u/abrod520

The moment I picked it up I could tell something wasn't right, and the lack of Wax Care instructions in the lining suggested the same.

Despite the J.Crew website copy saying otherwise, the Barbour x J.Crew Beaufort in 'Apple Green' is a Casual, non-waxed jacket, product code MCA1167.

Here are some photos that my phone refused to get rhe colors right on anyway; the green is definitely more of a rich emerald like the website photos.

The tiny bit of good news is, it's 100% Beaufort otherwise. Game pocket, wallet pocket, storm cuffs in the sleeves - they're all there. So that's nice to see, at least.

In further bad news, so is the Blackwatch Tartan Barn Jacket. Huge letdown.

To think I left a lunch at Via Carota early for this 🤣

Holy shit the return rates for web purchases are gonna be through the roof

Link (US store)

$495, 100% cotton and normal numeric sizing, so assuming the sleeves are cotton.

The color... takes some getting used to I suppose? But I will say - I think they have out- Paul Smith'd the Paul Smith Gamefair on this one.

Decided to get the sleeve linings on my Lutz for this winter, and because the sleeves were already the proper length I figured why not try out Barbour's service. I also have always thought the Lutz would benefit greatly from a leather cuff trim - and then got a little carried away when speccing it and added trim to the hand pocket. For longevity, you understand 😂

Anyway, here's the experience having it done by Barbour - in a word, great! Even in this busiest of times, it only took about three weeks.

*You can find pricing for sleeve linings and all other procedures on Barbour's website but I find them to be quite reasonable. I am not entirely sure I'd feel comfortable having the sleeves hemmed without someone taking measurements though.

*Unfortunately even bringing the jacket in to the Barbour store did not avoid the $20 return shipping charge. Considering UPS' corporate rate with insurance (assuming Barbour insures their shipments) is around half of that...

Made it down to the Paul Smith store yesterday evening to get a look at everything. As expected, they're OK, nothing's an instant buy. And the Transport sucks as usual 😂

All of the jackets have cotton sleeves again, so that's at least good to see.

I'm not a huge fan of the green color on the Gamefair or the women's Spey, but the Rust color is nice on the women's Beaufort.

The deep navy corduroy Beaufort was cool, but I honestly think the style would've been better suited to a slimmer silhouette like the Ashby. Full cord + baggy Beaufort just reads as a bit frumpy to me instead.

The only standout of the bunch oddly enough was the wool Beaufort. It's excellent, and made with good ol' Moon fabric which was nice to see. It's comfy, not too heavy, and feels upscale. The colors are... not for me but subtle enough not to be too crazy.

Both Beauforts have a really interesting game pocket treatment - the left side has the usual zip, but the right side has a button closure. On the cord, it's just open underneath, so things could slide out a bit too easily. But the wool has an extra bit of fabric to ensure that doesn't happen.

The women's Beaufort works the best, but that large button tail is a bit too feminine to pull off for me I think. The Spey too.

I did like the wingtip touch on the boots, and the small bag looks very nice. Didn't pay any attention to the shirts and sweaters.

Got an 'early access' email from the Collectors Club again early this morning, so let's have a look!

-Tartan cuffs are A Thing now, which I actually like. But we'll have to see if they're hiding polyester further up on these like they did on the Icons lineup.

-Non-waxed jackets seem to get the main focus yet again, with nice (and expensive) wool versions of the Beaufort and the Transport. And that corduroy Beaufort we saw samples of is indeed in the lineup, looking good.

-Wax pricing is a lot better than last year though; the Gamefair is $625 compared to the Beeston which was $795

-Hot pink throat tabs on all jackets threaten to seriously curtail wearability :/ Will have to see in person of course.

-The US gets the shaft as usual; as soon as my browser resolved to locating me in the US the posted prices all went up about 15% and the selection dropped by about half.

Gamefair - interesting green color not far from where Sage ends up when the wax wears off.

Waxed Transports (gotta have those Transports) look nice; Rust finally comes back! I'm not a Transport fan but at least I already have my Rust Sapper 😎 The Windowpane is funky and a lot more expensive.

Just like SS26 the women get some better wax - a Rust Beaufort and a Spey in the same green color as the Gamefair.

