18/07/2021
Keen waxer of waxed jackets, Ryan Mallinson, is back for a follow-up. We get into a few of the ideas behind slower fashion, buying what you actually need instead of what is available, taking care of your kit, repairing and improving, building a business from scratch, taking risks, creating a brand and building a community, being genuine in business, and…
25/06/2021
Gary Newbold returns for this episode to talk around the topic of “buy better, buy less”, what choices we make in how things are made, which fabrics we use, what it’s like to work in the clothing business and more. There is a lot of talk of which fabrics and fibres we should avoid, but which should we seek out?…
15/03/2021
Back in 2013, Barbour did a design collaboration with the Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons owned by Patrick Grant. The collaboration consisted of a limited range of jackets and knitwear, all in a very rugged and purposeful style. The outer fabric was thicker, in fact so sturdy that the lore says the factory had to invest in stronger machines…
19/02/2021
In this Garmology video, I talk about buying a vintage Barbour, specifically a Border or Northumbria. Most of the features and differences are covered, as well as how to clean and rewax the waxed cotton. Read more about rewaxing a waxed jacket here. If you’d like to have your waxed jacket waxed or repaired, I recommend Ryan at Mallin &…
04/11/2020
This weeks guest is Gary Newbold, maker of premium, handmade British outerwear as English Utopia, and his non-linear career progression from life as a competition cyclist to becoming head of design at Barbour, and what to do after that. Pearls of wisdom are included, so pay attention! And remember, while you can listen to the episode right here on the…
26/09/2020
In today’s episode, my guest is Ryan Mallinson, Yorkshireman and keen maintainer of the waxed jacket legacy. Ryan owns a small company offering repairs and rewaxing of classic waxed cotton jackets such as Barbour, Belstaff and John Partridge. We talk about the process of rewaxing, why it is a good thing, common problems, how to deal with smells, fashion versus…
19/01/2020
In the world of tech fabrics, waxed cotton is the old curmudgeon sitting in the corner eyeing up the newcomers with a sceptical look of disdain. Waxed cotton has been around for ages, from the early use of improving the wind-retaining use as sails, to water-repellent outerwear. As these things go, it’s pretty environmentally friendly as well, there are no…
02/08/2015
In 2 weeks time I’ll be back in Delhi for another 9 days visit. Sadly, most of my time will be spent in a modern office building training Indian engineers, there will be some downtime at either end of the visit and evenings underway. So while the climate outside will be tropical, most of the time is spent in climate controlled…
12/04/2015
The green waxed jacket, normally with a Barbour label somewhere on it, is a staple of the British look. Maybe not so much for the average British chap, but for the those aspiring to the hunting and gentleman farming look of the more elevated gents, the traditional green waxed jacket had a definite place. I have no problem with that…
18/07/2014
Finally back from our road trip around the UK, it feels like we were there much longer than 10 days. This part of the trip took us from Stratford-upon-Avon to Newcastle, and back home again. We packed in a lot of sights and experiences, to be chronicled on the blog shortly. In the meantime, here are the past weeks highlights…