Barbour International in Horween Steer

[Edward]

Skimming some of the motorcycle clothing retail sites in the UK, I stumbled across this today:

Looks interesting. They also have it in cordovan. I'm not normally a fan of this particular style of belted bike jacket in leather (as opposed to the traditional waxcotton), but this version doesn't look at all bad. I wonder what it would look like after a few hundred miles on the back of a Triumph, as distinct from new and on a model?

We don't see many of this sort of mc jacket on TFL at all. Do most riders out there just prefer a more 'biker' style, a shorter jacket, or does anyone ride with a jacket of this ilk?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Yuk....now that's what you call ugly. Would probably be better without the belt though.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I wouldn't go as far as calling a decades old proven and classic design ugly. It's not my personal taste though, but I don't bike and while it's a very functional design I find it too overloaded to be worn casually.

 

[I would go out tonight]

Is this one of the Simmons Bilt/Alexander/Barbour/Triumph collaboration?
I had an old wax cloth International but decided to stop wearing it when I was in the queue at Tesco along with quite a few other Internationals. That trend seems to have tailed off and I see many fewer around.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I wouldn't go as far as calling a decades old proven and classic design ugly.

I think they look pretty good in oilskin but in leather it's just 'too much'............prehaps the hipster model doesn't do it justice but I doubt even Steve McQueen would look good in that. Also, you could stuff a lot of junk into the pockets of the Barbour waxed cotton one but the pockets on this thing, look like they're just for show.....

 

[Peter Bowden]

Looks too small for the person modeling it.Think it would work better if it was more 'rangy' in fit.Vincent riders used to call it "the sack of potatoes" stance which was not stylish but comfortable over a long distance.Think it would look great after a few years use though...

 

[l0fielectronic]

I'm a big fan of this style as I do like the usefullness of all the pockets, that said the older Barbour versions have never really worked for me due to their boxy, short armed fit - and I'd agree, the fact you see these everywhere now is kind of off-putting, at least to me, clearly not to all the people buying them.

Agree the proportions on this don't look good at all, and I'm not sure the style suits this kind of heavy leather. I have the heavy wax version from the Belstaff Motorcycle range and its been a fantastic jacket. All that said, doesn't look like this jacket/fit really fits the model here either so its probably not doing the jacket any favours.

Theres some more and a video here http://www.barbour.com/blog/barbour-international-x-triumph-making-leather-biker-jacket

 

[Monitor]

It's nice. Both jackets are.

 

[pipvh]

Looks good. Lewis/Aviakit used to do one - I tried on a '70s Gold Top ex-police jacket the other day that looked almost exactly like your picture. It was as heavy as you like: a functional beast of a jacket.

 

[Sloan1874]

From what I'm told, this was a Simmons Bilt collab with Barbour from a while back, but if you find one of their outlets you'll probably find racks of them there at a knock-down price...

 

[devilish]

Horrible, just horrible!

 

[AeroFan_07]

Not quite my style, but if you like it go for it!!

 

[nick123]

Isn't that model the jacket the Mods wore on their scooters or am I way off the mark?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

^^^^
I remember fishtail parkas as being de rigueur for mods.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Horrible, just horrible!

Stop beating about the bush & say what you think.

 

[Graemsay]

Belstaff offer a leather version of the Trialmaster, which is similar to the Barbour International.

BKS Leather made a suit for a customer, where the jacket was influenced by the Barbour and Belstaff designs. It's not as aesthetically pleasing, and I think that the owner (who's not the bloke wearing it) should have gone for a single colour, rather than two-tone black and green. That said, it'll handle crashes better than anything else on this page.

Incidentally, the zips above the flap pockets on the chest are air vents. I'm planning on getting a café racer inspired jacket off BKS later this year, and will steal that trick for mine.

 

[Graemsay]

Lewis Leathers still offer full length riding jackets: The Black Arrow (on the left) and the Roadmaster (on the right). The latter is similar to the Barbour or Belstaff designs.

 

[Edward]

Is this one of the Simmons Bilt/Alexander/Barbour/Triumph collaboration?

