Opinions Sought on a Possible Burberry Silk Scarf & Label

Mike Morgan

Registered Guest
I picked up a silk scarf at an estate sale that is marked Burberrys and features two interlocking square rings of Nova Check on a field of tan and black houndstooth. Has anyone ever seen this pattern before and have a possible date? If authentic, my guess would be early- to mid-eighties.

The scarf if very well made as far as silk scarves go. One thing that struck me as odd, though, is that I have never seen a Burberrys name that does not have "London" or "of London" below it. However, I cannot find this pattern or a reference to it anywhere, and if it were a fake I'd think I'd be able to find something (if not a plethora of mentions and/or images) of it. And if there was a care/content tag, it has been removed.

I've had one vintage-educated acquaintance say she does not believe it is Burberry. I'd like to eventually sell it (I don't wear scarves often :)) but don't want to unless someone recognizes the design. So, I'd like the opinions of folks who have seen a lot of high end vintage.

P1020013.jpgP1020005.jpgP1020006.jpgP1020007.jpgP1020008.jpg
 
Mike, I agree with your friend - I do not think this scarf is the real deal.

The reason is that there is a discrepancy between the brand on the label and in the scarf: the label displays "Burberrys' " with an apostrophe after the "s" whilst the printed scarf does not. Also, I don't think that Burberrys have ever used a single apostrophe after the "s" in this manner. To see what I mean, you can look at the labels in the VFG Label Resource.

It's a sloppy mistake and one that a design house like Burberrys would never make - and if they did accidentally produce it, they would probably destroy all the flawed stock.

Also, the stitching on the hand-rolled hem is not as neat as it should be.
 
Thanks, Nicole. On the whole the roule is done very nicely. I do agree with the apostrophe. I've seen it with a single quote before and after, but not just after. The person who cast the initial doubt is far more educated than I in vintage clothing, so after her opinion, my initial excitement dulled significantly.
 
I have a Burberrys scarf from the 1990s, and the labeling is exactly as it is on Mike's scarf, and I know that mine is authentic.

My label is Burberrys' with the apostrophe, and the name on the scarf does not have the apostrophe.

I don't have the knowledge to say that Mike's scarf is authentic, but the labeling does not prove that it is a fake.
 
Unfortunately, there are a lot of designer fakes out there, especially with accessories which are cheap to reproduce. The '80s was when the industries really got into action on faking, so caution is always advised, when you don't have proof.
 
Mike, I agree with your friend - I do not think this scarf is the real deal.

The reason is that there is a discrepancy between the brand on the label and in the scarf: the label displays "Burberrys' " with an apostrophe after the "s" whilst the printed scarf does not. Also, I don't think that Burberrys have ever used a single apostrophe after the "s" in this manner. To see what I mean, you can look at the labels in the VFG Label Resource.

It's a sloppy mistake and one that a design house like Burberrys would never make - and if they did accidentally produce it, they would probably destroy all the flawed stock.

Also, the stitching on the hand-rolled hem is not as neat as it should be.

I know this is an old post, but since it comes up in a search for trying to evaluate vintage BurberryS from before 1999 when they still used the S, I would like to add another important factor as to why else I agree with you this scarf is fake.
There is NO Country of Origin stated on it anywhere. Usually the BURBERRYS labels are accompanied with Made in England, Made in Italy, etc. Nowadays it can even say Made in China, but not back then. The vintage items were mostly Made in England.
It has been an International customs law, I believe they call it the 'Tuttle Law' that was enforced in the 1930s, that any product made for import and export MUST have a country of origin stamp, tag or label on it somewhere, and that includes clothing, shoes and accessories.
Generally if there is no MADE IN Country on an item, it most likely isn't genuine, UNLESS the Made in tag was removed?? But you would need to find some evidence of that, such as loose cut off threads, etc...
I should add that it can't be just a city, like if it says LONDON on it. The city isn't good enough, it must state the COUNTRY of origin, not just a city, like London, New York, or Paris. It has to be a COUNTRY.
In this case, I believe the 'country of origin' should be directly under the BURBERRYS on that main blue label, it should state 'Made in England' Agreed?
 
Back
Top