Burberry was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.
Thomas Burberry began as an outfitter and developed clothing designed to protect people from Britain’s wet, changeable weather. The company later became especially associated with outerwear, including the trench coat and its distinctive check pattern.
The founding date is sometimes confused with later milestones, such as the invention of gabardine in 1879 or the opening of Burberry’s London store in 1891. Those events expanded the business but did not mark its creation.
Burberry’s original name was Burberry, although the brand has also used the shorter name Burberrys in parts of its history. Its modern identity remains closely linked to British outerwear and weather-resistant fabrics.