I Bought a SS27 Sample. (For Science!)
Presenting the SS27 'Re-Engineer' jacket in Sage (It's Sage. That's really the reason I decided to take a shot at this strange, unnamed SS27 sample. That and the cool stand collar). There are a couple of these floating around the platforms, and they all have the same torn-off label interestingly. But they're also quite complete, having full labels and even coming with the pins. It's got all the Re-Engineered hallmarks - modern sizing and style, the subdued brown R-E specific tartan pattern, etc etc. But a Re-Engineered what?
From the slash pockets I'm thinking maybe a Re-Engineered Transport, but I also think from the limited labeling this one might not actually make it to production.
That'd be too bad, though I suppose understandable since brand-new in Sage this one is definitely on the understated side. I think once it wears in and starts showing some color, it'll be awesome; but out of the box it comes across fairly un-Barbour like. No trademark bellows pockets or visible corduroy or tartan - the inner collar is corduroy but dark; the only tartan on this guy is the upper patch in the interior between the shoulders. IMO, that's a mistake on the Re-Engineered models but then I have an appreciation for all of the models while I understand that the Re-Engineered models are an attempt to appeal to a new sort of customer which I fully support.
Anyway - on to the jacket itself. I love it! It's basically the sleeker Sage counterpart to the Re-Engineered Utility Bedale from this past season. It's definitely a city-style jacket, given the aforementioned less-traditional styling cues. Instead it's incredibly sleek, hitting right at the hip and feeling very sophisticated and sporty at the same time. In fact the only outward indication that it's a Barbour is the shortened button placket that, when worn open at least, allows the ring zip pull to sit out in the open. It also gives the jacket a bit more mobility when sitting or climbing stairs etc, something I actually find myself appreciating as I head up from the subway and such. The slash pockets are definitely hand-warmer only, being a bit too small for much utility, but they are moleskin-lined and the pocket entries are the familiar fold-over design from the Transport. The only other pocket is the tiny little interior pocket that holds the tag, so you'll definitely not be carrying much in this one.
It has a solid drawstring waist, with nice proper metal keepers - a _huge_ improvement over the Re-Engineered Spey's version which don't actually hold meaning the jacket just goes right back to wherever it naturally sits within two minutes of pulling the drawstrings. It's also got a foldaway emergency hood, which I've gone on record as appreciating for the way they add structure to stand collars that might otherwise become floppy. The thick stand collar on this one makes it punch far above its weight in warmth as well, trapping heat on the neck very efficiently. Does mean it's a bit toasty to wear in the last couple days of spring here in NY though.
One weird thing I think is something to do with the fact that it's a sample, is that the inner placket is stitched open at the bottom, middle, and top. Not sure what that's about and it seems to make zipping up a bit more difficult so I figure I'll give it a go with the seam ripper but if anyone's got some insight I'm all ears.
All in all though for now with its freshly-waxed finish, it's a little uninspiring at first glance but when hit with bright sunlight on a crisp spring day little bits of the Sage color start popping out, so I'm really looking forward to how this will turn out over time. I think the combination of the modern design with the Sage colorway should really be a cool combination, and it'll also be fun to see these occasionally hit the secondary market where every anomaly is a 'prototype' - except this one actually is!