On September 5, 1964, the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) endurance race opened, with four riders from the United States arriving in East Germany to participate in the competition, marking an important chapter in American motorcycle culture.
The happening of this historic moment was none other than the American 50s and 60s superstar, known as the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, who even self-funded all the expenses for the race that year, becoming the team’s biggest “sponsor”.
On the day when Steve McQueen led the American team for the first time, he not only drove the “No. 278 Tank” Triumph Trophy 333cc motorcycle that he personally tuned, but also, as the style icon of that time and even today, Steve McQueen brought his “private collection” to the event. Among them, the most famous items were the Bell helmet adorned with the American flag stripes that accompanied him into battle, and the Barbour jacket introduced this time.
As a racing and motorcycle enthusiast, Steve McQueen deeply understood the attributes of Barbour jackets, so when he competed in the ISDT, he wore a four-pocket Barbour International style. This historic expedition made the highly influential Steve McQueen the “living signature” of Barbour at the time, subsequently making Barbour a very famous functional jacket. Until later, due to its royal certification, high functionality, and influence from “heartthrob” David Beckham, modern James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and several members of the British royal family – Prince Charles, Prince William, and even the late Princess Diana – further solidified Barbour’s eternal status.
However, how has Barbour become the eternal and timeless functional outerwear? Besides the aforementioned Barbour International, are there any other options? By the way, Barbour recently opened its second flagship store in Landmark Central, Hong Kong, in the form of a limited-time store, which will exclusively sell the collaborative special series of Barbour with Alexa Chung, House of Hackney, and Engineered Garments.
Let’s start by briefly introducing the background of Barbour. Founded in 1894, Barbour’s founder John Barbour grew up in the rural countryside of southern Scotland since childhood. With years of life experience, he noticed and realized the need to face various harsh weather conditions. A durable, waterproof, and functional jacket became an indispensable item in life. He ultimately decided to focus on developing and producing functional waxed jackets suitable for outdoor living, and thus Barbour was born. Since starting production in 1894, the 127-year history has seen Barbour receive three royal warrants in 1974, 1982, and 1987, awarded by three different members of the British royal family. This makes it the brand with the most royal warrants currently, directly proving Barbour’s supreme status.
What is the precious value of a Barbour waxed jacket that has experienced over 100 years of history? First of all, Barbour, with waxed cotton as its core fabric, provides a lifetime maintenance service. No matter when, where, or by whom the jacket was purchased, it can be sent back to Barbour for mold removal, re-waxing, and repairs. It is said that Barbour still occasionally receives old Barbour jackets from five or six decades ago and meticulously maintains them one by one. No wonder there is a saying that Barbour can be a lifetime garment. At the newly opened store in Central, customers can also enjoy the Re-Wax service for jackets, coats, bags, and hoods.
Among the existing Barbour stores, you should be able to find the three core styles, namely Bedale, Beaufort, and Border – these three styles are also the most popular and common Barbour designs. When choosing from these three styles, you can consider details such as length, fabric, and design to choose the style that suits you best.
Length
First, let’s introduce the difference in “length”. Firstly, the Bedale, designed for equestrian sports, is the shortest of the three styles. It is designed to allow riders to move more easily while riding, so the length of the Bedale should not hinder the lower body. The second style is the Beaufort, which is of medium length. Its design is sufficient to cover most clothes or suits, even its decoration and protective properties are of moderate level. As for the Border, it is the longest of the three. Since the Border is a jacket designed for hunters to trek long distances, its length is enough to cover the knees, preventing mud and dirty water from getting on the upper body and pants. However, it is worth noting that as the “length” of each Barbour jacket increases, it means more fabric is used in production, and the weight will also increase accordingly.
Design
On the other hand, Bedale, Beaufort, and Border not only differ in length, but also have some unique design details. For example, the Bedale, designed for riding, has a “double vent” design on the left and right sides, and the cuffs are ribbed for flexibility and to prevent rain from splashing into the clothes.
The Beaufort, designed for shooting sports, has a Poachers Pocket at the back for hunters to place firearms or other tools. However, even in the UK, hunters are no longer common, so the pocket is now used to hold documents, newspapers, books, or other items. The longest Border has a removable nylon Game Pocket on each side of the checkered lining, designed for easy cleaning. It was said that hunters in the past would put smaller game in this pocket, such as fish for fishermen hunters, to facilitate faster hunting.
Fabric and color
After deciding on the style, the next step is, of course, choosing the fabric. Different from length and design, the three styles only have two fabric options to choose from, which are Sylkoil waxed cotton and traditional waxed cotton. The former has a matte finish, and after wearing it for a long time, slight “fuzzing” may occur, but it is easier to show the effect of aging; on the contrary, the latter has a noticeable glossy feel visually. There is no difference between the two fabrics in terms of waterproof function, wax surface durability, etc., but if considering color coordination, only the traditional waxed cotton styles have more options, because Barbour jackets made of Sylkoil waxed cotton are only available in olive color.
After familiarizing yourself with the basic knowledge above, I believe friends who are planning to get a Barbour should be able to choose a style that suits them. However, in fact, Barbour has become a very modern brand in 2021. In addition to the above Bedale, Beaufort, and Border styles, the current Barbour even launched a Slim Line series specifically designed for Japanese (Asian) people, bringing styles such as the Ashby with 4-ounce Sylkoil wax cotton, the Ursula redesigned based on Barbour International, and the Haydon long style reprinted from the 1910 model. So, if the core three styles cannot meet everyone’s needs, there should always be a Barbour style that can become everyone’s favorite.
If you have always been a supporter or collector of Barbour, why not try getting your hands on some vintage styles such as Solway Zipper, Burghley, Durham, Mark Phillips Jacket, which are rarely seen in stores.
Barbour Pop-Up Store
Shops B11-B12, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central
資料及圖片來源：Barbour、Speedtracktales
