Barbour Brings Back a Long-Lost Silhouette—With A Makeover
In the brand landscape of today, ‘heritage’ seems a devalued currency—rarely authentic, easily overstated. But Barbour has more of a right to the word than most. This British brand has been based in the same coastal town near Newcastle since its inception in 1894, and it’s maintained its same commitment to craftsmanship over that one and a quarter centuries of operation.
Now, Barbour is honoring its long history with a ‘Heritage+’ collection, bringing back one of the most sought-after pieces from its archives: the Solway jacket.
Though out of production for several years, the Solway jacket has remained the stuff of legend among those in the know. Designed initially as a practically everything-proof outer layer for outdoor pursuits and fowling, it takes its name from Britain’s Solway Firth, a coastal inlet between England and Scotland. This rugged, ancient coastline represents the spirit of the Solway: hard-wearing, remote, adventurous.
To mark the return of such spirit, Barbour and Highsnobiety put their heads together to come up with something a little special. The brand entrusted Highsnobiety’s apparel designer, Sissi Goetze, with a vintage, brown-toned Solway to use as a canvas for reconstruction. The idea was to give a mature garment an entirely new life, maintaining its traditional spirit but infusing it with modern elements, all under the umbrella of Barbour’s ‘Re-loved’ program. The result is a one-off collision of the old and new: the jacket’s weathered texture and matured patina are enhanced with parts borrowed from a classic trench coat, including a belt, storm flap, back yoke, and adjustable cuff straps.
And it wasn’t just us reworking the Solway—Barbour turned also to END. in the UK and Huckberry in the US, each of whom provided their own interpretation. The idea was to create three one-off reconstructions, each unique, of this iconic jacket around the world.
“We are working with Barbour classic styles here—the Solway is really important for us, a breakthrough garment in Barbour history.” Gary Janes, Senior Design & Development Manager, takes the heritage of this piece seriously, and seems initially wary about altering it beyond recognition. “But,” he continues, “I do like the idea of mashing it together with another recognizable garment in menswear, the trench coat, and somehow blending them together in a positive and harmonious way.”
While Janes’ focus is, of course, Barbour’s heritage, Highsnobiety’s Goetze turns outward towards the wider fashion and trend landscape. “Menswear is always influenced by either the military, sportswear, or workwear,” she says. “We've seen a lot of sportswear and workwear trends in menswear the last couple of years, and I think now you can feel that classic tailoring is becoming more relevant. The Solway is a bit longer than other Barbour pieces, so it felt very natural to add classic trench coat elements to it, to put more volume in it.”
Using the Solway as a starting point, Barbour’s Heritage+ collection also features clothing that bridges the worlds of outdoor apparel and streetwear with ease. Yes, there’s enough here to keep the Barbour purist happy; enough waxy, thornproof grit to impress even the most weathered of countryside explorers. But there are touches here that signal Barbour’s flexibility, its awareness of contemporary trends. Taking leads from Japanese markets, oversized silhouettes and exaggerated pockets are prominent features—this is a collection with style as well as substance.
“Heritage is not something to be trifled with,” says Janes, summing up the tension between preservation and reinvention with a neat metaphor: “It's a bit like your own life. We think we’re always the same person… But every seven years, every atom in our bodies changes.” As the Solway returns, it’s important to recognise that a lot has changed for Barbour since this iconic jacket was last on sale. But the brand’s values—of craftsmanship, of tradition, of rugged dependability—remain fundamentally unchanged.
Check out Barbour’s full Heritage+ collection here.
