It helped shape classic characters Holly Golightly, Humphrey Bogart, and Sherlock Holmes all wore it, it’s a staple for every fashionista worth their salt, and one of the most lusted-after pieces in the world. When it comes to clothes, you’ll be hard pressed finding a piece as iconic as the Burberry trench.
Like most true classics, the Burberry trench has a rich and fascinating history — it is much more than just a coat to sling over your Prada.
Before 1880, warm coats and cloaks for women and men were made of thick, heavy materials without waterproofing, like velvet, multiple layers of gauze or fur. If they got wet, they were soaked for days.
Then, in 1880, Thomas Burberry, who had opened a small outfitter’s shop years earlier in Basingstoke, England at the age of 21, invented Garbardine — a revolutionary yarn that is actually weather proofed before it’s woven into the material, making it durable, lightweight and weather resistant.
The effect was immediate. Eight years later Burberry actually had to patent the textile to prevent other manufacturers from stealing the idea, and the small shop in Basingstoke expanded until it had to move to London to fit demand.
Despite the trench’s high-fashion cred today, the trench as we know it was originally created by Burberry for the First World War in 1914, with D-rings, buckles and epaulettes added to make the distinctive look. And the iconic Burberry check? It was invented in 1924, to meet growing demand and produce a signature look.
Today the check lining is still one of the four particularly skilled aspects to creating a Burberry trench, which takes 100 tailors and over 300 operations to make. Yes, just for one.
The three other aspects are, of course, the hand-sewn collar, the inverted wedge pleat and the under-collar check, so you can flash the check when you protect yourself against the rain.
Want some serious trench style inspiration? Look to fashionistas like Gwyneth Paltrow, Alexa Chung, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in our gallery of the Top Ten Celebrity Burberry Trench Looks.
Purchase your own Burberry Trench here – it’s the ultimate investment piece
