Barbour

British waxed cotton jackets. Five generations of family ownership. Wax jackets hand-made at the South Shields factory in England.

Approved

Founded: 1894
Website: barbour.com
HQ: UK
Manufacturing: UK,Various
Ownership type: Family-owned

Ownership

Family-owned, five generations. Re-wax and repair roughly 60,000 jackets per year at the South Shields facility.

Reversibility

What would change our verdict

Sale out of family ownership. Closure or relocation of the South Shields factory.

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Investigation · April 17, 2026

Your Favorite Brands Got Worse On Purpose

Authentic Brands Group buys dead brands, strips the design and manufacturing, and licenses the name to anyone who'll pay. Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Sports Illustrated. Plus the ones still worth buying.

Read the full investigation

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