Since 1894, J. Barbour & Sons have produced clothes perfectly suited to enjoyment of life beyond the city. It is this commitment to quality and durability that has seen the name Barbour become synonymous with the best of country living.

The beginning of Barbour jackets

In 1894 John Barbour established himself in the burgeoning port of South Shields, supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen, rivermen and dockers from the worst of the North Sea weather.

Within a few years the firm became the leading supplier of oilskins on the north east coast, not only to seafarers but to others in the surrounding country - farmers, labourers, carters, shepherds - who earned their living outdoors in all weathers. By the beginning of the next century Barbour’s durable Beacon oilskins were well known throughout Britain and beyond.

The legendary durability of Barbour jackets

If there’s one feature that distinguishes Barbour jackets more than any other, it is their legendary durability. But, given the quality of materials used—genuine long-staple Egyptian cotton, solid brass studs, substantial metal zips, plus painstaking quality of construction with an average of 15,000 stitches and up to two hundred components—perhaps it’s hardly surprising.

The seams in a Barbour oiled cotton jacket are double rolled, each stitched through two thicknesses of fabric. It is an intricate part of the manufacture and it ensures that the seams are completely waterproof. Even the thread is treated with the same secret watertight proofing formula as the fabric itself.

How long a Barbour jacket will last very much depends on its use (or rather abuse in many cases). Undoubtedly, owners expect much more of a Barbour than any other garment because Barbour enables them to do more. They will subject themselves and their jackets to the severest conditions of weather, mud, animal contact and abrasion than they could ever contemplate if wearing anything less robust.

View America's largest online selection of Barbour Clothing for Men and Barbour Clothing for Women at Orvis.

Durable, Yet Lighter Weight

Bush Poplin is a microcanvas, consisting of yarns half the thickness often used in its beefier cousin, Orvis Rhinohide, yet nearly equal in it's durability. Bush Poplin is a light and soft natural fabric able to withstand years of wear and washings, yet remains crisp and neat.

Great for Warm Weather Wear

Each yarn of Bush Poplin is composed of several fibers twisted tightly together, resulting in a fabric that is abrasion- resistant, yet feels cool and relatively weightless on the body. Maximizing cotton's natural advantages, the basic microcanvas weave consists of a balanced, interlocking pattern of mid-weight yarns on the warp (vertical weave) and slightly slimmer yarns on the weft (horizontal weave). This weave maximizes yarn strength while allowing for a considerable measure of breathability. You'll never feel stifled, even in the most wilting tropical heat.

Cotton poplin was the preferred fabric used by British colonists when on safari. Our collection offers the timeless and classic style of this traditional attire. Testament to poplin's versatile, rugged characteristics, it comprised the bulk of the fabrics used on all fronts during World War II. For the U.S. military, poplin fabrics struck the best balance between comfort, durability and crisp uniformity, holding up well to extensive field abuse and thousands of industrial-strength washings yet still presenting well in review. A 5-oz. cotton microcanvas, Bush Poplin is known for its comfort in warmer conditions, exceptional travel-worthiness, and durability.

Shop the Men's Bush Poplin Collection at Orvis.

The Ancient Fabric of Choice for a Royal Family

Once again, we have Asia to thank for a prized textile. Cashmere is named for the Kashmir goats that inhabit the Himalayas and the mountainous regions of Central Asia that surround the Gobi desert. The harsh, extreme climate of the high desert plateaus are just right for producing the downy undercoat needed to make cashmere yarn. Cashmere was known to the Western world in ancient Roman times and it was the fabric of choice for Tibet’s royal family for centuries. Today, about 60% of the world’s cashmere, or approximately 3,000 tons, comes from Tibet and China.

A Gift from the Gobi

The coat of a Kashmir goat consists of a coarse outer coat, sometimes referred to as guard hair, and the fine downy undercoat, which is used to make cashmere yarn. The goats grow this ultra-soft, insulating inner layer for protection from the wild drops in temperature at night in the mountains and plateaus. This superior fiber is collected annually, during the spring molting season, when the animals naturally shed their winter wool. It is traditionally removed with a comb and separated by hand. Each goat produces a mere four to six ounces of downy fiber a year.

