The birth of Burberry (From Hampshire Society)

The birth of Burberry

2:33pm Monday 10th May 2010

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In a small, unassuming Hampshire draper’s shop one of the world’s most iconic and instantly recognisable brands was created more than 150 years ago.

The name of the young 21-year-old shop owner, Thomas Burberry, is an immediate give-away to the background of this remarkable story which began in Basingstoke in 1856.

It may seem unlikely, but Burberry, with its distinctive trademark, the black, tan and red pattern, so loved by the wives and girlfriends of premiership footballers and actresses in television soaps, has its roots firmly planted among Hampshire farmers and the county’s aristocratic land owners.

How ironic then, that Burberry’s classic look, should be associated with the WAGS’ questionable taste, was originally the garment of choice for agricultural workers together with the huntin’, shootin’, and fishin’ set of the local landed gentry.

Hampshire’s part in the story of Burberry is, perhaps, not widely known but one expert in the history of clothes is determined to spread the word as part of the Culture-all campaign now underway in the south.

Alison Carter, senior keeper of art and design with Hampshire County Council’s museum service, believes Burberry’s Basingstoke beginnings are important material in helping to tell the tale of the way clothing developed over the decades.

Alison’s work oversees a huge collection of historical clothes that are used in displays and exhibitions that explore past lifestyles and highlight the skills of earlier times.

The clothes provide evidence of what was worn, made and used locally as well as being a resource for costume designers, students of dressmaking, quilting, and embroidery.

Especially proud of the museum’s collection of Burberry clothes, Alison said: “After a few years Thomas’s shop and his commitment to quality and innovation in fabric and outwear design earned Burberry a following of loyal customers and by 1870 his small premises had grown into an emporium.

“Ten years later, Thomas had created gabardine, a breathable, weatherproof and strong cloth that was introduced in 1880.’’ Inspired by country folk’s loose “smocks”, Burberry designed a tightly woven fabric made from water-repellent linen or cotton yarn. Although sturdy and tear-resistant, this “Burberry-proofed” cloth was considerably more comfortable than the previous heavy mackintosh.

The tailor trademarked his cloth “Gabardine”, a Shakespearean term that referred to shelter from inclement weather.

The following year the Basingstoke shop was trading as Thomas Burberry & Sons and was so successful that the owner decided to expand by opening a store in London’s West End in the Haymarket.

As the 19th century was nearing the end, Burberry developed and was selling an early version of the trench coat, which was adopted by British officers during the Boer War.

By 1901 another important Burberry symbol, the label showing an equestrian knight appeared for the first time, accompanied by the Latin word, “Prorsium’’, meaning forwards.

Among Alison’s extensive collection of clothing are some rare examples of Thomas Burberry’s very first items he sold at his Basingstoke shop.

Alison said: “Some of Thomas’s first garments were traditional country smocks which were still being worn in Hampshire when he first opened his business.

“As Thomas’s work became more and more popular he turned his attention to gabardine and amongst the museum’s collection it is possible to trace the development of his clothes, especially the coats.

“The beginning of the First World War saw the War Office commission Burberry to adapt the earlier officer’s coat for new, more rigorous combat requirements.

“So the company added epaulettes and ‘D’ rings, and the iconic, Burberry trench coat was born.’’ After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians. The well known Burberry check was created in the 1920s and used as a lining for the coats.

Over the years the unmistakably British garment was adopted by film star, Humphrey Bogart, Hampshire-born, Peter Sellers as the bumbling French detective in the Pink Panther films, and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The company’s clientele has included Winston Churchill, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, George Bernard Shaw, Ronald Reagan and Paul Newman.

The trench coat was once described as “a mainstay in outerwear worldwide, that symbolizes all that is Britain: sturdy and unassuming, equally at home in fine hotels and muddy lanes”.

One of Alison’s most precious pieces of Burberry heritage is a catalogue showing the many styles of women’s hats the company was making in 1910.

The introduction to company’s millinery said: “The Burberry hat, beautiful in artistic colouring and original in its combination of feathers and fabric, is at the same time most serviceable.

“The Burberry hat cannot be damaged by the weather and stays on the head without the use of divers, dangerous pins.’’

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