Thomas Burberry was an English gentlemen's outfitter, and the founder of international chain Burberry, one of Britain's largest branded clothing businesses.
13 Facts About Thomas Burberry
2.
However later, Burberry began to experiment with the development of materials and clothing that could be used for outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting.
3.
Thomas Burberry recognized the need for promotion and publicity and ensured that Lord Kitchener and Lord Baden-Powell both wore his weatherproofs.
4.
In 1879, Thomas Burberry made the revolutionary discovery of gabardine: a tough, tightly-woven and water-resistant fabric made from Egyptian cotton through an innovative process, which attracted positive reviews at the International Health Exhibition in South Kensington and was patented in 1888.
5.
Thomas Burberry was featured in the trade journal Men's Wear in June 1904, where the new fabric was described as being resistant to hot and cold winds, rains and thorns, and would make an ideal weatherproof coat.
6.
In 1900, Thomas Burberry was approached by the British War Office, and was asked to design a coat to replace the military's current heavy coats.
7.
Thomas Burberry retired to Abbot's Court near Weymouth, Dorset in 1917.
8.
Thomas Burberry used his excess time to focus on religious and humanitarian beliefs.
9.
Thomas Burberry focused on healthy living, which influenced him throughout his career by making clothes for soldiers and sportsman.
10.
Thomas Burberry was a teetotaler and campaigned against tobacco smoking.
11.
Thomas Burberry was a devout Baptist who liked to hold prayer meetings every morning.
12.
Thomas Burberry married twice, first to Catherine Hannah Newman and second to Mary Marshall.
13.
Thomas Burberry had two sons and four daughters by his first marriage.