Burberry

Founded by Thomas Burberry, who developed the dense fabric gabardine; known for the trench coat and the check lining.

Thomas Burberry was a draper in Basingstoke and in 1879 developed gabardine, a tightly woven, proofed cloth that kept out rain but breathed. His coats were worn by explorers, among them Roald Amundsen.

During the First World War Burberry made coats for British officers, and the trench coat became the firm's hallmark. The check began as a lining and gradually became a symbol of the brand, both at its height and in its copies.

Older labels say Burberrys with an s; the check pattern in the lining appeared in the 1920s.

• Fashion and accessories
• Trench coat