Barbour's South Shields story is still going strong after more than 130 years

Few brands are as instantly recognisable as Barbour, and fewer still have stayed so loyal to their roots. More than 130 years after it was founded, the family business is still headquartered in Simonside, South Shields, where its iconic Bedale and Beaufort wax jackets are made by hand.

The story began in 1894, when Scotsman John Barbour set up in the Market Place in South Shields, supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and mariners from the worst of the British weather.

Each generation added a chapter. In 1908 Malcolm Barbour produced the first mail order catalogue, and by 1917 it accounted for almost 75% of the business, with orders from as far away as Chile, South Africa, Hong Kong and the Falkland Islands. Duncan Barbour, a keen motorcyclist, introduced the International motorcycling suit, worn by virtually every British international team from 1936 to 1977, and during the Second World War the company developed the Ursula suit, which became standard issue in the submarine service.

Dame Margaret Barbour became chairman in 1973 and designed both the Bedale and the Beaufort, which first appeared in the range in 1983. Her daughter Helen represents the fifth generation of the family.

Barbour was talking about sustainability long before it was fashionable. Re-waxing and repairs first featured in the 1921 catalogue, the company marked a Re-Waxing Centenary in 2021, and the then Prince of Wales opened its Wax for Life Workshop that November. Barbour repairs and re-waxes more than 60,000 jackets a year, and in 2024 it added Quilt for Life, with every quilt repair carried out in South Shields.

Recent years have brought fresh recognition. In May 2024 Barbour was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HM The King, and that December Dame Margaret received a Special Recognition Award from the British Fashion Council at The Fashion Awards, presented by Alexa Chung at the Royal Albert Hall.

The family's generosity is felt locally too. The Barbour Foundation has donated more than £29 million to communities, and in January 2025 Dame Margaret reopened the storm-damaged Herd Groyne lighthouse in South Shields after the Foundation gave £100,000 towards its repair.

Barbour's collections, its Wax for Life repair services and its full history are on the Barbour website.