Burberry was founded in 1856 when 21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a former draper’s apprentice, opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. By 1870 the business had established itself by focusing on the development of outdoors attire.  In 1880 Burberry invented gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving.  Gabardine was patented in 1888.  Burberry was the original name, but then soon switched to Burberrys, after many customers from around the world began calling it Burberrys of London. This name is still visible on many older Burberry products.

In 1891, Burberry opened a shop in the Haymarket, London, which still exists and is the site of Burberry’s corporate headquarters.  In 1904, the Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo was developed containing the Latin word "Prorsum", which means forwards, and was registered as a trademark.  In 1911 they became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who lead a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica.

In 1914, Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer’s coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in the "trench coat".  After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians. The iconic Burberry check was created in the 1920s and used as a lining in its trench coats.  It has been popularized by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films.

Burberry also specially designed aviation garments. A. E. Clouston and Mrs Betsy Kirby Green made the fastest flying time to Cape Town from London in 1937 and were sponsored by Burberry.

The Burberry Check
The black, white, and red pattern known as haymarket check or the "Burberry classic check" was first used as a lining for the Burberry trenchcoat in 1924. It was not until 1967 that the Burberry Check, now a registered trademark, was widely used on its own for items including umbrellas, scarves, and luggage. The Novacheck was introduced for the younger market, later alteredby making it more "exploded" (bigger) and slanted in a diamond or "mitre" pattern. Christopher Bailey debuted of the "Housecheck", a more exploded version of the Novacheck, during the runway show of S/S 06.