The Black Barbour

Black is stark.  Black is minimal.  Black is edgy.  Some people look great in black, though almost all are flattered by it.  That said, wearing black doesn’t fit with the rest of my wardrobe.  I find it too somber for my taste.  Most of my shoes are brown, and I stick with blues and Earth tones for my shirts and pants.  Even my gray garments look better with brown suede shoes.

One of the two black pieces of clothing that I loved was a crew-neck sweater from Club Monaco.  I gave it to my last girlfriend to keep her warm on a cold day.  She ended up keeping it because she looked better in it than I did (plus she washed it and it shrunk to her size).  Right now it’s somewhere in Scotland and I hope it’s getting good wear.

The other black garment I have loved is my Barbour Axle jacket.  I bought it two falls ago at Askov Finlayson as a practical transition piece, something to slip on with jeans, boots and sweater for running around on weekends.  What I didn’t expect was that the light down filling would keep me warm on winter’s coldest days, at least when paired with a chunky sweater.  The cheeky yellow lining drew me in since it lightened up the coat’s dark hue, and though this Barbour was made in Vietnam, no expense was spared on the details, from the tasteful discretion of the brand’s logo on the buttons and zipper ring to the rugged elegance of the quilting.

When I wear my olive green Uniqlo chinos, I can’t wear my sage green Barbour Bedale since the colors look too similar.  None of my other coats are warm enough for winter’s winds, except for a decommissioned peacoat that needs tailoring and button repairs.  Yesterday’s high temperature was four degrees, and my black Barbour tackled the cold well.  It helped that I wore my warm tartan scarf and Askov Finlayson watch cap, but the down padding kept me from freezing while I bopped around town.  Plus, it goes with my brown Red Wing Beckmans because the coat’s hue complements their black-gray color.  Though pairing black and brown is not a move for the uninitiated, it aides brown aficionados (like myself) in adding a little black to their wardrobes every now and then.

Jacket: Barbour, Hat: Askov Finlayson, Scarf: Vintage