The Barbour Gold Standard Collection - SS21
To celebrate Barbour’s renowned contribution to British heritage for over 127 years, the brand has now released their very first Spring/Summer edition of the Barbour Gold Standard collection.
Digging deep in their archive, dating all the way back to 1910, Barbour has taken inspiration and notes from all of their true classic pieces, and brought them back in a big way. The premium Gold Standard collection comes with a true focus on high-end, yet casual outerwear. Utilising premium fabrications with a contemporary update, which oozes practicality and utilitarian sophistication.
Taking inspiration from their military heritage, the Spring/Summer Gold Standard Collection includes lightweight jackets, which have been overdyed for an authentic and washed look, which works perfectly alongside the ergonomic and expertly engineered cuts.
Premium craftsmanship and pattern development is the keystone of this range, as well as featuring the traditional aspects like the tried and true bellow pockets, metal hardware and nickel zip detailing. All jackets are designed under the colour palette of earth tones, like khaki, navy, blue metal and cumin, which is perfect for this time of year.
Featured here is the Gold Standard Ripstop Beaufort Casual Jacket in Dusky Green. At its core, this jacket comes in as a more relaxed update on the classic Barbour Beaufort Jacket, but the Gold Standard label takes things further. This contemporary update provides a more modern and utilitarian version of the classic, whilst of course maintaining the same iconic features as the original, like the cord collar and multiple large pockets, with two way zip fastening and a detachable hood.
Made with a lightweight yet sturdy cotton ripstop fabric, this all-round tough weather go-to jacket wouldn’t let you down.
Starting in 1894, Barbour began in the Market Place in South Shields, England. Now owned by the 5th generation of the family line, Barbour still remains true to its core ethos, even with its headquarters still remaining in Simonside, South Shields.
Even though Barbour sources its fabrics and products from around the globe, Barbour’s truly classic wax jackets are still manufactured by hand in the factory in Simonside.
The Barbour Gold Standard Oakby Wax Jacket is made from the iconic Barbour waxed cotton. This classic Barbour silhouette has been enhanced to a premium finish. Featuring heavyweight waxed shoulder panels, a wide-wale corduroy collar and four front pockets for that timeless Barbour look.
The entire jacket is accentuated with subtle details like corozo nut buttons, leather cuff binding and nickel hardware, finished off with a subtle branded leather tab over the left bellows pocket.
The origin of the respected waxed cotton we see today comes from the 15th-century mariners who would cover their sailcloth in fish oil, to provide it with the weather resistant functionality that is so well respected today. Seeing how effective this process was, they would then later go on to form these sail cloths as capes for themselves to wear, protecting themselves from the harsh elements.
To remove the fish-aspect of this process and to make it more widely wearable, a new generation of cotton proofing emerged through the process of impregnating the material with paraffin wax. Through this ingenuity, Barbour then answered the demand of sailors, fishermen, and river, dock and shipyard workers. Due to its popularity, Barbour outerwear then found itself spreading in demand amongst farmers and gamekeepers, later even gaining fans within the motorcycling community, which massively boosted in popularity due to the avid support of Steve McQueen.
With over 100 years of original, and perfected craft, Barbour jackets are suited anywhere from being sat outside the pub with your mates, to spending weeks at sea aboard a trusty vessel braving the wrath of mother nature.
The Gold Standard Collection takes things to the next level, and if submarine commanders can lay their trust in the reliability of Barbour’s craftsmanship, and look great while doing so, then I say we should definitely jump on board.