxed cotton is extremely durable. And hot because it doesn't breathe, there are much better fabric choices available for hunting. I do not consider driven pheasants hunting but shooting.

I would not wear a Barbour with a suit or even a sportcoat in the city. I do however often wear my Filson black oiled cover cloth jacket when not wearing a sportcoat.

ha! Nice story - never heard them called that before. Trust you hooked a few fish at least, and maybe a local too by the sound of it...

Driven pheasants comprise the majority of sport here, and yes we call it shooting, not hunting. As a gun one's cloths don't take much punishment and so you could wear a nice bespoke tweed three piece if you wanted. Try being a beater for the day though (the guys who drive the birds towards the guns) and you'll quickly find out exactly which clothes are really "thorn proof" and which aren't. Here hunting refers specifically to chasing foxes around with hounds, horses and scarlet jackets. The sort of bird hunting you describe we might call "rough shooting".

I live in the northwestern United States. I have never seen a waxed Barbour coat until I found this thread. Looks like a nice utilitarian and busy garment. More at home in a rural setting than in a major cosmopolitan center.
Wearing them with a velvet collared frock coat? Taking styling pointers from a Duke or Earl nor anyone else that would never think of granting me an audience? Nope.
I have a long oil cloth duster I keep in the back of the car for rainy days at the dog park and a Filson tincloth work jacket that have saved my hide many times. Yes they smell like an old pup tent but the smell reminds me that I will go home warm & dry.
Looking at the Barbour waxed jacket I would venture to say that it would look great with a sweater and a shirt & tie.
I am sure there must be a long/plain oilcloth overcoat that could be worn with a business suit sans snaps/latches/exposed zippers and other doodads.

Read again, no one is suggesting wearing a barbour over a frock coat, velvet collared or not.

 

[hhheee]

more pics:

http://dieworkwear.com/post/20533537473/asians-in-barbours

 

[RSS]



I live in the northwestern United States. I have never seen a waxed Barbour coat until I found this thread. Looks like a nice utilitarian and busy garment. More at home in a rural setting than in a major cosmopolitan center.

I see them on Bainbridge ... in the San Juans ... etc.

They are indeed utilitarian articles of clothing. I use mine on misty days when I go out to walk the dogs. The big pockets come in handy for snacks, waste bags, etc.

 

[AndyMG]

Personally, I think a Barbour or any similar waxed jacket is great just to keep in the boot of the car for when the weather turns nasty. I tend to use mine when I visit my friends who keep working horses. I'm pretty much guaranteed to get muddy/wet/covered in manure and a waxed jacket is a great way of protecting yourself. As for in the city with a suit? To me, it looks wrong. It's not so much the combination of clothes, but the setting. My father used to have clients who were farmers/estate managers and was forever in a suit and a Barbour, but it worked because of the rural setting.

As a brand, I think Barbour are heading in the same unfortunate direction that Burberry found themselves heading a few years ago. First of all with the quilted jackets and now the 'biker' ones, every chav with a couple of hundred quid to spare is sporting them.