Celebrating Thomas Burberry

This month, English  gentleman outfitter, Thomas Burberry was born in Surrey in 1835.  After serving an apprenticeship, Thomas opened his first shop in Basingstoke in 1857 and by 1861 was employing 7 men, 3 boys and 7 women.   In 1880, he had designed a breathable, waterproof fabric called gabardine which were worn by explorers such as Scott and Shackleton.  He also sold his fabric to the army and were worn by Lord Kitchener and Lord Baden Powell.

Thomas retired in 1917 and in 1920 Burberry went public on the London Stock Exchange.  It was shortly after that, the famous check design was introduced and used in coat linings.  Thomas died on the 4th April 1926.