British life is invariably determined by moisture. Even in the summer months, checking the forecast is a daily ritual – praying that the chance of precipitation is less than 30%, and nine times out of 10, it isn’t. The UK proudly holds five of the top fifteen spots on Europe’s rainiest cities list. A bigger repeat offender than any other nation. Whether we like it or not, our lives here are shaped by the rain.
Despite the constant wet socks, lack of vitamin D, and permanently muddy trainers, there is one positive to take from our outstanding precipitation levels: Britain has produced some of the finest outdoor brands on the planet. Our abhorrent amount of rain has forced the hand of certain individuals to come up with genuine solutions to the weather, and one such man was John Barbour.
You won’t win any prizes for guessing the brand John Barbour founded, but back in the 19th century, when it first began, Barbour looked lightyears away from the company we know today.
Hailing from the west coast of Scotland, John Barbour had first-hand experience with the absolute worst of British weather. Eight months of the year, he faced gale-force winds, torrential rain and perpetual dampness. Out of sheer refusal to give in to the elements, Barbour began manufacturing his own oilskins to protect himself from the near-permanent onslaught of precipitation, and with the ability to field test on his doorstep, he mastered the craft quickly.
Barbour’s original oilskins would first be used by sailors & fishermen, who relied on them to stay alive. They kept moisture out better than any product they had used before, and quickly became an essential part of daily life at sea.
There was one issue for Barbour, though. He could’ve kitted out all the sailors and fishermen within a 50-mile radius in about two weeks. As long as he stayed in Scotland, his oilskins would never become big business. This thinking ultimately led him to make a major decision – he had to relocate.
In 1893, Barbour had decided on his new home – South Shields, a coastal town in the Northeast of England, 200 miles from where he was born. It was a bold move, but one informed by conventional wisdom. Thanks to a rapid increase in industry, South Shields’ population had increased from 12,000 in 1801 to 75,000 by 1865. And even better, Britain’s weather hadn’t gotten any better in that time.
Barbour set up his first oilskin store on South Shields’ North Street, and locals flocked by the dozen. Within a year, he had outgrown the premises and was forced to open a new store in the town’s bustling Market Place. Before long, Barbour’s name was stitched on the back of every blue-collar worker in South Shields, and at last, they had a genuine defence against the British weather.
By the turn of the century, John Barbour had amassed something of an oilskin empire. Barbour’s Longshaw Coats were everywhere, and other waxed models like the Silchester and Shannon were beginning to be picked up too. The realisation had set in that it wasn’t just sailors and fishermen who could benefit from Barbour, it was everyone.
Word began to filter down to every rural village in Britain about the oilskins. Every resident wanted one, but few were prepared, or able, to make the long voyage up to the Northeast. People across the nation were shouting out for Barbour, but the brand couldn’t hear them. Looking to remedy this issue, Malcolm Barbour, 2nd generation of the family, implemented something that would revolutionise the business – mail order catalogues.
It was an outlandish idea at the time – the notion of people ordering clothing via a catalogue and receiving it by Royal Mail was almost unheard of – but Barbour decided to proceed with Malcolm’s crazy idea, and in 1908, the brand would introduce mail order catalogues.
Nine years later, his idea no longer seemed crazy. Mail order now made up almost 75% of Barbour’s business, and facilitated international orders from as far away as Chile, South Africa and Hong Kong. Malcolm Barbour’s forward thinking had catapulted Barbour to the international market, and from here, things should’ve continued to snowball.
And then, war broke out.
In 1939, Duncan Barbour, third generation and the man who had just introduced Barbour to the world of motorcycling, was called to serve in WWII. His battlefield presence would unexpectedly steer the company in a whole new direction. At the request of Captain George Philips, commander of the submarine Ursula, Barbour developed a two-piece version of the International Suit. It was rugged, warm, and seaworthy. Named the Ursula Suit, it became standard issue across Britain’s submarine service.
By 1945, Barbour’s oilskins had, in a small but profound way, helped Britain through the tragedies of the war – cementing the brand as a household name and part of Britain’s post-war identity. Despite this acknowledgement, Barbour didn’t falter; they took the resources used during the conflict and focused them towards improving and extending their existing range, resulting in some of the brand’s most iconic models being created.
In 1980, Margaret Barbour introduced the Bedale — a lightweight, thornproof jacket created for the stables. Its widespread success then paved the way for the brand’s iconic Beaufort in 1983, designed for country pursuits but quickly adopted elsewhere. Its signature full-width rear pocket, once for game birds, functioned just as well for running errands in the city.
Countless more iconic models would follow over the next few decades, and Barbour would continue to cement itself as the fabric of Britain’s middle class. Endless A-lister wore Beauforts, Bedales and everything in between – Steve McQueen, David Beckham & James Bond – just to name a few. But during the dawn of the new millennium, Barbour would obtain a new kind of identity, a far cry from the establishment it had become firmly associated with.
Along with Burberry, Aquascutum and Henri Lloyd, Barbour was becoming reimagined as a fabric for the terraces. Without even having a say, the brand’s jackets – once built for storms and salt spray – were now being worn at football grounds across the country. From countryside to concrete, from establishment to Elland Road, Barbour’s jackets had now transcended class, geography, and purpose.
This reinterpretation of Barbour would ultimately go on to position the brand as a fashion label, paving the way for future collaborations with companies like C.P. Company and designers such as Tokihito Yoshida.
Now, the brand sits in yet another chapter. The Bedales and Beauforts that once hung in farm sheds and village halls are now just as likely to be seen in Clapham and Islington, worn by those who beeline for the nearest coffee shop/pretentious pub at the mere sight of moisture. It might not be our favourite chapter in Barbour’s history, but it’s a testament to the brand’s rugged design and heritage.
Over more than a century on from when John Barbour relocated to South Shields, one constant has continued to define Barbour’s story: rain. Every generation of Barbour has faced it head-on, finding new ways to combat Britain’s forever stubborn skies.
And as long as checking the weather forecast stays a part of our daily routines, Barbour will always have a place in our wardrobes, and in the weather-beaten hearts of Britain.
If you fancy perusing the latest Barbour collection, you can do so at SEVEN STORE. Alternatively, find our picks below:
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