It was 1879 when Thomas Burberry invented the fabric that would make the history of the brand and fashion icons, gabardine, the revolutionary fabric capable of making cotton water-repellent to create the outerwear that still today remains a must-have among the basic items to keep in the wardrobe: the trench coat. An iconic garment thanks also to the Hollywood stars who consecrated the style, giving the figure a slender and long-limbed appearance, it is one of the outerwear items that manage to give a unique, elegant and casual style at the same time. Despite revisitations and modifications, innovations and new designs,
the tradition of the Burberry trench coat, both in the men's and women's collections , remained unchanged over the decades, up until the 1960s. In the decade of great upheavals in shapes and of that freedom shouted on the streets, squares and demonstrations, to the sound of increasingly less voluminous fabrics, the distinctive features of the outerwear lost their strictly pragmatic function to become
details that characterize the trench coat in its originality . The military khaki color is toned down by honey, gray and black hues, while the belt at the waist and the double-breasted jacket, as in the Westminster models, have remained essential ingredients in the style recipe of the most loved Burberry coat.
How to Know if You're Buying an Original Burberry Trench Coat
A real investment in terms of guarantee and quality, and the price to the end customer proves it:
a Burberry trench coat for men is around 1890 euros , and the price goes up to over 2000 euros if it is a piece from a particular collection or limited edition
. The same price range for Burberry trench coats for women : from 1550 euros, to almost 1990 euros, up to unique pieces worth over 2000 euros. It is clear how in this context, the counterfeit market is very active in proposing choices of dubious quality inspired by the iconic trench coat, certainly due to a demand on the market that is much greater than the actual economic availability of potential buyers. For this reason, when planning the purchase of an important and designer item like a Burberry trench coat, it is essential
to understand whether you are looking at an original item or not . As often happens with haute couture garments, counterfeit goods play on iconic details and on those characteristics that at first glance cannot help but attract attention as a distinctive sign, such as the color of the garment. It is therefore of fundamental importance to learn to recognize also the set of accessories that accompany the delivery of the designer garment, such as the packaging that is delivered when purchasing the coat, the set of coupons and guarantees that guarantee the authenticity of the product.
Burberry packaging, The Royal Warrant seal
First of all, the Burberry trench coat is delivered in a very resistant rigid cardboard box, which has the logo written in clear central and golden letters on the lid, then dedicating the wording “London England” in italics under the logo. It is impossible to get it wrong because the box, above the Burberry logo, has two symbols that represent a great honor granted to Burberry way back in 1955, namely the official recognition of the Royal Family. Thanks to the particular predilection of the brand by Edward VII and George VI,
the brand is awarded with the coat of arms “The Royal Warrant b Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”, thus becoming part of The Royal Warrant Holders Association, the most sought-after recognition by shopkeepers, artisans and entrepreneurs in the production sector of goods and services. The wording is therefore an essential seal of guarantee that represents Buckingham Palace's appreciation for the quality and uniqueness of the product, in addition to the certification that Burberry embodies the essence of Anglo-Saxon taste and cultural expression. Inside the box, the trench coat is wrapped in tissue paper closed with a sticker bearing the Burberry logo, and there are two bags with the Burberry logo. Once the package is unwrapped, you will find the trench coat in a convenient travel case, also with the original Burberry logo, and a practical hanger.
Burberry Trench, how to recognize the original for men and women
A
Burberry trench coat is made according to a process that will have to assemble 26 pieces of gabardine , in the traditional cotton version, even if in recent years the fashion house has chosen to emphasize the shoulder line, as well as making the waist more adherent to the male and female silhouette to enhance an increasingly adherent waistline. The fabrics instead explore new trends, so
it is also possible to find trench coats made with materials other than the more canonical cotton gabardine , even though it remains a great workhorse for its revolutionary light, breathable and water-repellent structure at the same time.
Burberry trench coat, the collar structure guarantees the originality of the garment
Each Burberry trench coat sees around 100 processes in the production stage, with particular attention to the hand stitching of the collar, a tailoring job that requires highly specialized figures. In fact, each tailor follows a one-year training course to learn how to perform
the collar stitching, a distinctive feature that guarantees the originality of a Burberry trench coat . It is in fact the most elaborate part of the structure of the coat, which requires the application of 180 hand stitches in order to maintain a fluid curvature, perfectly adhering to the neck and the physiognomy of the male and female figure.
