Barbour ⚠️ With reservations

Barbour, British brand founded in 1894 in South Shields. Iconic waxed jackets, protective outdoor clothing. Five generations of the Barbour family, Royal Warrant holder.

South Shields, 1894. John Barbour, a Scotsman from Galloway, opens an oil-cloth shop on the Tyneside docks. His customers: sailors and fishermen braving the North Sea. The waxed jacket is born of necessity - protecting men who can't afford to stay dry.

During WWII, Barbour supplies the British military, notably submariners. Then Duncan, the grandson, a keen motorcyclist, launches waxed cotton suits for endurance competitions. Steve McQueen wears Barbour at the International Six Day Trials. The brand anchors itself in two worlds: the English countryside and the open road.

The masterstroke comes in 1983 with the Beaufort Jacket. A French-origin design adapted to English taste: waxed olive exterior, brown corduroy collar, tartan lining, deep pockets. Queen Elizabeth II wore the same Beaufort for 25 years, systematically refusing replacements. Three Royal Warrants followed - Philip (1974), Elizabeth (1982), Charles (1987, renewed 2024). The Beaufort becomes a social marker: aristocracy, countryside, dogs, Land Rovers.

But there are two Barbours. The South Shields one - Bedale, Beaufort, Border - handmade in the Tyneside factory, 100,000 tins of wax sold annually, a century-old rewaxing service that takes back and repairs 60,000 jackets each year. That Barbour is impeccable.

And then there's the other Barbour. The quilted jackets, fashion lines, collaborations. Made in Vietnam, Bulgaria, Moldova, Tunisia, Myanmar. Quality drops, seams come undone, returns pile up. Barbour doesn't communicate about this divide. The image stays South Shields and Royal Warrants; the reality is an offshored empire. Dame Margaret Barbour and daughter Helen run a family group valued at £580M. Still independent, still family-owned (5th generation). But "Made in England" now covers only a fraction of production.