There weren't too many crazy new models at Madison Ave last week (we get a very limited selection in-store here in New York of the already very limited US selection of waxed jackets) but the Icons Tartan Durham definitely stood out. This one's super funky with its subtle-when-waxed tartan paneling, tartan cuffs (also plastic sleeves here though, sorry) and added zip pocket & D-ring accents.

I'm not super into the visible inner drawcord, it's very expensive at $570 US considering its construction, and I generally don't love the Durham's integrated hood and silhouette. But I have to say, if I were gonna join the #durhamgang I think it'd be with this! Could be a fun eBay hunt a few years down the line.

Stopped into Barbour Madison Ave to finally get around to sprucing up my Lutz with some leather bindings, and took the opportunity to try some new stuff. Couple interesting off-catalogue models I'll post about, but the number one jacket I really had to see was the Icons Beaufort in Bordeaux.

Good news, we get it in the US!
Bad news, the sleeves are plastic and the tartan is just on the cuffs.
Good news, I don't need to buy one then 😂

Gorgeous color, the fit is oversized as usual these days so I am trying on a size M - equates to about a 40/42.

The sleeves were incredibly disappointing to find out about. I suppose it'd be all right enough if you took your regular size and only wore it with layers underneath, but IMO this colorway is a bit jauntier and suggests a fall / spring sort of liveliness, so this was a huge mistake IMO.

Maybe way down the line when these are an obscure eBay curiosity and not $450, it could be a fun pickup and sleeve swap but, for now, it's firmly not a buy for me.

Found what seemed to be a decent deal on a To Ki To Sports in my size (XXL on these) and figured I'd check it out; always wanted to compare it to the modern Beacon. It showed up yesterday, great, checked it out and seemed fine. But then I looked at the tag... it's tagged a size Small even though it's an XXL. Sure, these QC things can happen, but I went looking for red flags and found a few. It's hard to find definitive detail shots on the web, so I figured I'd put this here too.

Aside from the tag mismatch:
-The front flap pockets are pointy, not rounded. This seems to be a likely indicator. I don't think they were pointy on any of the Sports Jacket models from the To Ki To through the Dept.B and now on the Beacon.
-The 'Traditional Sylkoil Finish' tag is not under the front left flap pocket as usual, but is instead inside below the wax care label. Doesn't seem suspicious in and of itself but the few photos I can find of the To Ki To suggest they all had it under the pocket flap as they do on most Sylkoil jackets.
-The inner plastic lining seen through the armpit vents is red (!!!) while if it is ever visible at all on a genuine jacket, it's usually black or a flat dark grey like a trash bag.
-The tartan lining doesn't seem to have the right texture, and is not lined up between the left and right panels. I know this can sometimes happen and have seen it on Retail models, but I don't think it's correct for a To Ki To.

Only reason I'm asking is because I have no experience with To Ki Tos and wonder if more knowledgeable members can be more definitive!

Don't have a crazy jacket to show this week as I enter a couple intensely busy weeks preparing for a move, but this Gamefair recently passed through and I thought it'd be a great opportunity to showcase how this fairly unknown model originally appeared, and how it differs from the Border which Barbour evolved the Gamefair to be very similar to in the '90s before discontinuing.

The primary difference between the Gamefair and the Border is that the Gamefair has raglan sleeves. Which is kinda funny because it means the Gamefair actually shares more familial resemblance with the Beaufort and Bedale than the Border, which has structured shoulders.

The other major difference is the Gamefair originally did not have hand-warmer pockets. Why this was, I do not know and Google hasn't helped much, but it's very impractical for a long coat. Barbour added them in the '90s, but by then the Border had already become the default option for someone looking for a longer coat than the Beaufort.

The third difference which is really more academic is that the Gamefair has only one internal hunting pocket on the left, and it is not detachable. But it is still Nylon, so retains much of the same function.

The other thing about this particular one that I loved was that it still has its original T. Fattorini pin badge, which is just super cool and not nearly seen often enough even around these parts 😂 It's big, bold, and square in an awesome '80s way and even though it's perhaps twice the size of the modern ones, I think it's way cooler and so much more wearable. The modern pins feel kinda made more for branding, while these '80s ones are a straight up vibe. I'd wear it, and the A123 Gamefair, proudly!

