Barbour Used Levi’s As a Springboard to Transform Its Flagship Jacket

Barbour has released a non-collaborative denim version of its Bedale jacket. Of course, it was initially released only in Japan.

It is exactly the type of super cool niche product that I feel like the Japanese see all the time, and we Americans have to hunt down, not to mention the fact that Barbour keeps its most interesting jackets off the beaten path.

Well, the kind folks at Huckberry made the hunt much easier by bringing this novel take on the iconic British barn coat stateside.

Barbour

I noted above that the Bedale Denim Jacket is not a collaboration because it was released on the heels of a hyped collaboration with Levi’s in late 2025. That collab featured a different denim version of the Bedale that sold out almost instantly upon release.

That collaborative jacket was adorned with distinctive Levi’s iconography, like tan contrast stitching, metal rivets, the brand’s red tab on the left-hand bellows pocket and a blue corduroy collar.

Now, it seems as if Barbour has used that jacket for inspiration in making its own denim Bedale, sans Levi’s, though the corduroy lining on the collar and cuffs of this new version is brown rather than navy blue.

Barbour

This formerly Japan-only release follows the preppy, or “trad,” aesthetic associated with the Bedale, while the Levi’s collaboration brought a vintage American workwear vibe to the English jacket.

Aside from the fabric, this is a standard-issue Bedale. It has the brass-toned solid metal hardware, Barbour’s signature two-way zipper, double bellows waist pockets and double welted hand pockets. The cord-lined cuffs feature a single snap for adjusting the fit, and the collar has a built-in throat latch.

Wax off

Swapping Barbour’s trademark 6-ounce Sylkoil waxed canvas for a medium-wash denim has its disadvantages and perks.

Obviously, the most significant difference is a drop-off in weather resistance. Denim is renowned for its durability, but it’s just cotton, so water will soak right in, and it doesn’t keep out gusts as well as a waxed alternative does either.

Barbour

While there are those who insist you should never rewax a Barbour because it ruins the patina — and I respectfully disagree, but that’s a matter for another article — this denim revamp negates that debate and the hassle of either tackling the upkeep yourself or paying someone else to do it.

The major draw of making a Bedale out of denim is achieving a personalized look that sinks in as the jacket ages and the fabric patinas. It’s the foundational appeal of denim, and applying it to the Bedale makes perfect sense.

Barbour

All Barbour jackets are meant to be owned for decades, at a minimum, and only get better with age. Waxed canvas comes with its own set of patina properties, but denim is on a different level, matched only by leather.

Availability and price

The Barbour Bedale Denim Jacket is available in America exclusively through Huckberry for $660. Unlike the Levi’s collaboration, it is not technically a limited edition, but because it is pulled from a limited-release collection, Huckberry’s supply is small, and only sizes 38, 40 and 42 are available.

Barbour

Barbour Bedale Denim Jacket

• $660 at Huckberry

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