The advantages of waxed jackets. It's not just about style.

There are numerous compelling reasons why you might consider acquiring a waxed jacket. Wherever you find yourself in the decision-making process, I'd like to assist you along your journey by delving rather more deeply into the merits of a wax jacket versus all the alternatives. Moreover, I rather hope to infect you with the profound affection I harbour for this magnificent piece of kit, and in doing so, encourage you to care properly for your new acquisition.

Sustainability: A proper discussion

Now, there exist multiple definitions of the term 'sustainability', and one might argue that in our current zeitgeist of abundant marketing and greenwashing, it has rather lost some of its value. Therefore, I believe it's rather useful to briefly outline what I mean by it.

By sustainability, I'm referring to the fact that the parts most subject to wear and tear, namely the exterior of waxed jackets, are made from cotton. Cotton, despite requiring enormous quantities of water to cultivate, is a renewable resource. That is to say, it grows, and it can be recycled into all manner of other useful items. Furthermore, in contrast to various synthetic materials, cotton responds beautifully to maintenance through annual waxing treatments. Cotton is also considerably easier to repair, which ultimately ensures that fewer materials are consumed over the jacket's lifetime. In my eyes one of the biggest advantages of waxed jackets.

The wax you employ for maintenance is likewise often a natural product, possessing a minimal footprint on our natural environment. Indeed, you can even opt to use exclusively beeswax for maintaining your jacket, though that does make you rather a purist, I must say!

Mind you, everything has its downsides. Cotton production is extraordinarily labour-intensive and is, in numerous cases, produced in parts of the world where paid labour is viewed through a rather different lens. Cotton requires warmth, and precisely in many of these warm regions, water is scarce, which creates all sorts of local difficulties. Therefore, when you're considering a new waxed jacket, do take a moment to research the manufacturer's supply chain. Barbour, for instance, approaches this in a particular fashion, and honesty compels me to say they're fairly unique in the waxed jacket world for doing so. Have a look at their statement on the matter, as I think they set a nice example.

Waterproof and windproof: the real advantages of waxed jackets

This is, naturally, the grand advantage of these jackets. The wax coating is remarkably water-repellent. You don't need aerosol cans full of nasty chemicals and propellants to keep your jacket waterproof. Additionally, the materials used in a waxed jacket are highly breathable. So when it's absolutely pelting down with rain and warm simultaneously, it's rare that you'll find yourself sweating inside your rain jacket, which is rather often the case when you don a rain jacket made from synthetic materials.

The tightly woven cotton from which the outer shell of waxed jackets is constructed is so densely woven that it keeps out cold winds exceptionally well. You can wear your waxed jacket regularly even in winter. A small tip: buy your jacket one size too large, so there's sufficient room remaining for that thick woollen jumper underneath.

Plenty of room for a woollen jumper in your Barbour Ebberston. Image credit: Barbour

Value retention: nice to know

This is perhaps a less captivating point in this enumeration, but I shall mention it nonetheless. There's always a market for secondhand waxed jackets. That's simply because of everything you've just read above, but also because these sorts of jackets, the older they become, develop a beautiful form of patina. Indeed, I've never actually purchased a new wax jacket myself. I adore the charm of the ageing process and the aesthetic that accompanies it.

Should you find yourself 10 kilos heavier in three years' time, you'll have sold your jacket in no time at all. The oldest waxed jacket I ever worked on was 60 years old. I discovered it in the attic of an old factory. After the necessary maintenance and refreshing, it was ready for duty. In fact, I'd venture to say that a handsome vintage specimen comes rather close to the new price of a waxed jacket.

Style: important for some

Finally, we must discuss style for just a moment, because I wouldn't take myself seriously if I left this entirely unmentioned. They simply look rather splendid, don't they? But style is, to a large extent, a way in which people visually express how they identify themselves. And here we encounter a bit of a conundrum. For why would one want to look like a landed gentry member or a British royal? I haven't yet managed to formulate an answer to that myself, as my love for the waxed jacket didn't spring from that source.

But status or not, the waxed jacket in itself looks absolutely magnificent. Sturdy, utilitarian, and often in beautiful dark, muted colours. Dark green, brown, navy blue. Sometimes there's a lovely tartan pattern woven into the cotton. A pleasure for the eye, truly.

To conclude it all

However it may be, I do hope that during your purchase you'll derive value primarily from the first-mentioned points in this little article. Because however you look at it, we must all consume far less to keep this planet remotely habitable for the next generation. And it helps enormously to purchase a proper jacket that will last you the rest of your life, provided you care for it properly.