The Endearing and Enduring Appeal of a Ripped-up Barbour Coat
They say that women always show you their newest clothes and men always show you their oldest! That’s definitely true for anyone that owns an old Barbour coat.
There’s an honesty about a well-worn, ripped-up old Barbour coat. The same honesty that ripped jeans use to have before you could buy them pre-ripped and pre-faded at every low-end shop at the mall.
I hate to even put the thought out there in the universe of doing a “fashion” Barbour pre-ripped jacket and I hope some tacky brand doesn’t jump on it but here we are. Anyway I bought my first Babour on my honeymoon in Paris November 1996 and I still have it.
Well, do I still have it? Barbour famously offers to re-wax and repair your waxed jacket. You can read about it on their website. I’ve done this (because I’m so sustainably-minded) maybe three times and I think only the collar and the zipper are from the original coat. I always hate sending it away even though I know it will come back better but it’s kinda like I’m trading in well-earned memories. However when it’s returned I love the feeling of wearing it again and seeing what new rips, creases and memories we’ll create.
Want to know one of my first memories of having a Barbour Bedale coat (I say specifically the Bedale model because I’m not sure this is an issue on their other models)?
I was working for a brief period in the menswear division of Valentino GFT (if you remember) in New York City. At that moment the mens division was always dressed in a very suited, formal way. I was lucky enough to have five suits made-to-measure as part of my employment contract. I think back now that they were some of the best fitting suits I’ve ever owned (thanks David Newlove). Even in ’96 it was cool and very “European” to wear a Barbour over a suit but I wasn't wearing a suit when I bought the Bedale model coat in Paris. When it was time to return to work the first morning I realized the Bedale coat was a little shorter than my suit jacket (as is the case with the chic gentleman above)! I don’t know why but this really freaked me out! For once in my life I had perfect, precisely cut suits, shirts and ties but my favorite new coat (with a removable fleece-y liner for Winter) was one or two inches shorter! I kid you not but I tucked the lower part of my suit jacket into my pants waistband from the moment I left my apartment until I arrived at the office! For a whole winter I tucked! (wait that doesn’t sound right but you know what I mean!) I didn’t stop tucking until I moved to the women’s division and wasn’t wearing suits everyday. If I only had the internet back then to show me is was ok showing a few inches (wait that also doesn’t sound right) instead of being ashamed of my Bedale shortcomings.
Today I always feel a touch of jealous when I see the Italians on the streets of Milan or Torino or Florence confidently striding around with their well worn Barbour!
Anyway I haven’t worn my green Barbour coat much over the last few years preferring my newer navy version (of course) but I’m actually feeling inspired by my own street photos to put the original coat back in heavy rotation!
If I had the energy I’d make an IG photographing and telling the story of people with their aged Barbour coats and their most memorable experiences they’ve had while wearing them. Maybe next Fall !
I once visited the Barbour factory in Southshields, NE England. They showed me the “hospital” - where their seamstresses tirelessly fix and repair jackets. They showed one before/after where it looked like it had been attacked by a tiger - turns out it was just a sausage dog after his treats in the pocket…
Such a lovely love letter to Barbour waxy coats that once bought never go out of style.