Barbour, baby.

As some of our readers may know, my mother and her mother and her mother before her have all been descendants of the British Empire. In other words, I’m from England. Not just from England  but from South Shields: a tiny town of seaside fare, simple pleasures and small town nature. But South Shields has made a name for itself in a brand that has yet to entirely penetrate North America. This brand is known as Barbour.

Born in 1894 in South Sheilds by John Barbour, its classic wax jackets are still manufactured in the flagship shop located in Simonside. Described as bringing “wit, grit and glamour to its beautifully functional clothing”, it is surprising that Barbour hasn’t been the next big thing in Canada. Designed to reflect the countryside, the huntsman and the outdoorsy type, this clothing (and particularly their jackets) are a potential staple of the Canadian wardrobe, for both men and women.

Despite it’s meager beginnings, Barbour has really found its niche in hipster Britain, with many indie folk donning the garments, sporting national pride and shunning Burberry’s elitism. One U.K. journalist put the Barbour trend simply,

“Barbour is succeeding where Burberry went wrong by inviting everyone to wear one of its jackets rather than vainly trying to limit them to just an elite few.” – Lanre Bakare

And that’s exactly what Barbour offers: accessible, high fashion. And what’s more is that, I think, Barbour is a perfect match to Canadiana. Our lifestyles encourage this type of style and it surprises me that more Canadians haven’t adopted the trend. Although, Canada has been known for being slightly behind the times once or twice…

When first spotted as a fashion statement almost 20 years ago, Barbour went from the farmside to the high streets when Princess Diana sported a rainproof Barbour in the 80′s. Since then, Barbour took the back burner until more recently when celebrities (and monumental fashion movers) such as Alexa Chung, Olivia Palermo and Kate Middleton were spotted wearing the rain proof fashion statements….

In a nutshell, here’s hoping Canada can catch on to a practical and fashionable brand, fit for fall, spring and Canadian style.

This entry was posted in Fashion and tagged , , , , , , , , , by Kate Lalumiere. Bookmark the permalink.

About Kate Lalumiere

Kate (@katelalu) is the food and wine aficionado of Inanutshell. She will be taking on the foodie-sphere one restaurant at a time, exposing some of the hottest spots to satiate the ol' buds ! Her favourite restaurants usually include: Innovative menus with sustainable & local produce, where hospitality is the first priority. She will also be sharing with you her dining experiences from Ottawa to Montreal to Kingston to Toronto. Expect to hear about some of her favourite wines as well as what kind of wines can work for you, for each and every occasion. Stay tuned for live feeds from various wine fairs in Ottawa as well as general food buzz from the capital ! ** Favourite Restaurant (Ottawa) : Play Food and Wine • Wine of Choice: White Burgundy • Favourite Band: The Black Keys • Favourite Song: Wild Horses • Fashion Icon: Erin Wasson • Political Affiliation: Liberal • Favourite Movie: The Sandlot • Favourite TV Series: Mad Men • Sport: Football • Team: Arizona Cardinals • Blackberry or Iphone: Iphone • Favourite Book: The Sun Also Rises • ** To ask Kate a question about food, wine or anything else contact her at : [email protected]

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