Barbour Waxed Jacket

The iconic waxed or quilted Barbour jackets have been a staple among those looking to elegance and practicality rolled into once high quality jacket. The Barbour is a perfect example of a waxed waterproof jacket that is stylish, warm, and extremely rugged. Keep reading to see why we think the bedale is a worthwhile investment.

A brief history of Barbour

From Barbour.com -->

The Barbour story began in 1894 in the Market Place in South Shields. Today the 5th generation family owned business remains in the North East, with Barbour's headquarters located in Simonside, South Shields.

Although we source products from around the globe, some of Barbour's classic wax jackets are still manufactured & repaired by hand in the factory in Simonside.

Barbour now has retail stores presence in over 55 countries worldwide including the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Holland, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan.

Collections cater for men, women, children and now even dogs! Broadening out from Barbour’s countrywear roots, today our heritage and lifestyle clothing brand produces clothing that is designed for a full lifestyle wardrobe. As well as jackets and coats, the Barbour wardrobe includes shirts, dresses, knitwear, footwear, accessories and more.

Barbour remains true to its core values as a family business which espouses the unique values of the British Countryside and brings the qualities of wit, grit and glamour to its beautifully functional clothing.

Features of the Barbour Bedale

Apart from the jackets obvious aesthetic appeal, the Barbour bedale has many features which make it fashionable, customisable and practical.

• Deep button closure pockets - The two front pockets are extremely spacious and are accessed from the top which I find prevents anything from accidently falling out.
• Two moleskin lined hand warmer pockets - Theses two pocket are located at chest hight and are very comfortable
• Heavy duty brass two way main zip - One of the best features in my opinion is the fantastic heavy duty main zip, the teeth never get stuck and the action is very smooth. The zip is two way which makes it easy to get it and out of tight spaces such as car seats etc. without unzipping the jacket and underrated but very useful feature
• Button closure storm flap - Another well thought out features is the storm flap which work perfectly too repel strong winds/rain getting through the zip.
• Rear vents - Mainly used to reduce dampness from a horses back when riding. I personally don't do much horse riding, however they do function for removing moisture from inside the jacket.
• Soft corduroy collar - Both an aesthetic stroke of genius and very comfortable against ones face.
• Option for zip in thermal liner - Liner are sold separately however it is nice to have the option to zip in a propriety liner in the colder months.
• Elastic sleeve cuffs - The soft elastic cuffs extend slightly further than the waxed cotton sleeve and are very comfortable as well as preventing water dripping straight onto your hand.
• External button poppers to add a waxed hood - If you prefer a hood when the weather takes a turn for the worst, you can purchase separately a waxed hood that will attach the collar via several buttons.
• Colour/sizes/Customisation - There are currently 12 sizes ranging from 30 - 52 inch chest and five colours. Barbour also offer a customisation service allowing you to choose a custom combination of collar, wax outer, lining, drip strip and custom initials.

Standard Colours include;

• Sage
• Bark
• black
• Navy
• Rustic

Value for money

Manufacturing of the bedale and a few of the other classic wax jackets still resides in South shields, England. The standard Barbour bedale costs £279.00 directly from their website, this is by no means cheap. However what you receive is a very high quality, functional, modifiable, and a bonus that few clothing companies can claim is that its totally repairable.
Barbour's Repair/Re-waxing service offers complete cleaning and re-waxing of your jacket and a very comprehensive Repair/Alterations service which included all manor of stitch, tear, section replacements as well as shortening/lengthening of the sleeves or body. Visit their website to the full range of option including prices.

The whole package makes a Barbour wax jacket an investment that can last many years, and they actually look better with age and gain character during ownership. For the reasons stated I believe the bedale to be very good value for money, I have owned a my bedale in black for around 5 years now and still wear it regularly. Its immensely versatile and can be worn with both a suit jacket or jeans and a t-shirt.