The Timeless Appeal of Cashmere

As a knit, cashmere is lightweight and exceptionally warm. The yarn has a soft, silky finish and can be easily dyed. Like silk, cashmere’s exotic origins and sublime softness are timelessly appealing. Orvis is proud to bring you these handsome cashmere sweaters. They are a great value, combining the ultimate in luxury with winter warmth and practicality – a wonderful gift for your friends, family, or yourself.

Shop the Men's Cashmere Collection from Orvis

If you’re looking for “everyday,” “run-of-the-mill,” or “standard issue,” you needn’t look to Col. Littleton.

For more than two decades, this American company—based out of Lynnville, TN, pop. 327—has prided itself on providing unique, exceptional, and one-of-kind-style items, many of which are worthy of becoming cherished family heirlooms.

Hand-crafted fine leather goods

You’ll find a broad selection of fine leather goods in the Col. Littleton collection ranging from intricately detailed pocket knives and watches, to luxurious leather and business accessories, belts, hats, jewelry, and items for the home. Most products have either a military or Old West influence and many are handcrafted right in Lynnville.

Each gift has the personal "Colonel Littleton" touch

Colonel Littleton (yes, he’s a real person) brings a special personal touch to his products with his product story card. These cards, which accompany almost every Col. Littleton product, describe either the inspiration that led to the creation of the item or the unique history behind it. You’ll even notice the Colonel’s artistic touch in the unique way each item is packaged.

Col. Littleton: Heirloom-quality gifts of distinction

Orvis is proud to offer this fine collection of distinctive gifts and accessories. When you choose a Col. Littleton item, you can be confident you’re purchasing a quality product that will provide years, if not generations of satisfaction and enjoyment.

Shop the Colonel Littleton Collection from Orvis

The Fabric of the French Royal Court

Quality corduroy is all about quality yarn. Corduroy takes its name from "cloth of the king," or "cord du roi," fashioned for the sporting use of the French royal court in the 1600s.

Durable, Rugged Comfort

Corduroy is well suited for rugged use. With more yarns per square inch than most fabrics and a distinctive corded nap, corduroy offers durability and protection by construction. Extra yarns in the weft, or horizontal component, pass over the warp yarns, skipping two or three vertical yarns before diving back under the weave. Held securely in the middle by the vertical yarns, the weft yarns are then snipped, freeing both ends, then trimmed and brushed to a fine, soft nap.

High-Quality Milled Fabric

Orvis sources corduroy from the finest mills around the world, mills that weave high-quality yarns into cloths true to corduroy's sporting heritage. The cloth is then brushed to create the soft, sueded finish.

Orvis Men's Corduroy: Keeps You Warm & Comfortable in Style

We are pleased to offer you a wide selection of corduroy styles in a variety of weaves. Our all-cotton Orvis Supercords, made of colorfast and shrink-resistant European corduroy, are twice as durable as ordinary cords; they outperformed seven other corduroy fabrics in independent lab testing. Also woven in Europe, our exclusive Stretch Corduroy stretches up to 20% for incredible comfort and freedom of movement. For a distinctive tailored look, choose the CFO Finewale Corduroy Pants, made of the finest wale pure cotton corduroy we offer. Rely on Orvis corduroy for warmth and handsome good looks all season long.

Shop the Men's Corduroy Collection from Orvis

What is flannel?

A plush, warm fabric of various weights and fineness, flannel is a plain-weave cloth that has been heavily brushed or carded for a soft napped finish. The brushing process creates insulating air pockets in the interlocking fibers that enhance its luxurious warmth. Cotton flannel is a favorite choice for pajamas and robes, cold-weather apparel, and bedding. A medium-weight fabric, wool flannel is a soft twilled fabric with a loose texture and napped surface to conceal the weave. Wool flannel is used mainly for suits and business attire.

History of flannel fabric

Derived from the Welsh word for wool, gwlanen, flannel was being woven in Wales as early as the 16 th century. The French were using flanelle by the late 17 th century, and a German word for the fabric, flannell, can be traced back to the early 1800s, indicating the use of this soft, warm material for clothing and bed linens during harsh German winters.