(In the interest of full disclosure, this Gamefair turned out to be a size 38 and thus too small for me. It has since found a home where I am sure it will be properly loved though!)

Not a jacket this time! The Barbour SS26 collection included some intriguing expressions of the Spey (continuing in AW26 with the Long Spey waxed jacket too) that I just found irresistible. They also made some cargo shorts with a Spey-like D-ring that looked really cool, but I was able to control myself 🤣

Working in midtown Manhattan during the summer is an interesting contrast between the horrible humidity outside but the sometimes downright chilly air conditioning in the office. I run hot, so most of the time I don't mind, but even I need a light layer some days. Which gave me the perfect excuse to buy this stupid Spey overshirt from the EU 🤣 (we of course did not get it in the US)

It's great though, I love the look of the light olive with the contrast collar. And they've brought back a little Dress Gordon trim inside the collar 🥰 I will admit to being drawn to the D-ring accents with the chest pockets. It's a fun way to enjoy some of that classical Barbour style during the height of the summer.

It's 100% cotton and decently lightweight; the poplin weave has a slightly stiff papery consistency that does help with structure, but also gets super wrinkly and holds dampness like a grudge. So if you're sweating a little, you'll be rather spotty-looking.

It's slightly impractical, it's overpriced, it's silly. But it looks great, works great for this application that I completely made up, and has some great throwback touches that make it a very enjoyable wear.

This was another Stupid Waste of Money and I regret nothing!

Right off the bat - please forgive the linen camp shirt outfit underneath. It's horribly hot here in New York right now so that's what I'd wore today, and now that it's midnight it's finally cooled down enough to try some stuff thay I'd found this week.

First, a limited edition John Varvatos Baylor jacket in a cool garment-dyed corduroy. From what I can tell it's a very limited Japanese-market jacket, and while I love the way it looks on its own my personal style isn't quite as 'rawk' as the extreme end of JV stuff. The multi-button stand collar style is great with the more muted suedes; the garment-dye corduroy vibe is super cool on the more traditional-cut jackets like the Rind. Together though, I dunno if it's me - I like an elevated-classic look, like the mid-range of the Varvatos catalog or Billy Reid etc. for example.

Which also brings me to the super-cheap Morrison Sharpei boots I found too 😂 I've often liked the materials of these signature Varvatos boots, but the overall extroverted style has always put me off a bit. Enter these burnished suede examples with a crazy cool corduroy-look finish; they happen to be my size and I really don't hate the way they look with some medium-wash denim.

My Q to you dudes is, for someone with a mid-introverted-with-subtly-extroverted-details style (yes it's complicated), is this too damn much or do you think it can be pulled off?

EDIT: I think on its own the dye transitions from panel to panel look a little silly which is why I highlighted them. But I don't super hate it on me? Keep in mind the harsh lighting lol

This is the Peakdale, and it's a size too small for me.

It doesn't fit. I know it doesn't fit.
(Watch, the top comments will still be that it's too snug etc etc etc. because it's very important for some people to get at me when something doesn't look like I'm wearing a tent 🙄)

I'm not going to keep it but it's just too cool not to highlight. I hunt down plenty of jackets just to have to let them go without posting about them because they don't fit (thanks Barbour for your four-plus different sizing methods) but this one really deserves it!

The Peakdale is very heavy - I think it may be 10oz, even. It's a Beacon-branded jacket though the tag doesn't bear the name like many of those models. It looks fairly standard at first blush until you notice that the chest handwarmer pockets are Transport-style rather than the standard, and it still has proper hand pockets behind the waist pockets. Waist pockets that have the usual snaps, but also a hidden button.

Already we have many pocket options, but we are just getting started 😂

Inside, the front placket is full wool all the way down to the drip strip (the sleeves are sadly still polyester) where we see more pockets. But not just two interior pockets - no! - we have four with extra velcro additions on top. And then there's also the usual mid-chest inner pocket where the tag lives.

So that's NINE pockets. Surely we are done, then?

