Paul Smith Loves Barbour AW26 Review
The menswear world sits up and takes notice when two titans of British style come together. Barbour, the ultimate purveyor of countryside outerwear, returns for its third instalment with Sir Paul Smith, the undisputed master of ‘classic with a twist’. The Autumn/Winter 2026 capsule is evidence that this partnership just gets better with age.
In this collection, the classic wax jacket shapes and deep countryside earth colours are given Paul Smith’s eccentric touch. Expect lively tartan linings infused with pop-colour checks, thick chunky knitwear featuring dynamic colour-blocking, and unexpected materials like deep navy corduroy transforming iconic shapes.
Whether you are looking to invest in a limited-edition jacket like the reworked Beaufort, Gamefair, or Transport, or want to elevate your cold-weather wardrobe with a standout accessory, this AW26 drop delivers a modern, boxier silhouette designed for contemporary layering.
Below, we dive into the standout pieces, crucial sizing insights, and key takeaways from Michael Stewart Menswear's latest review.
Transcript:
Barbour and Paul Smith are back at it again. We have got a fantastic collection from this amazing collaboration between 2 iconic British brands. We've got some lovely, timeless styles from Barbour with a fun, creative Paul Smith twist. Now, this is the third season, the third time these guys have collaborated, and it just keeps getting better. We've got a lovely small, considered, well-rounded capsule collection here for you at Michael Stewart Menswear. So, I thought we'd run through it, pick out some of the key styles and tell you a little bit more about what you can expect from this fantastic collaboration. Let's get straight into it.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH CLASSIC TARTAN SHIRT
Obviously, it's the jackets that always take centre stage in these collections. It's what Barbour is best known for, but the clothing elements are fun. They're different, and they're certainly not one to overlook. Let's begin with this. is the checked shirt of the collection. Barbour, known for their tartans, Paul Smith has taken that, run with it, had a little bit of fun, but a nice, striking pink and yellow contrast check through, a little bit of a different print, a different colour on the yoke to break it up a little bit. As you can see, this is a size medium. It's coming up a little bit boxier, a little bit broader, and that is a theme you'll find throughout the entire collection. They've got a bit more fashion-forward with their fit, so everything's a little bit boxier, a little bit bigger. But don't worry, for most styles, we've gone down a size, so actually stocking sizes so you can size down, get more of that tailored classic Barbour fit that you might be after. But back to the shirt, a fantastic single pocket to the chest, nice bit of fun embroidery on the mid torso there. It's a beautiful soft fabric, a great shirt. And this check, this pattern, you're going to see that throughout the rest of the collection. It's the lining of jackets; it really ties everything together nicely.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH CABLE TYNE JUMPER
So it would be remiss not to have a lovely piece of knitwear; it is an autumn-winter collection, after all, and that is what we've got here: a lovely chunky wool crew neck. When I say chunky, this thing is hefty. It's a good old piece of knitwear, and as you can see, it's got a lovely contrast colour blocking. It's got a cable knit design along the back there as well. Fit-wise, this one's pretty normal. This is a medium, fits as such, but believe me, it is a warm, toasty jumper. So, when you're in a warm shop like I am today, you're going to get a bit of a sweat on. But when things get nice and wintery, this guy is going to keep you good and toasty. Colourways, beautiful and autumnal. Getting into that autumn, winter vibe with the oranges, the greens, the dark browns. And again, just sits beautifully with the wider collection we've got here. And not only that, but it also sits well with the wider collection we've got from Barbour and Paul Smith. So even though this collaboration sits probably by itself, I think you could tie it with the two brands, respectively, really, nicely and easily. Colour blocking from Paul Smith, these sort of dark reds, greens and oranges from Barbour, it all really ties together. They've really thought about this. It's very, very considered, and that is what I'm loving so far about this collection.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH KEY T-SHIRT
Next, a t-shirt. You guessed it. It's the one I'm wearing. Paul Smith, known for their fun graphic tees. And this one is no different. So, this one has a fun little sort of keychain motif on the chest. Again, fit-wise, nice regular-fitting T-shirt. I'm wearing a large. Typically, I'm a medium, probably a bit in between now, to be honest. We'll call it muscle. But 100% cotton, super, super soft, great neckline, nice bit of fun branding towards the back of the neck there as well. But quite a cool, nice T-shirt. Sits in, ties in together quite nicely with the jackets. So, an absolute winner. If you're after a little something from the collection, t-shirts are a great place to start.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH TARTAN CAP
And the last thing before we get into the jackets, which really is the meat and potatoes of this collection, of course, we need an accessory, and we have a lovely cap. Again, you recognise the check. It's the same as the shirt. It's got that lovely contrast colour running through it. Towards the back, we've got what's known as the Paul Smith artist stripe. That's the Paul Smith stripe you see on all their stuff. Quite a cool, funky, different piece of headwear. It's bold; that's what this collection is all about. A great little cap to add to the outfit if you want to go full in on this Paul Smith Barbour collaboration.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH JACKET COLLECTION
