Which British luxury brand invented gabardine fabric in 1879?

Burberry was the British luxury brand whose founder invented gabardine fabric in 1879.

Thomas Burberry developed gabardine as a tightly woven, durable and relatively breathable weather-resistant textile. It was made from Egyptian cotton and offered a lighter alternative to the heavy or rubberised waterproof clothing common in the nineteenth century. Burberry patented the fabric in 1888, helping turn a practical textile innovation into the foundation of an international outfitting business.

Gabardine later became closely associated with outdoor clothing, exploration and military wear. Fridtjof Nansen used Burberry gabardine during his 1893 Arctic expedition, while Ernest Shackleton wore it on several early twentieth-century expeditions. Burberry also used the fabric in the weatherproof coats that helped shape the modern trench coat.

A common mix-up is the claim that Burberry invented the trench coat itself. Aquascutum also has a longstanding claim connected with early waterproof coats, but the quiz asks specifically about gabardine, for which Thomas Burberry is the canonical answer. “Gabardine” now describes many twill fabrics, including wool and synthetic versions, not only Burberry’s original cotton textile.