Could be... If it is, they've much improved their pattern; the ones I saw on thd SB site looked all wrong. Pockets far too big and such, these look better proportioned.

I had an old wax cloth International but decided to stop wearing it when I was in the queue at Tesco along with quite a few other Internationals. That trend seems to have tailed off and I see many fewer around.

Happened a while back, yeah. Belstaff went trendy first, then Barbour, if I recall. Not sure whether Barbour were bought out by a fashion house like Belstaff, though.

Looks too small for the person modeling it.Think it would work better if it was more 'rangy' in fit.Vincent riders used to call it "the sack of potatoes" stance which was not stylish but comfortable over a long distance.Think it would look great after a few years use though...

Definitely needs to be bigger!

I'm a big fan of this style as I do like the usefullness of all the pockets, that said the older Barbour versions have never really worked for me due to their boxy, short armed fit - and I'd agree, the fact you see these everywhere now is kind of off-putting, at least to me, clearly not to all the people buying them.

Agree the proportions on this don't look good at all, and I'm not sure the style suits this kind of heavy leather. I have the heavy wax version from the Belstaff Motorcycle range and its been a fantastic jacket. All that said, doesn't look like this jacket/fit really fits the model here either so its probably not doing the jacket any favours.

Theres some more and a video here http://www.barbour.com/blog/barbour-international-x-triumph-making-leather-biker-jacket

The drape is definitrly better when they're softer... The wax cotton is certainly better, especially the jacket as the top half of a waterproof suit.

It might be safe to start wearing an International again, although the silly patch should always be removed. I think a leather version is a nice idea but I think it would need to be done in a softer leather to get some drape, which the waxed cotton jackets of course have. There seems to be a tendency among 'leather jacket people' to go with the heaviest leather possible, but I don't think it always looks the best.

Certainky varies, though the stiffness/break in time of some hides is wildly exaggerated in some quarters. I think the awkwardness of a lot of the leather ones is in it not always belting in so well, as compared with the cotton.

The big logo thing was a weird choice for Barbour, but I guess that's what they found sold.

Looks good. Lewis/Aviakit used to do one - I tried on a '70s Gold Top ex-police jacket the other day that looked almost exactly like your picture. It was as heavy as you like: a functional beast of a jacket.

I think they still do... Wax cotton too, I believe.

From what I'm told, this was a Simmons Bilt collab with Barbour from a while back, but if you find one of their outlets you'll probably find racks of them there at a knock-down price...

Probably.... Oof, full retail was £1250. Insane. Silvermans did a black leather one in their gth range for £150, though granted probably not uk manufactured.

Not quite my style, but if you like it go for it!!

I think the wax cotton version is still more me!

Isn't that model the jacket the Mods wore on their scooters or am I way off the mark?

No, it was never scooterwear afaik. Very standard motorcycle jacket, though- at a time the wax cotton version woukd have been at least as common as any leather jacket on a motorcyclist. Some rockers even wore wax cotton.

Belstaff offer a leather version of the Trialmaster, which is similar to the Barbour International.

View attachment 55218

BKS Leather made a suit for a customer, where the jacket was influenced by the Barbour and Belstaff designs. It's not as aesthetically pleasing, and I think that the owner (who's not the bloke wearing it) should have gone for a single colour, rather than two-tone black and green. That said, it'll handle crashes better than anything else on this page.

Incidentally, the zips above the flap pockets on the chest are air vents. I'm planning on getting a café racer inspired jacket off BKS later this year, and will steal that trick for mine.

View attachment 55221

Bks make nice stuff. I kinda like the black/ green mix... Looks like a nicer jacket altogether this one, though.

Belstaff and Barbour both go way back with this design... No idea who did it first in leather, though.

 

[Fanch]

I am a big fan of Barbour's waxed cotton coats that are sold in at least two high end stores in Dallas (Orvis and Culwell & Son) but unable to wear myself due to sleeves too short for my long arms. I did buy a waxed cotton Barbour for my wife at Orvis, and it is one of her favorite coats. Honestly said, I am not all that fond of the aesthetics of the belted leather coat shown at the top of the page, but to each his own ...