5 Reasons Burberry Reigns Over British Fashion

It’s not difficult to see how Burberry has come to be practically synonymous with British design. Aaron Paul declared ‘I’m just in love with Burberry. Always have been, always will be.’ Here are the top 5 reasons why Burberry will always be the jewel in the crown of British fashion.

Making History

Founded in 1856, by a drapers apprentice Thomas Burberry, the business focused mainly on outerwear. In 1880 they introduced gabardine, a breathable, waterproof fabric, without which life in the rainy UK would have become distinctly bleaker. The durability of this fabric has meant that the design house has enabled some of the greatest adventures in history. Raoul Amundsen was outfitted in Burberry gabardine when he reached the South Pole, Earnest Shackleton wore a Burberry coat on his trans-Antarctic expedition, and George Mallory is presumed to have worn a Burberry jacket on his ill-fated attempt on Mount Everest in 1924.

Eternally Practical: The Trench Coat

Quintessentially British: The Tartan

Instantly recognisable is the Burberry tartan of beige, grey, white, and red, known as the ‘Haymarket Check’. The pattern lines the Trench coat, the bags, and its scarves, with this integration of English design and Scottish tartan indicating the true Britishness of the brand. The iconic tartan has lost some of its appeal, when the brand faced losing the copyright of the tartan in China, allowing poor reproductions to be made, it diminished respect for the quality of the brand. Angela Ahrendts however, safeguarded the brand’s reputation by reserving the tartan for the iconic items in the collection.

Moving with the Times: A Personal Heritage

Since its humble origins in the 19th Century, the brand has had to keep up with changing society, not able to trust solely in its heritage status. So how do you adapt a tartan scarf for a modern audience? The answer: you monogram it. Burberry has led the way in monogramming, in a fast paced, disposable world, this service allows you to create a personal heritage piece that can be passed down. This was carried further by the introduction of the bespoke trench coat service famed by Emma Watson’s bespoke leather sleeved trench coat, is there a more practical heirloom?

Today and Tomorrow: A/W 15 collection

The recent collection designed by Christopher Bailey had a folk look, made up of patterns, prints, and patchwork. The brand continues to stay true to its roots, making use of English lace, Durham quilts, and English fringed suede. The rich colours of teal, ochre, burgundy, and indigo invoke the feeling of a fairytale forest on the eve of September. The Burberry make-up line, developed in 2010, works on the premise of effortless make up. This season manipulated earthy smoky shades, with glowing skin, putting a modern spin on the English rose concept.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.