The secret of a Barbour jacket: make it part of your life

You open your wardrobe and there it is: an olive jacket, perhaps a little worn at the cuffs, with a corduroy collar and pockets big enough for keys, a phone and everything else. It does not seem particularly interested in impressing anyone. Then you throw it over a jumper, head outside and remember why some pieces simply work.

Barbour belongs to that category of familiar clothes with a practical history and many possible lives. A walk, a journey, the trip to work. Photographs of famous wearers show how easily its character changes: royal, everyday, festival-ready. The useful question is what we can borrow from those outfits while making the result our own.

Before the celebrities came the rain

The brand began in 1894 in South Shields, north-east England, supplying protective clothing for fishermen and sailors. Later came enduring designs including the Bedale and Beaufort. Those beginnings help explain the appeal of practical pockets, comfortable collars and room for layers. [](https://www.barbour.com/it/our-history.html)

A waxed jacket answers a straightforward need: going out when the weather is unhelpful. Seen today with a short skirt and a city handbag, it can feel far removed from that starting point. Yet its usefulness is precisely what allows it to move between settings. An everyday object becomes interesting when different people find their own way to use it.

Diana and Kate: living in a classic

Diana in Barbour, with Hebridean wind and flowers in her hand: July 1985 photographs show a waxed jacket accompanying her day’s encounters. Anwar Hussein’s Lochmaddy photograph captures a practical piece in a memorable image. [](https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/diana-princess-of-wales-wearing-a-barbour-waxed-jacket-news-photo/186528935)

Kate Middleton’s wardrobe also offers an easy idea to take outdoors: a jacket, knitwear, comfortable trousers and boots suited to the day. Try it with your own clothes and move in front of the mirror. Sitting, walking and picking up your bag comfortably is a good start.

Alexa Chung and the pleasure of mixing things up

With Alexa Chung, the story moves towards music and festivals. Her connection to Barbour includes design: the brand’s official “The Edit by Alexa” collection names Chung as creative director and designer. Camping, nostalgia and bright colours shape its mood. [](https://www.barbour.com/it/alexa-chung.html)

There is an immediately useful idea here: try an unexpected pairing. A roomy jacket over a light dress. A substantial collar with an otherwise simple outfit. A short skirt that changes the proportions. Choose one of these ideas, then see how it works with what you already own. The point is to enjoy the experiment, without needing a whole new wardrobe around it.

Sienna Miller and Idris Elba: a countryside chapter

Famous faces remain part of the brand’s visual story. For autumn/winter 2026, Barbour takes Sienna Miller and Idris Elba to the Pentland Hills, with Scottish countryside and the label’s tartans at the centre of the campaign. [](https://www.barbour.com/it/original-authentic-tartans.html)

One distinction matters when looking at photographs: Barbour makes many kinds of clothing. A tartan rain jacket, a quilted style and a traditional waxed jacket have different characteristics. Read the description, fabric information and care instructions for the particular model. A familiar label alone does not tell you everything about how a garment will perform.

Three outfits to try with your own clothes

For the city: an olive jacket, navy jumper and straight-leg jeans. Add loafers or comfortable shoes according to the weather. Keep the bag simple. Navy and green make an easy starting point if you want to give the countryside associations a more urban feel.

For a day outside: a favourite jumper, trousers you can move in and footwear suited to the ground. A scarf can introduce colour. Comfort matters here: an outfit stops being useful if you spend the day adjusting it or worrying about your shoes. Think first about where you are going.

For a change in proportion: try the jacket with a short skirt or a dress. Look at where each hem finishes, how much volume sits at the shoulders and how comfortable you feel walking. A mirror and a few steps around the room are more helpful than a rigid styling rule.

Give an existing jacket another chance

Barbour offers repair and re-waxing through authorised partners. For waxed-cotton jackets and accessories it recommends annual re-waxing, depending on wear. Check the instructions for your particular model before choosing a treatment. [](https://www.barbour.com/it/repair-rewax.html)

A piece worth keeping is one you will actually wear. Perhaps that is where the appeal of a classic begins: clothes that accompany us, that we learn to care for and that gradually become part of our own lives.

Would you wear yours with jeans and boots or with a skirt? Or do you already have a jacket with a story?