What’s quintessentially British? The weather may not be the first thing that comes to mind for everyone, but the fact that it dictates everything from mood to dress makes the rainy skies of British horizons particularly memorable, and iconic.
The Burberry trench coat — its warm and calming beige always a perfect complement to the grey canvas above — has always been an integral part of this scenery, but the role it plays in this story has and continues to evolve everyday alongside Burberry’s new creative frontiers. The trench is made from gabardine – an innovative fabric invented by founder Thomas Burberry in 1879 with the aim to alleviate the British people of heavy, uncomfortable outerwear made of rubberised cotton. After 23 years since the house’s founding, the former draper’s apprentice more than grew into his entrepreneurial seat, finally achieving what he first set out to do with an all new material that whose open and reticular weave allowed the body to breathe whilst also repelling the elements — safeguarding against the unpredictable British weather. How? Gabardine’s fibres were individually waterproofed before weaving, making it lightweight and comfortable and considerably less sweaty.
Since then, the trench coat became a trusted companion of many explorers and pioneers. In 1893, Dr Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian polar explorer, zoologist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, became the first recorded polar explorer to wear and utilise Burberry’s innovative fabrics in the Arctic Circle. This pioneering spirit continued when in the early 20th century, where acclaimed British Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton wore Burberry gabardine for three expeditions. Before long, Burberry was then tasked to incorporate gabardine into the British Army’s uniform — and that is how the trench coat we are all familiar with today was born.
But that’s not the only reason why the Burberry trench is an icon. It’s prevalence in cinema is not to be overlooked; Casablanca (1942), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Kramer vs Kramer (1979) and Wall Street (1987) are just some of the few films that solidified the trench coat’s association with not just utility but adventure, romance, justice, and a kind of timeless elegance that is not weathered down but instead made more extravagant in the rain. And while Hollywood was what propelled the Burberry trench to its iconic status, film has also in return deepened the garment’s legacy in the celebration and portrayal of history.
Last year, Burberry was commissioned to create ten replicas of the garments Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew wore to support the National Geographic documentary ENDURANCE, which tells the heroic tale of the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent in 1914. It specifically depicts how the gabardine helped protect them during the arduous polar expedition, and in post, the actual filming process. Still woven, tailored, and hand-finished in Yorkshire, England up till present day, the Burberry trench is far from seeing a dwindle in cultural prominence — fashion’s response also continues to find new resolutions that embrace this richness and touch.
The Burberry Winter 2025 collection features the most recent contribution to the Burberry trench narrative: two all-new new silhouettes known as the Fitzrovia trench and Ellingham car coat. These reinterpret signature silhouettes with added volume, wider sleeves, and a fuller skirt for a refined fit-and-flare shape, offering the option of more feminine lines.
The accompanying campaign, titled ‘IT’S ALWAYS BURBERRY WEATHER: POSTCARDS FROM LONDON’, follow the adventures of first-time tourists exploring London, who encounter a variety of locals — all portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Olivia Colman. From a cricket enthusiast to a woman behind a chip shop counter, her performances capture the diversities of everyday London life, bringing context into the placements of the Castleford trench coat, relaxed-fit Chestwood trench coat; down-filled Berryhill car coat; technical cashmere Kensington coat; herringbone wool Belmont trench cape and more. Alongside the established pieces from Burberry’s Heritage and contemporary rainwear collections, the latest developments in gabardine’s silhouette translations foretell only the infinite ways this symbolic garment will continue to re-establish its presence in the everyday wardrobe — so long as the drizzle persists, so will the story of the Burberry trench.
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Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our October 2025 issue.