Belstaff, an English brand, founded in Longton, Staffordshire

Longton, Staffordshire

Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city. Longton is one of the six towns of "the Potteries" which formed the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1925.-History:...

 in 1924, is a garment manufacturer best known for producing high-performance waterproof

Waterproof fabric

Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated to or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride , polyurethane , silicone...

 jackets. The company is now Italian-owned and based in Mogliano Veneto

Mogliano Veneto

Mogliano Veneto is a town and comune in the province of Treviso, Veneto, northern Italy, located halfway between Mestre and Treviso.-Culture:...

.

History

Founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son in law Harry Grosberg in Staffordshire, Belstaff produced all-weather jackets for motorcyclists, and was the first company to ever use waxed cotton

Waxed cotton

Waxed cotton is as the name suggests, is cotton impregnated with a paraffin based wax, woven into a cloth. Widely used from the mid-19th century to the mid-1950s, the product which originated in the sailing industry in Scotland, became widely used by many to make themselves waterproof...

. The company later created weather-protective jackets for other uses, goggles (primarily for the growing aviation

Aviation

Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...

 market), gloves and several other garments intended to keep the wearer warm, dry and safe.

Belstaff became a subsidiary of James Halstead in 1948–a company also famous in later years for the success of the Australian brand Driza-Bone

Driza-Bone

Driza-Bone, originating from the phrase "dry as a bone", is a trade name for the company making full-length waterproof riding coats and apparel. The company was established in 1898 and is currently Australian owned and manufactures its products in Australia...

.

In the 1980s, Belstaff diversified into the golf wear market.

The company was hit hard by the textile crisis of the 1990s precipitating the closure of the Longton Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...

 factory after previously closing its Silverdale site. Moving to Wellingborough

Wellingborough

Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...

, production was vastly reduced. The range was also manufactured in Australia by a sister company Driza-Bone. The company grew again and in 1994 introduced Belfresh, a waterproof/breathable fabric.

Today, Belstaff markets products to the Far East, Russia, the United States, Australia, South America and Europe.