In 1912, when Barbour's sons Jack and Malcolm joined the company as Managing Directors - the name was then changed to 'J Barbour & Sons Ltd'; This lineage of family members continues to run the company to this day.

 

Having joined in 1928, Malcolm's son, Duncan Barbour introduced the motorcycling range in 1936 to complement their original range of Barbour coats and jackets - the collection quickly became one of the defining pillars of Barbour's design with almost every British racing team wearing them for decades to follow. Alongside colossal promotion through endeavors such as this, the navy also tapped into Barbour's talents after Captain George Philips was unsatisfied with the standard issue uniforms of the HMS Ursula submarine and ordered suits for the entire crew from Barbour. These then became standard across the navy for submarine crew members.

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When Duncan Barbour passed away in 1957, his father Malcolm alongside his wife Nancy and her son John took charge of the company once again. Later that year, Barbour moved to the outskirts of South Shields and built a manufacturing plant, becoming manufacturers and marketers for the first time.

 

In 1964 actor Steve McQueen stopped by in London to grab a Barbour International Suit for International Six Day Trials races in East Germany. This endorsement created a large amount of promotion around the brand, only furthering its renowned nature among both fashion lovers and motor racers alike.

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After the tragic death of John Barbour in 1968, his 28-year-old widow Margeret was placed on the board of directors. Feeling the need to carry on the family business, Margeret became a force to be reckoned with in the company and by 1973 had risen to the role of chairman. It was her guidance that brought the brand from countryside brand to the global lifestyle brand it is today.

 

In 1974, Barbour received a Royal Warrant for Waterproof and Protective clothing from His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. This only furthered the idea that Barbour was a global brand that took pride in its quality manufacturing.

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In 1981, Barbour moved to a new factory in Simonside, where many of Barbour’s classic wax jacket styles are still made to this day. A year later, Barbour was awarded yet another Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen for 'waterproof and protective clothing'. It was around this time that Barbour debuted their Beaufort Barbour jackets, one of their most iconic styles to this day.

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Margeret Barbour and John Barbour's daughter Helen continued the brand's longstanding history of maintaining a family member at the helm when Helen was appointed as Vice Chairman in 1997. After Margeret's honor of being made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001, she continued to bring the Barbour name forward creating knitwear, shirts, trousers, footwear and accessories under the brand. This has been instrumental in bringing Barbour into the 21st century.

 

Since then, continued celebrity support, as well as the brand being worn by sports personalities' saw Barbour open its first international store in 2013.

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Source: theidleman.com