Barbour - A Cardigan for all Seasons

I get a little worried sometimes, chums. I become concerned that a brand I've known and loved might suddenly disappear. I lived near to the Belstaff factory growing up. It was a shame to witness its demise. It's good to see the name lives on in Italian hands, but it's pretty much an Italian brand now in style and ethos. Belstaff were one of the early pioneers of manufacturing waxed cotton clothes - for motorcycling mainly. I had a jacket made in its long-gone factory. A brown waxed bike jacket, all fasteners, zips and British no-nonsense heft. Smashing thing. Wish I still had it. A little piece of the soft culture of these isles, now vanished.


Occasionally, I may cast a concerned eye over a new item produced by a favoured brand. Will this item be available in the future? Will the brand be around? Will the brand retain the qualities I admired in its products in the first place? I might then panic and buy the item, deciding that I won't see its like again.

With all this in mind...an unusual cardigan from Barbour, which probably attracted me to it. The quilted inner layer in traditional Barbour green can be removed, which means it is probably suitable for 10 months of the year in the UK. The outer layer is in a dependable ribbed navy blue lambswool that gains with a light shirt with a deep collar underneath. Good for fishing or meeting friends at the local pub for a Sunday roast.