Navy Ashby Flat Cap

A flat cap cut in the same waxed cotton as the jacket, with corduroy panels that pick up the cord collar. Wear the two together and it reads as one piece of kit. Wear the cap on its own and it still does what a flat cap is for: keeps the rain off, keeps the wind out, and sits low enough to stay put on a walk.

The shell is the waxed cotton the South Shields firm has been proofing since 1894, back when John Barbour was selling oilskins to the sailors and dock workers on the Tyne. It sheds a light rain, softens with wear and takes on the same patina as the jackets. The peak and side panels are corduroy, the lining is plain cotton, and the back is finished with branded studs. Sponge it clean, and every three to five years give it a coat of the house wax dressing.

Sizing is by head circumference, so this is one to measure for. Waxed cotton has no give, so if you land between two sizes take the larger one. Measurements are in the chart below.

Navy is the one we would put with a navy or olive wax jacket, a Shetland crew, or a corduroy trouser. It is the small piece that makes the jacket look finished.