Burberry Duffel Bag

Burberry, a luxury British fashion house with origins in battlefield gear and outfitting real-life explorers, is universally renowned for its vintage trench coats, jackets, footwear and handbags. The brand has undergone several transformations since its inception in the 19th century.

When the 21-year-old apprentice draper Thomas Burberry (1835–1926) opened a small clothing outfitter in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in 1856, he catered to the needs of the local population, focusing on weatherproof clothing designed for outdoor activities like hunting, riding and fishing.

Building on his success, Burberry researched more fabrics that would be suitable for these country pursuits. In 1888, he patented gabardine, a durable, breathable fabric that was ready for any British weather. The material was groundbreaking for rainwear, which previously had been bulky and heavy. Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen wore it on his 1893 North Pole expedition and Burberry later outfitted Sir Ernest Shackleton on his Antarctic expeditions. These high-profile demonstrations of its design for extreme conditions fueled Burberry’s growth as a trusted brand.

The Tielocken coat — a forerunner to the trench coat — was patented in 1912, featuring just a button at the collar and a single strap. Higher-ranking British officers during World War I donned trench coats designed by the likes of Burberry, Aquascutum and other firms.

The design of Burberry’s classic trench demonstrated a consideration of the demand for both weather protection and function on the battlefield, with every element having its purpose, whether it was the epaulets for an officer’s rank or the gun flap at the breast. When the now-familiar check — a plaid check with black, white and red stripes on a background of beige — was added as a lining during the 1920s, a fashion icon was born. Scarves and other items featuring the pattern rendered the Burberry plaid an instantly recognizable hallmark of the house around the globe.

The brand continued to gain popularity throughout the 20th century, but by the 1990s, it was in dire need of a refresh. By the time Christopher Bailey was named design director at Burberry in 2001, the check was so ubiquitous through rampant knockoffs that it had become a reference for kitsch rather than quality.

Drawing on its heritage of craftsmanship with a new streetwear edge, Bailey helped rebuild Burberry’s relevance as a reputable fashion brand. Key to this reimagining was developing an understanding of how to democratically market high-end luxury fashion. Milestones in this regard materialized in 2010, when Burberry became the first brand to livestream a fashion show (and did so using 3D technology), and in 2020, when the house brought its London Fashion Week presentation to Twitch, a popular American livestreaming service. The international visibility brought with it renewed interest in the brand, which eventually revived its tartan after dropping it from many of its clothes, including in a 2018 collaboration with Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy that swathed shirts, dresses, coats and bags in the check.

Although tastes have changed, the signature trench coats that date back to Burberry’s beginnings remain at the brand’s core, with new fabrics and fits continuing to adapt this British style classic to contemporary trends.

Find vintage Burberry trench coats, shoes, handbags and other outerwear and accessories on 1stDibs.

Why not add a dose of class to your travels even if you’re flying coach? With the broad range of sophisticated designer and vintage luggage available for sale on 1stDibs, packing and unpacking doesn’t have to be such a chore.

Let’s face it: Stuffing the car trunk or loading up your luggage before takeoff and then doing the opposite when you arrive is often the worst part of any trip, but there’s nothing stopping you from reintroducing the glamour and luxury that defined the so-called Golden Age of Travel.

Romanticized in recent years on hit TV shows such as Mad Men, the Golden Age of Travel generally began during the 1940s, when the big commercial airlines of 20th-century America deployed the newest in large airplanes to carry scores of usually well-dressed travelers to foreign destinations. This era of aspirational air travel was marked by luxurious in-flight dining, copious cocktails and high spirits, promoted in part by the sleek, graphically rich airline brochures and vibrantly colored illustrated travel posters that hung in the windows of travel agencies. Those drawn to the history of this now well-documented era — or those who lived it, having caught the travel bug thanks to revered magazines such as Holiday or the photography of Slim Aarons — will find lots to love in vintage travel bags and suitcases, particularly luggage that originated in the world’s best luxury fashion houses.

With top brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci offering their take on essential travel bags, every brisk walk through the airport can feel like a runway. After all, why would you want to hide all of the fun inside your suitcase when you could make a statement with its exterior?

Purchasing a first-class travel bag will render the idea of “living out of a suitcase” appealing. Any journey, be it to a summer hot spot or a cozy winter getaway, can be outfitted with functional and fashionable vintage and designer luggage thanks to a vast collection of 1970s, ’80s and ’90s suitcases and satchels available for sale on 1stDibs. With designs suited to your very particular personal travel style, you’ll rightfully have a hard time tucking these pieces into a closet when you return home.