One of the most important rules of dressing well is to wear clothing that fits properly. As one ages, this may come to mean admitting that one is, ahem, not the skinny gent he once may have been. So, some things get sent to the tailor for a tweak, while others require replacement.
On the left, my old Barbour Moorland jacket, battle scarred, patched and faded, like the warhorse that it is. Alas, one size smaller than its owner fits into these days. Purchased with tags still on at a thrift store for just $9.99, it remains one of the top bargains of my life as a cheapskate. On the right, a brand new Beaufort, the Moorlands lighter and more popular cousin. Purchased brand new at the Barbour outlet store in Kittery, Maine. Plenty of room inside to wear over a quilted vest, just like I used to wear the old one. The first order of business is to wear this thing,a lot, so as to knock the "new" off of it.
$150 is as expensive as anything gets in the outlet shop. Being a cheapskate and spoiled by the quality of goods available in Boston's thrift stores, I spent the better part of two months talking myself into this purchase. However, given how much I wore my old one and how much I plan to wear this one, that's pretty short change, and worth every penny.
The Barbour outlet in Kittery is worth the trip, but as with any outlet, you've got to pay close attention to labels and quality to make sure you're not getting the outlet store only junk. Just up the road is a Brooks Brothers outlet not even worth a visit, all of it being non-iron weird fitting Malaysian crap. A lot of what's in this Barbour store is outsourced, of dubious quality and unreliably sized. But if you're diligent, you will find some real deal made in England pieces, such as this one. I'll go so far as to say that a Barbour not made in England isn't a Barbour anyway.
I'm none too thrilled that Barbour now bears a logo on the outside, but at least this is relatively discreet.
But you won't catch me dead wearing that silly pin that came with it.
So I'm happy with this coat, and I must admit to having really enjoyed the rare feeling of a brand new purchase. The corker?
This thing is lined with this outrageous fishing scene. Honestly, how could I say no to this? I wish I could wear it inside out. Apparently, this coat was a sample from the new line, but won't be available in the USA, only England and Europe. Stop drooling for a minute and tell me that isn't fantastic.
p.s.should you happen to be in the position of forcing two small kids to make an hour long car trip to go out and buy such a thing, at the far end of the strip is this little place:Narrow aisles packed floor to ceiling (literally) with more candy than you can possibly conceive. I'm not above bribing my children, and those dark chocolate cashew turtles I bought "for the grown ups" were pretty damn good too. Of course, if it weren't for my sweet tooth, I wouldn't have needed a bigger jacket in the first place. Circle of life, and all that jazz I guess.
