I really fancy one but don’t know when I’d actually wear it given I usually wear ventile or a softshell, and then in winter a buffalo jacket or something insulated
I wanted something that was hard wearing, repairable, water resistant, had fairly large pockets, was suitable for most of the year round, and had a different look from typical mountaineering-inspired outdoor stuff. Got a Bedale in black.
Impractical? 🤷🏻♂️ seems to work for me. Waxed cotton is warmer and less breathable than regular cotton and many modern fabrics. I’ve found it OK for all but the height of northern summer.
I looked at Ventile coats this time round but the price.
Barbour sizing is interesting. This might be something to keep you in your current coats. The ‘classic’ fitting ones are designed, I think, for folks who wear them on top of, for example, vest, shirt, waistcoat or sweater, and a tweed jacket. Barbour say ‘true to size’ and that they provide ‘7” to 9”’ of space. For all that tweed or port I suppose. Having said that I typically get ~40” chest/medium stuff. To avoid ‘baggy’ I tried a 38” Barbour on – tight across the shoulders when I wore a fleece underneath.
Rewaxing- not yet done. Tempted this year. Unsure whether to use some leftover G1000 wax that I got for a super Fjallraven jacket that wore out in ~4 years. Or whether to buy a tin.