Flannel clothing for men

Nothing says cozy like a men's classic pair of soft flannel pajamas. Typically the cotton flannel used in pajamas is brushed on both sides for the most comfort, and flannel pajamas are a winter sleepwear staple for men, women, and children. Flannel has long been thought of as the fabric of woodsmen, lumberjacks, and farmers as it is exceptionally good at insulating, particularly for outdoor work in cold environments. In the early 1990s, the Seattle alternative music scene introduced flannel shirts as a fashion statement among young people. Flannel also has traditionally been used for athletic team wear—baseball road uniforms were historically made of wool flannel and known as “road grays”. Cricket uniforms were originally made of white flannel, and known simply as “flannels”. Wool flannel is a wonderful choice for more tailored business and dress clothing. Its tight weave helps pieces retain their shape, adds a sophisticated look and luxurious drape to clothing made of this classic fabric.

Shop the Men's Flannel Clothing Collection from Orvis.

Gokey Custom Footwear

The world’s best value. For the ultimate fit, nothing rivals handcrafted Gokey footwear custom-made to your specifications. What’s most remarkable about Gokey is that it is the only footwear company of its size to provide custom made oxfords, hiking shoes, Snakeproof Boots, or upland boots in various weights to fit your foot and your foot alone. Just as a fine tailor requires your own precise measurements for a fitted look and feel of a fine sport coat or silk shirt, Gokey will take your precise foot measurements to custom fit a shoe to your exact foot width, length and arch. Imagine, footwear that will last a lifetime or more, and has the comfort of one made solely to your own foot’s measurements. There is no other shoe company that offers this custom fit cobbling on such a wide scale.

Plus, you can choose from a wide range of custom options, including sole type, leather thickness, lacing arrangement, leather-lined uppers, and reinforced ankle support.

Handmade in the USA

The Gokey construction process is an incredible example of the bootmaker’s art - a rare thing in today’s mass-produced world. Our craftsmen expertly hand cut and hand sew this durable leather using techniques that date back generations—methods that take years to teach. We start by hand selecting the finest oil-tanned bullhide the world has to offer. This heavy, remarkably durable bullhide is molded over a hardwood last. Next, a welt is stitched to this so cunningly that no awl hole ever completely penetrates the shoe leather to admit water. An arch support is inserted, the outer sole hand-sewn into place, and the top constructed. Each stitch of waxed thread is knotted, locking it firmly in place. Keep in mind, this is done for every single individual shoe that leaves the Gokey factory. And with durable Vibram® soles and modern comfort features such as cushioned leather insoles, Gokey footwear is built for comfort and a lifetime of wear.

Shop Gokey Footwear from Orvis

The Fabric

Orvis Hemp fabric is constructed of 100% hemp fibers – which are longer (each a foot long or greater, compared to 2-4" for the best cotton fibers) and stronger than cotton—woven together using a unique cross-weave technology. Hemp fibers are hollow so the fabric has the same cooling properties as linen. Each fiber moves heat and moisture away from the body. As a result, it breathes as well as linen and better than cotton yet is more durable than either—in fact, it’s 26 times stronger than cotton. All this in a fabric that resists wrinkling, is machine washable and dryer safe, and the easiest of the natural fabrics to care for and clean.

Hemp: Tough Enough for Old Ironsides

The U.S.S. Constitution, launched in 1797, was outfitted with 8 miles of running and 6.6 miles of standing rigging—14.6 miles of hemp tarred cordage that carried Old Ironsides through 30 battles at sea without a defeat.

In those days, hemp was the strongest possible roping material available. Hemp fibers are much longer than other fibers, such as cotton, and longer fibers make stronger rope. Resistant to UV damage, hemp stayed strong in the harsh conditions common at sea. Hemp fibers were first woven into long strands and then woven by hand into long continuous lengths in unique buildings called ropewalks. When the U.S.S. Constitution was virtually rebuilt from 1927 to 1931, a steam-powered rope-making complex at the Charlestown Navy Yard was still able to manufacture the ancient-style four-stranded hemp shroud-laid cordage required for the warship’s standing rigging. America’s only remaining full-length ropewalk, this stone structure stretches one-quarter mile long.

Garments woven from hemp owe their strength to the fiber itself—with fiber lengths of a foot or more, it betters the average cotton fiber, which measures only about 3/4" long. Longer fibers make stronger yarn. Stronger yarn makes stronger garments.

Hemp Facts

• Twenty-six times stronger than cotton.
• More abrasion resistant than any other natural fabric, including denim.
• Breathes as well as linen and better than cotton.
• As effective an insulator as wool.
• The easiest of the natural fabrics to care for and clean.
• Hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides.
• The hemp industry dates back more than 10,000 years. The Columbia History of the World claims that the oldest artifact of human industry is a scrap of hemp fabric from around 8,000 BC.