As part of this collection, we have 3 jackets. We've got the Transport, we've got the Game Fair, and we've got the Beaufort. So, 3 instantly recognisable styles from Barbour, but all with that Paul Smith twist.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH CORD BEAUFORT JACKET
Now let's have a look at the Beaufort, a massive name in terms of Barbour jackets. It's one of the all-time classics sitting up there with the Ashby, the B-Dale little border. But this Beaufort, as you'll notice, there's no waxed cotton in it. This thing is cotton; it's 100% corduroy, a good chunky navy cord, and it is packed full of trim details and twists and points of difference. But don't worry, it's still a Barbour jacket at its core. It's got the hefty two-way zip, it's got a tartan lining, it's got a good regular fit, it's got 2 bellows pockets, the hand warmer pockets, it's got the throat latch, it's even got the game pocket on the back. So, it is a buffet, but just not as we know it. Let me get this guy on. This one is a size small. So, this is what I'm talking about when it comes to the fit. They're regular, they're boxy, they're big. I'm usually a medium, a size 38 in the classic buffer. In this guy, this is a size small, so technically a size down. But fits nicely over this T-shirt. There's still a little bit of room in here if I wanted to layer. The sleeves, they're not usually this short; I've just rolled them up to show that beautiful tartan lining, which ties back in with the cap and the shirt. Another contrast: a different tartan check on the inside. Of course, you've got the inside pocket, the hand warmers, the bellow pockets, the game pocket on the back. It is still a Beaufort, but with a beautiful contrast throat latch and a few points of difference, it's very distinctly Paul Smith as well.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH GAMEFAIR WAX JACKET
Okay, next, the big boy of the collection. This is the Game Fair. So, wax cotton in a nice bottle green. Slightly longer jacket; it's pushing sort of border length, so it is a little bit longer, a little bit more coverage and protection. But as you can see, even though it's got the hand warmers, the bellow pockets, it's got the good regular fit; it's got the same Paul Smith twists, contrast throat latch, it's got the artist stripe just to the inside at the top of the placket there, and of course, the exclusive Barbour Paul Smith tartan check lining. Let's get this guy on again. This one is the size small, and I think, as we'll find, it fits plenty well. So nice, comfortable-fitting wax jacket. There's still some space under here if I wanted to layer slightly. But in a beautiful, bright green cotton, I think this thing is a standout piece. Lots of good coverage. I like the longer length. It feels like a fantastic jacket to be out walking the dog or even striking around town. You're not going to miss it. is beautiful looking. So, this is the Game Fair, a wax cotton version, slightly longer like the Border, but just as comfortable, just as great, a heck of a lot of jackets all tied up with that Paul Smith twist.
BARBOUR X PAUL SMITH TRANSPORT WAX JACKET
From a long jacket to a sharp jacket, this next one is the Transport, as modelled by my good friend here. As you can see, this is a very cropped design. What I'm about to put on here is a size medium. So, we're going up one size from the others. And it fits all right. I could get away with the size small that is on the mannequin, but it depends on how you feel about it being cropped. This thing is sitting at waist height as the traditional transport does, but what this does have that the transport doesn't is a checked wax cotton finish. So, we'll get a few close-ups of this, but it's got a subtle check running through it. It's in this beautiful deep dark brown rustic colour. But like the rest of the jackets, it's got the contrast lining, it's got the contrast dirt latch, it's got the artist stripe to the inner placket. It is just a fun reworking of the iconic transport. Super, super comfortable, a very, very cool and a lot more fashion-forward style. I'd probably size down if you're walking that slightly neater fit, but I think this in a medium is looking plenty alright for me. But still a fantastic jacket and a great one to round off the collection.
THINGS TO TAKE AWAY
So, there we have it. That is Barbara Paul Smith in a nutshell for autumn/winter 2026. Now we've not gone huge. We've not got tons of it. is like the previous seasons: a limited and very, very special edition run of a collaboration that isn't going to last forever. So as always, you guys need to get onto this quickly. These are collector's items, and the size, depth and breadth that we've got reflect that. So super limited, you've got to act now if you're interested in purchasing. So where can you do that? So, you can come into our Selby store, see these in person, and give them a try on. Worth a look. These items are all live and already selling fast. So, make sure you get on there and get part of this collaboration and collection. Barbara and Paul Smith aren't going to do this forever. I can guarantee it. So, you need to act now and get involved. Any questions or queries, of course, send them our way. If you need some advice on the fitting, I appreciate it. It's a little bit different to the usual Barb and Paul Smith fits. They're bigger, boxier. Ask away. We are always here to help. That is all from me, and we will catch you on the next video. Bye for now.
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