Why Barbour Is Back on Top: The Waxed Jacket That Entered the Classic Wardrobe

Not long ago, a waxed jacket was seen as something for hunting trips and rainy English fields. Today it is worn over a blazer with a tie, with loafers and a turtleneck, with double-pleated trousers, and none of these looks feels accidental. Barbour has quietly moved from the workwear closet into the classic wardrobe, and the shift deserves a closer look, because it explains a lot about how men’s style works today.

In 1894 a Scotsman named John Barbour opened a small business in the port town of South Shields in the north-east of England. The people around him were sailors, fishermen and dockworkers who needed clothing that could keep out cold sea rain, and they were his first customers for oilskin fabrics and garments made from them. The brand never had to invent a legend: it grew out of a real problem. Since 1912 the company has operated as J Barbour & Sons, always led by a member of the Barbour family, now in its fifth generation. The classic waxed jackets are still sewn by hand in South Shields, and that is also where they can be repaired and re-waxed.

In 1974 Barbour received its first Royal Warrant, with two more following later, and from then on the jacket became part of British country life. The two most recognisable models appeared under the current chairman, Dame Margaret Barbour: the Bedale in 1980 as a short jacket for riding, and the Beaufort in 1983 with a longer cut and a large pocket across the back.

The main reason, in my view, is versatility. This jacket looks equally natural in the countryside, on a city street and on the way to the office, and a man who buys clothes deliberately increasingly favours pieces that cover several scenarios at once. Barbour covers them better than most.

The second reason is fashion’s broader turn toward heritage. Heritage style is named among the key directions for autumn and winter 2026, and the old-money aesthetic has been going strong for more than one season. People are tired of renewing their wardrobe every six months, and a piece that will last decades now looks like the most modern choice.

The third reason is how the brand speaks to a new generation. It barely touches its classics and changes their surroundings instead: a partnership with the Danish label Ganni since 2022, Alexa Chung’s own collections made together with Barbour, and a collaboration with Paul Smith for spring and summer 2026. That way a new audience meets a piece that has never betrayed itself.

The fourth reason is repairability. The Wax for Life programme lets you send a jacket back to the factory to be repaired and re-waxed. In a world where clothes live for one season, wearing the same jacket for ten years or more feels almost like a luxury.

This is where the jacket shows itself best, and it is the scenario people underestimate most. Barbour pairs beautifully with a tailored jacket, especially a textured one: tweed, flannel, corduroy. Over such a jacket and with a tie, it adds the English ease that overly polished outfits so often lack. To cover the hem of the jacket underneath, choose one of the longer models. The less formal the suit beneath, the more harmonious the result. With a strict city suit in fine dark wool I would still reach for an overcoat, because the textures start competing.

It is just as flexible with footwear. It sits easily with every kind of loafer: classic penny loafers, tassel loafers, suede ones, and also with brogues, derbies and Chelsea boots. Brown and burgundy shoes work especially well with an olive or navy jacket. In smart casual it becomes the most comfortable outer layer you can have: over a turtleneck or a fine knit, with wool trousers, and particularly well with double-pleated trousers, where the generous cut balances the volume of the jacket.

One thing is worth remembering: waxed cotton should not be kept in perfect condition. Scuffs and gentle fading only add character, much like the creases in linen.

As a men’s stylist, I see in this story what Elety’s philosophy is built on: men’s style comes from coherence and authenticity, not from price and not from fashion. Barbour never tried to be anything other than what it was, which is why it has outlived dozens of trends and now sits at the very centre of the classic wardrobe. There is a flip side, though: one good jacket does not make a look. It works when the rest of your wardrobe speaks the same language.

In the next newsletter we will go through the models, colours and recommendations for choosing the jacket that suits your own wardrobe. And if you want to build a wardrobe where pieces like this work together instead of living each on its own, visit the Elety website: our personal stylist will help you build a men’s style that is yours, not borrowed.