Burberry

Thomas Burberry opened his outfitting shop in Basingstoke, England, in 1856, and in 1879 invented gabardine, a breathable, weatherproof cloth that dressed polar explorers and, later, officers in the trenches.

The trench coat born there became Britain's most famous garment, and the house check, first used as a coat lining in the 1920s, became one of fashion's most recognisable patterns.