Vintage Burberry experiences?

Somehow I've gotten a wild hair that has convinced me I NEED a vintage Burberry trench. My rationalization is that I've been looking for a nice trench with a removable wool liner for my climate for a while now. I'm smitten with Burberry, but my weight just isn't stable enough and probably never will be, to justify spending $1k on a trench.

So I started poking around ebay and etsy and I've found a few that are almost right, but not just right...BUT, sizing is a total wild card! Is the printed sizing British sizing? or American sizing? If I factor in looser tailoring from the 80's, should I be sizing down? or do I factor in vanity sizing and size up? I've measured other coats and jackets and have a sense of the right measurements, but who knows?

There are also a couple of sellers on Ebay who are altering old Burberrys to have a more modern fit. Anyone seen one of those in real life? They look pretty fantastic online and are around 1/10 of the price of a current one. And I like the idea of having the older workmanship.

I'm just curious if any of you have any experience with vintage Burberry jackets, good or bad?

9 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Well, I sent off my vintage Burberry to the recycle shop a few years back. I bought mine in the late 80s; it was a gorgeous trench that looked as good a decade later as it did when I bought it. The problem was the style. The mid-calf length could be altered, but it was the deep armholes (made to fit over a shoulder-padded suit) that was the deal-breaker. Armholes are a complicated alteration on any coat, much less a trench. Sizing down to get a closer fit would just make the coat too tight in some places while droopy in others. The issue is not so much the looser tailoring as the very different silhouette back then--broad shoulders, narrow middle, deep armholes, and sweeping mid-calf skirts.

Unless fashion revisits that silhouette, or you are happy with a retro, oversized look, I'd stay away from Burberries from the late 80s and early 90s.

ETA: Oh, and for what it's worth, my Burberry was in British sizing because it was made in the UK.

catgirl

I see these now and then and the consignment store. They run long! Some of the sizing is more generous than current Burberry but not always so be sure to get really accurate measurements.

Traci

Thanks for the feedback and tips. I had noticed, eyeballing the shape of trenches laid flat in the pictures, that jackets from the early 80's or sooner seemed to have a more modern cut...maybe? You're right that they seem very long. I was thinking a chop wouldn't be too complicated or costly, but the armpit fit is an interesting variable in all this.

eta: Here's an example. This one is listed as a 12P, which is too small for me, especially if that is a British 12, but the proportions of it look good to me.

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Colette

I have no vintage Burberry experience to share but I am reading with much interest. Many vintage Burberry coats come up for sale on our town private FB marketplace and I was considering placing dibs on one if it was my size. Gaylene and alaskagirl made many good points that I am going to keep in mind. The one benefit to our local FB marketplace is you can usually try it on before having to pay for it or most sellers let you return it.

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