NO! 🤣 Because the Peakdale has a surprise, literally, in its back... uh, pocket. See, the Peakdale has a very nice hood, one that buttons on for extra security compared to the optional snap-on hoods. It's very nice, but you may want to wear this coat without it, and it'd be a real shame to lose that hood. So, the Peakdale has a sneaky little extra zipper pocket on the back right, that's nylon-lined for water resistance, that just so happens to be about the exact size for a folded-up hood. Is that what it's for? Who knows, but it sure seems it!

I'm truly disappointed this isn't one I can keep; maybe someday I'll uncover a size XL for myself. But this coat really lives up to its name, and could easily be the top coat in a collection!

Just a couple days ago I posted up a rare Retail Prestbury in Navy blue Thornproof, a color and fabric that hasn't been regularly offered on the Prestbury. Well the timing turned out to be pretty funny - another astute member of the sub pointed out that Nordstrom had blue Prestburys available, I had to see for myself and bought one, and sure enough the Prestbury seems that it will now be offered in Navy blue for AW26! (Still Sylkoil though, but I think Navy Sylkoil is all right)

Like the Retail example, I think this jacket is particularly beautiful in Navy. The Olive and Rustic options are fine when newly waxed, but I don't think the aged look of those Sylkoil fabrics really suit the elegance of the Prestbury as well as Navy will. It's also got a gorgeous deep blue lining, almost purple-ish, much prettier than the brown or olive green linings as well.

Couple interesting logistical notes; it appears that at least some of the AW26 models will still be warrantless as this one does not feature them. Maybe some of the later production run will make it into the season with a warrant, but this one at least doesn't.
Also, and maybe I've just missed this with some other recent jackets up til now, but the pin badge design has also been revised back to the vintage style with the recessed and raised Barbour print. Much more attractive IMO than the recent convex style.

Ultimately I think the Navy Prestbury is going to be one of the better offerings from Barbour this fall and hopefully going forward into regular production. It's fantastic! But this one is already on its way back seeing as I've pretty much got one already, even if it's 6 years old now 😎

I've always thought the Prestbury is one of the more handsome jackets in the current lineup. The sleek silhouette and that gorgeous leather-trimmed stand collar just really do it for me. But I've held off on it mainly because it happens to only come in my two least favorite wax options- Olive or Rustic Sylkoil. They both look just fine when freshly waxed, but I really just don't like the papery consistency of the fabric as the wax wears off. Oh well, I've got more than enough jackets piling up anyway 🤣

Well when I saw this one in Navy it piqued my curiosity, since for whatever reason I find Navy Sylkoil to age quite nicely. And to my pleasant surprise, it turned out to be Thornproof too 😁

So yeah, it's a Retail Prestbury. Usually that'd be a bit of a concern, as we've seen plenty of Retail models turn up pretty cheap with the materials. But honestly, this one seems just as nice as a regular Prestbury; the leather trims are different but appear in all the same places as on the main-line, rather than being swapped out for moleskin like many Retails have.
And in fact I think it's nicer than the main Prestbury - the pockets are all lined with a pretty gray tartan moleskin, while only the main hand pockets are moleskin on the main line; the others are that plain 'interior cotton' that's neither soft nor rough. And because the regular Prestbury lining is polyamide box-quilted, this is pretty much the same just a different color.

A comparison of the materials bills supports the idea that this isn't really very cheaped out, too. Just about the only change I can notice is the lack of the leather 'Barbour' patch on the back strap between the shoulders, and frankly that's something I could always live without on my jackets.

If I do end up keeping this one long term (and the pull is strong) I'd probably trim back the light blue sleeve lining so it doesn't peek out from the cuffs as much. But this is one Retail model I'm absolutely choosing over the standard!

Just a few weeks ago I caught myself a big one! A full set Solway Zipper in top condition, with a 1981 tag. And if that's not cool enough, the pocket contained a bunch of fishing documents dating to 1983 including a Welsh fishing license, and even a small packet of Mustad fishing hooks 😂 It's as if someone gave it a decent rewax at the end of the year and then just squirreled it away somewhere, maybe forgot about it.

I thought at least surely the belt was a repro being in such good condition, but after examining the buckle I think it's original too. It's got the Beefy Zipper too, but instead of YKK it's CLIX, looks original though.

Aaand of course the sleeves are comically short for a size 40 anything 😢 (I'm a 42 and even those sleeves are a joke) So I guess I'll have to let this go to some lucky person with short arms. Bummed it won't work for me but man what a cool find this was!

