Thomas Burberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Burberry
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| Born | 27 August 1835 Brockham Green, Surrey, England
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| Died | 4 April 1926 (aged 90) Hook, Hampshire, England
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Outfitter Inventor Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Burberry Inventor of gabardine |
| Children | 6 |
Thomas Burberry (born August 27, 1835 – died April 4, 1926) was an English clothing designer and businessman. He started the famous international company Burberry. This company became one of Britain's biggest clothing brands. Thomas Burberry is also known for inventing a special fabric called gabardine.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Business
Thomas Burberry was born in a small place called Brockham Green in Surrey, England. He went to school at Brockham Green Village School. After school, he worked as an apprentice in a local draper's shop. A draper sells cloth and fabric.
In 1856, he opened his own clothing business in Basingstoke. At that time, Basingstoke was a small town with only about 4,500 people. Thomas first made clothes inspired by what everyday people wore. Later, he started to create special materials and clothes for outdoor activities. These included things like fishing and hunting.
He was very interested in making clothes that could keep people dry. He also wanted to make many different kinds of products. So, he worked with British cotton makers. His goal was to make fabrics that could resist bad weather. He wanted to sell these to the growing number of middle-class people and those who lived in the countryside.
Building a Career
Burberry's work on waterproof clothes for sports was very successful. His business grew quickly. By 1871, he had more than 70 people working for him. In 1878, he opened a bigger factory. This factory made clothes for other stores to sell, known as 'wholesale manufacturing'. It also made 'ready-to-wear' clothes, which means clothes that are already made in standard sizes. By 1881, this factory had over 200 workers.
Thomas Burberry knew that telling people about his clothes was important. He made sure that famous people wore his waterproof items. These included Lord Kitchener and Lord Baden-Powell. This helped his business become one of the biggest clothing companies in the United Kingdom.
In 1879, Burberry made an amazing discovery: gabardine. This was a strong, tightly woven fabric that could resist water. It was made from Egyptian cotton using a new method. People loved it at an exhibition in South Kensington. He got a patent for it in 1888, which protected his invention. This discovery made Burberry famous around the world. A magazine called Men's Wear wrote about it in 1904. They said the new fabric could stand up to strong winds, rain, and thorns. It was perfect for a weatherproof coat.
Because gabardine was so successful, Burberry asked his son, Arthur, to take orders from rich people. This happened at the Jermyn Street Hotel. Soon, Burberry opened its main store at 30 Haymarket. By 1891, this became a wholesale store. Popular items included the "Walking Burberry" coat.
Burberry’s gabardine fabric was not just for rich people. Explorers also used it. In 1893, a Norwegian explorer named Dr. Fridtjof Nansen was the first explorer to wear gabardine. He wore it on his trip to the Arctic Circle. British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton also wore Burberry gabardine. He used it for three expeditions in the early 1900s. One of these was the famous Endurance Expedition.
Creating the Trench Coat
In 1900, the British War Office contacted Burberry. They asked him to design a new coat for the military. They wanted to replace the heavy coats soldiers were wearing. This request led Burberry to create the famous gabardine trench coat.
The trench coat was a light cotton raincoat. It had special features like a deep back yoke, shoulder straps called epaulets, and buckled straps on the cuffs. It also had a button-down flap on one shoulder and special pockets. There were D-ring clasps on the belt to attach military gear. This coat became a key item for soldiers in World War I. After the war, it became a popular coat for everyone. It is now a main part of the Burberry style.
The trench coat is still seen in movies and media today. Famous actors like Humphrey Bogart wore it in the movie Casablanca. Audrey Hepburn also wore it in Breakfast at Tiffany's. This helped make the trench coat a famous style icon around the world.
Retirement and Later Life
Thomas Burberry retired in 1917. He moved to a place called Abbot's Court near Weymouth in Dorset. He used his extra time to focus on his religious beliefs and helping others. He believed in healthy living. This idea influenced him throughout his career, especially when making clothes for soldiers and sportspeople.
He did not drink alcohol and spoke out against smoking. He was also a very religious Baptist. He liked to hold prayer meetings every morning.
His company, Burberry, became a public company in 1920. Thomas Burberry saw his small store grow into a big business. He passed away peacefully at his home in Hook near Basingstoke in 1926. He was 90 years old.
Family
Thomas Burberry was married two times. His first wife was Catherine Hannah Newman. His second wife was Mary Marshall. He had two sons and four daughters with his first wife.
Featured in Film
On November 1, 2016, Burberry released a short film. It was called The Tale of Thomas Burberry. This film was inspired by Thomas Burberry’s life and what he achieved. It showed important moments from the brand’s history in a new way. An Academy Award-winning director, Asif Kapadia, directed the film. It was written by Matt Charman, who was also nominated for an Academy Award. The actor Domhnall Gleeson played Thomas Burberry in the film.
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Burberry para niños
