What do submariners, hunters, motorcyclists, and English royalty all have in common?
Each has enjoyed the benefits — and stylishness — of the waxed jacket. Led by English outfitters Barbour and Belstaff, the market for these weatherproof garments is vast and popular as ever. What are the origins, however, of this distinctly utilitarian piece of outerwear? To find out, let’s rewind the clock a few-hundred years to the Golden Age of Sail…
Born on the High Seas
During the classic period of maritime exploration, sailors discovered that wet sails were more effective at harnessing the wind — the trouble being, however, that they're heavy and difficult to work with. Coating them in fish oil helped give them a protective, water-resistant skin, making them lighter when wet. Fish oil eventually gave way to linseed oil and then, by the 1930s, paraffin wax. What to do, however, with offcuts from old sails that were no longer being used as such? Sailors fashioned them into bags and jackets, taking advantage of the waxed canvas material’s inherent weather-resistant bona fides.
John Barbour - Image by Heddels
Against this backdrop an Englishman named John Barbour began producing oilskin coats in 1894. Marketed initially to outdoorsmen, fisherman, and men of similarly hardy professions, the company turned its sights to the fledgling motorcycle rider’s market in 1936. It was then that Duncan Barbour, grandson of John, designed a one-piece bike suit and named it after the famed International Six-Day Trials offroad motorcycle race. Dubbed the International, it ironically found its way back to its waxed sail origins when it was worn by a lieutenant named Lakin, navigator on the British submarine HMS Ursula during the Second World War. The sub’s CO, Lieutenant Commander George Phillips, noticed Lakin’s suit and speculated that it — with certain alterations — would constitute a vast improvement over the standard-issue oilskin kit.
Captain George Phillips in the Ursula jacket and trousers that he designed with Barbour - (Image by Barbour)
Approaching Barbour himself, Phillips paid out of his own pocket to have a prototype suit made. Requesting that the firm cut the one-piece suit in half to make two separate garments, he walked away with a hooded jacket and trousers fitted with elastic in the ankles and waist. The design was a hit: Waterproof, warm, comfortable, and easily produced by a firm that already specialized in such clothing, it was christened the “Ursula suit” after the sub on which it was developed, and was said to have been adopted by the wider Submariner Service. (Very few of these original garments remain, however, and it seems that relatively few were actually made.)
Back to Solid Ground
The one-piece motorcycling suit designed by third-generation family member Duncan Barbour and named for the International Six Day Trials would eventually give way to a separate jacket. (Image by Barbour)
At this point, the waxed-canvas suit had made its way from sea to motorcycle and back to the sea again. However, following the War, the jacket portion of the Ursula suit was widely adopted by offroad motorcyclists, where it was favored by riders of the aforementioned International Six-Day Trials, a 1,250-mile competition first held in 1913 in Carlisle, England and now known as the International Six Days Enduro.
American actor Steve McQueen — and the rest of the American team — famously wore Barbour International jackets in the International Six Day Trials in East Germany in 1964 (Image by Barbour)
Barbour wasn’t alone on the motorcycle circuit, however — rather, it faced stiff competition from fellow English brand Belstaff, founded by entrepreneur Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg in 1924. Producing early leather flying jackets and waxed-cotton coats, Belstaff began making dedicated motorcycle jackets when Joe Wright, a multiple world land speed record holder, endorsed the firm’s outerwear in 1929. Debuting its Senior TT Competition Coat in 1933, Belstaff switched over to war production in 1939, designing smocks and aviator coats for British forces.
After the War, the West Midlands-based company was sold to the James Halstead Group, and continued its rapid ascent in the motorcycle world. It was in 1948 that it debuted its famed Trailmaster jacket, a thigh-length, belted, waxed cotton model with corduroy-lined collar and four large bellows pockets — including one slanted for easy access to maps and other items which was later adopted by Barbour on its own models. Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, who competed in the International Six-Day Trials in 1964, wore a Barbour trials suit during the competition — at the same time, he was said to be partial to his Belstaff Trailmaster. Either way, both famed British marques were able to claim McQueen as their own, further cementing their reputations both amongst native Brits as well as among American riders.
Hunting, Royalty, and the Fashion Set
While Barbour exited the motorcycle sponsorship market in 1977, it began to focus on the English gentry scattered throughout that country’s myriad manor houses, estates, and small towns. This it did with aplomb, focusing its marketing efforts on those for whom a fine day of grouse shooting constituted a common weekend activity. In 1983, the company debuted the Beaufort Jacket, a hip-length waxed model with tartan lining, large front pockets, and a full-length, lined rear pocket. A favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth — not to mention King Charles, Prince William, Princess Kate, Princess Diana, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh — it became a staple of both English royalty as well as the broader general public.
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in HBO's The Crown wearing a Barbour jacket - (Image by Man for Today)
Today, Barbour largely focuses on this market, while Belstaff concentrates on the motorcycle market. Simultaneously, both have entered the broader sartorial zeitgeist as films and television shows have exposed them to larger audiences: HBO’s The Crown and the James Bond film Skyfall have both helped to highlight the waxed cotton jacket, while direct-to-consumer brands based Stateside have developed their own versions of this iconic garment. Young collectors, meanwhile, will spend good money at vintage markets such as Brick Lane in London to scour the racks for a well-worn model from the 1980s or 1990s, favoring the unique patina imparted by years of hard use. If well cared for — and rewaxed from time to time — a waxed jacket can last decades, if not longer.
Some of Our Favorite Waxed Jackets
The Affordable Option: Flint and Tinder Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket ($298)
Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket - SHOP HERE
If you like the idea of a waxed jacket but prefer a more streamlined silhouette, then the Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket from Flint and Tinder might be just the ticket. Made of waxed and water-resistant Martexin 7 oz. sailcloth, it features a soft blanket lining in the body and sleeves that makes it ideal for wear with nothing but a t-shirt underneath.
The Countryside Option: Barbour Bedale Waxed Jacket ($415)
Bedale Waxed Jacket - SHOP HERE
Designed by Dame Margaret Barbour, the Bedale is a shorter take on the famed Beaufort originally meant for equestrians. That being said, it features all the design elements that outdoorsmen and women love: Ample front pockets, a collar that can easily be turned up against the elements, and, of course, a waxed cotton lining available in multiple colors.
The Moto Option: Belstaff Trailmaster Jacket ($675)
Trailmaster Jacket - SHOP HERE
For someone in search of a proper waxed cotton motorcycle jacket, the Belstaff Trailmaster is really the only proper modern choice. Complete with its signature belt and four pockets — including the top-left slanted pocket — it’s made from 6 oz. waxed cotton and features cotton twill lining woven in the signature Belstaff checked pattern. Comes in three colors.