Recently found an overstock SS25 Ashby in Navy blue. Checking the materials tag for variances I found that instead of the NY92 color they've always been, this one is NY99. It looks the same though.

Turns out the NY99 jackets are the same color, but Barbour used a different color code to denote the newer PFAS- free models that would've been on the racks alongside existing non-PFAS-free stock. And for AW26 onwards all navy blue Ashbys are back to being coded NY92.

tl-dr more PFAS-switch quirkiness, thought itd be worth pointing out as I'll bet there will be future Google searches for it 🤣

We've moved on to the crib, so we're getting rid of our Nuna bassinet and our HALO bedside sleeper.

$250 / Nuna SWIV & TRIV baby bassinet with foldable stand and car seat adapter. Has all of the zip-on accessories, in great condition. Cushion isn't even stained or anything. This was $500 new, save half.

$200 / HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper Luxe baby bassinet / bedside sleeper in great condition. Has powered soothing sounds and slight rocking motion.
$420 new, often on sale at $350, take ours for half that.
Legs will be removed prior to sale, just requires a phillips head screwdriver to reinstall

We're on Astoria Blvd near the train & BP station

Ah, the Shoreman. Always thought it was an overwrought design, a step too far for a waxed jacket.

Well, this Ventile version shut me right up 😂** **I never knew there was a Ventile Shoreman until I nabbed this one a little while ago and man it is NICE. It's my first go-round with a Ventile Barbour and boy do I get why those old '90s Endurances go for lots of money. Hell, this even had me looking them up to see if there was one I wanted, and I prefer the navy blue one so maybe one day I'll hunt down one of the new ones (we did not get the new Ventile Endurance in the US. Boo) but frankly, after a little bit I found myself wondering why when this one is way cooler, in my opinion.

See, it's the light-weight performance of the fabric that really makes this Shoreman work. Instead of it being a heavy smock - yeah, I know it was a take on the Longshoreman - it's transformed into almost a performance jacket. A Barbour for exploration, just like the original Ventile Endurance.

The Shoreman has been covered before, at least the wax version, and I'm not sure which details may differ on the Ventile. So I'll just stick to a quick rundown of excellent features.

Right off the bat the leather throat tab stands out. It's a great touch that subtly grounds this jacket and keeps that old-world Barbour feel as the full Ventile construction otherwise feels very modern. Inside, there are dual vertical pockets outside the liner which are a thoughtful boost of practicality. The jacket has drawcords at the waist and hem allowing for good adjustment of the silhouette though the hem bit doesn't work terribly well with the curved back as it just bunches up. It's also just the back half and doesn't extend to the front, so you get a weird bunched-up butt thing going on. Best left alone it seems.

The sleeve lining is a soft polyamide instead of cotton, but at least they're not polyester. It's the same material as the liner, or the lining in any of Barbour's padded jackets (even though this is not insulated). The cuffs have inside-out buttons suggesting they're meant to be worn folded up; the inner storm cuffs extend all the way though so they stick out and cause a bit of a fuss. If I do keep this guy I think I'd get them removed.

Speaking of the liner, it's an interesting half-vest design that ends right about where the waist drawcords are, so it'll help keep warm to a point but I'd probably layer up anyway and either leave it at home or folded up in the game pocket... Said game pocket has a top access zip as well as side access, which is funky.

Finally, the hood. Anyone who's interacted with me knows I do not like hoods 😂 but I have to say this one just completes the jacket. It certainly doesn't hurt that it can be easily buttoned up without needing to fully do up the jacket and throat tab. Plus the jacket looks a little weird without it. So even though it's removable, I'd keep it on - but I'd still just wear a hat :)

This is the first To Ki To I've got my hands on, as well as the first Ventile Barbour, and I've gotta say - I'm very impressed by both! There are a lot of bits here to lose though, between the liner, hood, and completely detachable throat tab, so I'm equally relieved that I found a 'full set'.

Silly side note: Interesting that it's coded as a MWB jacket, while the new Ventile Endurance is coded as MSP (Showerproof). And a funny little tidbit - this is MWB0339 while MWX0339 is an Ashby, so it'll have a completely different product code than the waxed Shoreman.