In this week’s fashion history, we will be taking a look at the fashion history of Burberry. Burberry is a British luxury fashion house founded in 1856 by English gentleman outfitter Thomas Burberry. The fashion house is one of Britain’s largest branded clothing businesses and deals in the sales of ready-to-wear outfits, handbags, and accessories.
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Thomas Burberry
Thomas Burberry was born in August 1835 in Brockham Green, Surrey, England. He got his education at the Brockham Green village school and apprenticed with a local draper’s shop before opening his outfitting business in 1856 in Basingstoke. Thomas’s designs were initially inspired by everyday clothing worn by commoners. However, he later began to experiment with the development of materials and clothing that can be used for outdoor activities.
Thomas Burberry during this time also developed waterproof clothing by partnering with the British cotton manufacturers and aimed to provide waterproof textiles that would appeal to the growing middle class and countryside.
Burberry is popularly known for his involvement in the development of waterproof sportsman clothing. By 1881, his factory had over 200 workers and focused on wholesale manufacturing. Senior British army officer and founder of the boy’s scout movement Lord Kitchener and Lord Baden Powell both wore his waterproofs which bloomed Thomas Burberry’s business and also expanded his business into one of the United Kingdom’s largest branded clothing businesses.
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Thomas Burberry Gabardine
In 1879, Thomas Burberry made the revolutionary discovery of gabardine which led Burberry to become a world-known name. Thomas was also featured in the trade journal menswear in 1904 where the new fabric was described as being resistant to hot and cold winds.
In 1900, Thomas was approached by a British war office and was asked to design a coat to replace the military’s current heavy coats. This led to the creation of the famous gabardine trench coat. Burberry’s trenchcoats were worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Humprey Bogart in Casablanca. This also played a part in boosting Burberry’s popularity. In 1917, Thomas Burberry retired and died peacefully at his home in 1926 at the age of 90. By his death, he had two sons and four daughters.
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