Burberry Trench Coat, the Distinctive Details of the Original Garment
The Burberry trench coat retains the presence of the rain flap and the military rank epaulettes , the same ones that last century showed the ranks of the officers, today become unmistakable symbols beyond a real practical function, but icons of a specific English aesthetic. The coat is still produced with the D-shaped rings of the belt, even if the brass has given way to calfskin. They also represent distinctive traits of a different aesthetic, having lost the function of attaching the equipment necessary for life in the trenches to the garment. The belt itself has four stitchings, which give the typical crepe effect. The coat in its original version has a double-breasted closure, as can be seen in the
models The Chelsea for women, or The Westminster for men, as well as The Kensington for both collections . The trench coat also has less intuitive or visible details, so before buying a designer item it is a good idea to carefully check the inside of the coat: do not trust shops or stalls that do not allow you to view the item, and not even e-commerce sites that do not include a selection of photos of both the inside and outside of the item. In fact, you should check the presence of the chin strap, in addition to the hook closure of the neck, a technical detail that is functional to protect against rain showers on the front. On the back, more precisely on the upper part of the back, always with the intent of protecting from water, the short rain cape is applied that guarantees the sliding of streams of water, as well as additional protection from the cold.
The internal structure of a Burberry trench coat for men and women
Another unmistakable sign to understand if the item you intend to buy is an original is the shape of the sleeve, which has not changed over the decades: the fashion house always features set-in or raglan sleeves, with a strap at the cuffs decorated with calfskin buckles. The functional windbreak flap for a tight closure has also been maintained, ideal for protecting on windy or humid days, as it perfectly overlaps the fastening. In addition to all the details mentioned so far, it is the internal lining that gives another unmistakable sign of the authenticity of the Burberry item:
the Haymarket check motif, also known as Tartan, has been used by the fashion house for decades, and the inside of all trench coats is lined with the interweaving of camel, ivory, red and black lines . Even more distinctive than the logo, the lining is cut and sewn with infinite care and attention, as each line of the
Vintage check lining must be intact , presenting the motif in a continuous manner. Be careful of this: since the Haymarket check has become an iconic print that has covered accessories and clothing items from the entire brand, from jackets to shoes, including bags and even perfumes, a counterfeit item will try to faithfully reproduce it.
Logo and label: Burberry London guarantee of authenticity
To understand if a Burberry trench coat is original or not, you need to take into account the fact that you can find different labels.
In
2018 , in fact, the company turned to graphic designer Peter Saville for a complete
restyling of the original logo . For this reason, if you own a trench coat from one of the most recent collections, the label will feature the new version of the logo: so be careful not to mistake a new item for a fake, which shouldn't happen even if you own a vintage item.
Before 2018, it was possible to find two different versions of the logo through the wording “
Burberrys of London” or simply “
Burberry” . The latter name belongs to the garments produced starting
from 1999 , as on that date the company decided to change its name from Burberrys of London to a more international Burberry. Most of the known products fall under this brand.
Finally, each
trench coat is characterized by a detailed label that shows the composition of the garment, as well as the company where the garment was produced, and the famous logo that must be present in two locations. Inside the trench coat, the first logo is central, the embroidery shows the knight on his horse with the writing “Prorsum!”, or “Forward!”, while underneath is the proud writing Made in England. In addition to the central logo, there is a second logo inside the trench coat sewn on the inside pocket. By paying attention to more or less obvious details, but all distinctive of the trench coat's rich history, it is therefore much easier to recognize a fake from an original Burberry: all that remains is to choose the preferred trench coat model and proceed with the purchase of an outerwear that knows no decline.
Where to buy an original Burberry trench coat?
Burberry trench coats can be purchased at the brand's official boutiques, on the official website and at multiple online stores including Mottafashionplace.com.
Motta Fashion has been
an official Burberry retailer for many years and as such guarantees the originality of these splendid garments. You can choose your new trench coat on our e-commerce site, or come and visit us in our store in Lissone (MB).
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