Thursday, October 7, 2010

Barbour Jacket Alternatives

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that he was in the market for a Barbour-like jacket and asked if I had any suggestions. I came up with a list for him, and while a number of these have been pointed out on some other blogs (like Dreams of Perfection), I figured I would compile them all here as a sort of guide to waxed cotton field coats. I'm assuming that pretty much everyone knows about the Barbour Bedale and Beaufort, as a well as the Filson Tin Cloth jacket, so I have not included them. Without further ado, here are the jackets.

LL Bean Upland Field Coat- $99
Arguably the best value of the bunch. The padded shoulder pads are a nice touch, and the fact that it's available in a version with a blaze orange upper half makes it a good candidate for a quail hunt.


Lands End Waxed Cotton Field Coat- currently $119
Clearly a Barbour knock-off, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sale price of $119 is pretty tough to beat.
**UPDATE- According to Greg from Manifold Destiny, this jacket fits like a Beaufort in terms of length.


LL Bean Signature 1947 Field Coat- $185
A slimmer version of the classic in Millerain canvas that also comes with a button-out liner vest.


J. Crew Woodland Jacket- $278
A J. Crew original; the snap front with clasp-fastening storm flap makes it a bit different from the rest of the pack.


Eddie Bauer Waxed Expedition Cloth Saddle Coat- $299
Somewhat of a surprising offering from Eddie Bauer with some nice features, but the contrasting color of the moleskin collar could be a deal-breaker for some.

Barbour Ursula Jacket at Orvis- $379
Said to be a reproduction of the jackets provided to crews of Royal Navy submarines, while it's not technically a field coat, this jacket is pretty awesome. The lack of a hood (or means of attaching a hood) makes it a little less versatile.


Barbour Derwent at J. Crew- $399
Described by J. Crew as a "tackle jacket," this wouldn't make a bad choice out in the field, especially with the built-in hood.


Eddie Bauer Upland Field Coat with Blaze Vest- $429
Another great offering from Eddie Bauer (which I actually wrote about last September), this jacket has some great features like the padded shoulders, shell pockets, and removable blaze orange vest, but the price is pretty steep. However, like the Eddie Bauer Saddle Coat, some people may not care for the blaze orange collar.


Orvis Taylor Supply Supply Hill Climber Jacket- $495
With the shawl collar and button front, this jacket offers a unique look. Unfortunately, the $500 price tag is nearly impossible to justify, though it is made in the US.