Founded in the northeast of England in 1894 by Scotsman John Barbour, the company started out as an importer of oil-cloth, before moving into the production of agricultural outerwear. The brand's iconic waxed and quilted jackets are still a key part of the business but the fifth generation of the Barbour family has taken a decidedly more contemporary direction, with full men's ready-to-wear collections and the launch of a womenswear line in 2003.

Barbour is as British as fish 'n' chips, and one of the few brands that straddles the class lines. We love the fact that you're just as likely to find Queen Elizabeth sporting a waxed jacket while surveying her estate in Sandringham as you are to find east London hipsters flouncing about in shorts, T-shirts, terrible facial hair and a Barbour quilted jacket. Heritage coupled with edgy cool - hard to top, right?

the obvious choice would be the famous Liddesdale quilted jacket (above left; HK$1,955), which these days also comes in funky pantone colours, but we recommend sticking to the original navy or muddy green for that landed gentry look. We also love the Barbour International motorcycling line that was created in 1936 and is experiencing something of a renaissance. And you can't go wrong with one of the brand's print or logo tees (above right; HK$455 each).