The Beaufort arrived in 1983 and never required updating because the premise was correct from the start. Four bellows pockets — two chest, two hip — accommodate considerably more than any alternative arrangement, the sylkoil-waxed cotton sheds rain without membrane technology, and the corduroy collar wears up without looking theatrical. The garment is made in South Shields and can be rewaxed indefinitely; a Beaufort properly maintained will outlast most of what is bought alongside it.
The tartan lining runs to a specific pattern across the range; the cut is boxy in a way that proves more flattering than it sounds. What it is not: a fashion piece lifted for a season and retired. The Beaufort occupies a narrow category of clothing that genuinely improves through use, acquiring a patina that cannot be built into a new garment. Available in black, navy, olive, and rustic — the olive version being the one that reads correctly in the countryside without looking like a costume in the city.
£319 — barbour.com