Barbour South Shields Factory Tour

BARBOUR SOUTH SHIELDS FACTORY

Recently the Stuarts team had the honour of going behind the scenes at Barbour’s South Shields Factory. The Barbour story began in 1894 in the Market Place in South Shields & the company has remained in South Shields ever since, moving into its’ existing location in 1981.

Barbour's heritage dates back over a century, beginning as a maker of robust clothing for fishermen and dock workers along the Tyne and Wear coastline in North East England. Known for its tough, durable workwear, Barbour quickly earned a reputation that extended beyond the docks. From 1936 until the early 1970s, it became the preferred British brand for motorcyclists, with a brief interruption during the war years. During World War II, Barbour's expertise was called upon to adapt and construct jackets for submarine commanders, frontline soldiers, and aviators, ensuring their gear met military demands.

Post-war, Barbour transitioned to become a leader in country apparel, with its iconic waxed jackets becoming a symbol of British countryside style.

Barbour's iconic waxed jackets have been crafted at the brand's original factory in South Shields, North East England since its inception. Today, a dedicated team of over 150 skilled workers handcrafts more than 650 jackets daily, amounting to around 2,600 classic waxed jackets each week. The production primarily focuses on popular styles like the Bedale and Beaufort, with only one specific model in production at one time to improve efficiency. Each jacket undergoes over 36 meticulous processes, handled by expert craftsmen and women, followed by a strict quality control inspection to ensure they meet Barbour’s high standards of durability and craftsmanship.

It is truly remarkable how much craft goes in to each stage of production, with each jacket taking approximately 60 – 70 minutes to make, depending on the style and detail.

Each machinist on the floor makes the equivalent of 25 jackets each week with 36 people in total make a Barbour jacket from start to finish. Check out a more in-depth look at the production process of a Barbour wax Jacket below.

step one: cutting

Stepping into the Barbour factory floor, you're immediately greeted by the hum of over 100 sewing machines and the bustling activity of over 150 dedicated workers. The first step of crafting a classic Barbour wax jacket begins at the cutting station, where 55-meter rolls of waxed cotton are sliced into 4.6-meter lengths, each producing enough material for three jackets. All the waxed cotton used is locally waxed in the UK, ensuring quality and consistency.

Using an industrial cutter, skilled technicians carefully slice through around 80 layers of waxed cotton, creating the precise shapes that will eventually be stitched together into a signature Barbour jacket. From the moment the fabric is cut, it takes about an hour for these pieces to be expertly assembled into a finished & packaged waxed jacket, embodying Barbour's heritage of craftsmanship.

step two: sewing

The majority of the 36 production processes take place in the second stage - sewing. Each jacket makes its way through various individual sewing sections, ranging from applying the signature tartan lining to the inside of each jacket, seamlessly connecting wax panels, sewing on individual pockets or adding Barbour’s signature label to the inside collar.

Each jacket makes its way around the factory on a unique metal pulley system that runs parallel to the factory 'line', which consists of 20 machinists. The line is constantly on the move and dictates the tireless rhythm of the factory.' The machinists work is highly skilled & stitching carried out on wax jackets cannot be reworked as it means that the garment will not be waterproof, so accuracy is essential.

step three: final details

At this stage, the jacket begins to take it's final shape, resembling the classic Barbour silhouette. The jacket undergoes a series of finishing touches that are essential to its iconic look. The finishing stage consists of 4 people, with only one designated worker carefully marking the positions for buttons and eyelets using a yellow crayon and measuring tool, ensuring precise placement.

The signature brass hardware is then added, such as brass buttons, press studs, zips & two-way zips -all designed for easy use even while wearing gloves. Once added the hem is sewn to complete the garment. Each step is meticulously executed to maintain Barbour’s renowned craftsmanship and style.

step four: inspection & packaging

Once the finishing touches are complete, each Barbour jacket undergoes a thorough quality control inspection to ensure it meets the brand's high standards. Jackets that do not pass the inspection are labelled as "seconds" and are sold at a reduced price in the Barbour factory outlet just around the corner. Barbour maintains strict quality assurance, ensuring only flawless products are approved for retail.

Each finished jacket receives a Barbour brand tag and is carefully packaged. It is assigned a unique product number and scanned into inventory, marking the completion of the manufacturing process. From there, the jackets are transferred to the warehouse, ready to be dispatched either directly to Barbour's customers or assigned to authorised stockists - such as ourselves.