The Bugsaway® Protective Barrier

Bugsaway® Repellent Apparel and Gear is the most effective new tool in over 50 years in the battle against insects and insect-borne disease—a completely new way to protect against annoying and potentially dangerous insects. Bugsaway® products are proven to repel mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges (no-see-ums). With its odorless and invisible insect protection, the only way to tell it’s there is that the bugs aren’t biting.

The built-in insect repellent provides a carefree outdoor experience, letting you focus on your adventures—not the bugs.

The Bugsaway® Advantage

EPA Registered

Bugsaway® is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA registration process is designed to evaluate a proposed product to ensure it will not have adverse effects on humans or the environment. Bugsaway® has been evaluated at multiple levels—the chemistry, the application process and the final consumer product. The end result was Bugsaway® receiving the first-ever EPA registrations for insect-repellent clothing and gear.

Effective

Bugsaway® products are proven to repel numerous varieties and species of mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges (no-see-ums). This includes insects with the potential to carry dangerous diseases such as Malaria, West Nile virus, Dengue fever and Lyme disease.

Tested and Proven

Bugsaway® technology is the result of years of research and field study. Numerous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of permethrin-treated clothing as an insect repellent. Bugsaway®’s own testing methods follow USDA guidelines, and the results prove our unique, long-lasting properties.

Convenient

Bugsaway®’s protection is invisible, odorless and as easy as putting on your clothes. Unlike traditional repellents, Bugsaway® products cannot be misused or over applied and do not require re-application.

Comfortable

Bugsaway® has no unpleasant smell or feel. The active ingredient, permethrin, is a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in certain chrysanthemums. It is bonded to the fibers using Bugsaway®’s patent-pending process that transforms ordinary clothing into comfortable insect protection for the whole family.

Durable

The repellency of Bugsaway® is EPA registered to last through 70 launderings which is more than double the average life expectancy of a garment as listed by the International Fabricare Institute. This is also well beyond the life of most performance finishes commonly used in the technical-apparel industry.

Easy Care

Normal home laundering is recommended. Bugsaway® products can be bleached, starched, pressed, etc., without effect on the repellent quality; however, they should not be dry cleaned because that removes the active ingredient.

Tested for Effectiveness and Durability

Effectiveness of Bugsaway® as measured using USDA standard knockdown test on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Positive Impact on World Health

One of the founders’ original intentions for developing Bugsaway® was to help protect children from insect-borne diseases. We at Bugsaway® realize the potential to greatly impact worldwide health and continue to support many global initiatives. Permethrin-treated clothing is now recommended by the following international agencies:

• The World Health Organization: www.who.int
• The American Academy of Family Physicians: www.familydoctor.org
• The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services: www.hhs.gov
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.gov/travel
• The Public Health Agency of Canada: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

Please note that Bugsaway® items are available in the contiguous 48 states only.

Shop the Men's Bugsaway® Collection from Orvis

In the late 18th century at the dawn of the industrial revolution, the English developed a method of spinning wool and cotton in almost identical quantities.

The genius of this method was that the yarns were indigenously spun, combining the warmth of very soft lambswool and long-staple cotton (from far-flung corners of the trade routes of the English Empire), to engineer a very light fabric of exceptional warmth and durability. The chief characteristic of wool is the individual fiber’s ability to trap body warmth and wick moisture; while the chief characteristic of cotton is its smooth and absorbent nature. The expert blending and spinning of the right percentages of these unrelated fibers became a miracle of the age.

A more commonly acceptable blend of 81% cotton and 19% lambswool, which was woven as a twill and brushed into a flannel, was produced from the beginning for workwear and more rugged intensive activities. This traditional blend is today the basis of our exclusive Luxury Cotton & Merino fabric.We found that the longer fibers of today’s merino sheepswool spin tighter and more completely with our long-staple cotton than the older lambswool (little lambswool fibers, although soft, are very short). This tightness of yarn establishes the durability while holding the vivid dyes in these yarn-dyed patterns, which have been carefully selected and executed from our textile pattern library.

Shop the Men's Luxury Cotton & Merino Collection from Orvis