A brief history of the Barbour heritage

Barbour is a brand that is synonymous with all things quintessentially British. A favourite of celebrities and royalty thanks to its timeless pieces, and particularly the famous jackets.

But do you know the Barbour story? It began in 1894 in the Market Place in South Shields. Today the fifth generation family-owned business remains in the North East, with Barbour’s headquarters located in Simonside, South Shields. Although it sources products from around the globe, Barbour’s classic wax jackets are still manufactured by hand in the factory in Simonside and each year over 100,000 jackets are processed.

In 2004, Barbour began to work with Lord James Percy, in the design and marketing of its flagship shooting clothing range – the Northumberland range. Technically advanced and highly acclaimed in 2005, the Northumberland Range won the Shooting Industry Award for best clothing product.

Barbour now has 10 of its own retail shops in the UK, (and of course our very own Todd’s of Kendal stocks a great range of Barbour!)

There are now over 5,000 products across the two seasons, and the collections now cater for men, ladies and children. Broadening out from its countrywear roots, today the 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 trousers, shirts, socks, knitwear and a range of accessories.

Nevertheless, the Barbour brand 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. You can find Barbour in Todds of Kendal at Elephant Yard.