Belstaff dates to 1924, when Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg founded the company in Longton, Staffordshire, taking its name from a portmanteau of Belovitch and Staffordshire. The company pioneered the use of waxed cotton for waterproof motorcycle clothing and became a subsidiary of James Halstead in 1948 before being sold to Italy's Franco Malenotti in 2004. Belstaff has since passed through several more owners, including the Labelux Group in 2011, Ineos in 2017, and Castore in 2025.