![Duffle coat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Duffle_coat.jpg)
A duffel coat (also duffle coat) is a coat made from
duffel
Duffel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp.
The municipality comprises only the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total area is 22.71 km² which gives a population den ...
cloth, designed with toggle-and-rope fastenings, patched pockets and a large hood. The name derives from
Duffel
Duffel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp.
The municipality comprises only the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total area is 22.71 km² which gives a population den ...
, a town in the province of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
where the manufacturing process of this kind of fabric, a coarse, thick, woolen cloth originated.
Duffel bags were originally made from the same material.
The hood and toggle fastenings from Polish frocks proved popular, the frock spread across Europe by the 1850s. By 1890 a less sophisticated version was being supplied to the British Royal Navy, from various manufacturers. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
all British troops wore the coat, among them
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery and
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir David Sterling. After the war, the coats became available in England as government surplus stock and became popular, especially with students. In countries freed by British troops from
Nazi-German occupation, wearing the coat also meant a tribute to all troopers that fought in the war and a statement to civilian freedom.
Description
There are many variations of duffel coat. The basic British style features:
* Genuine double weave woolen
duffel fabric, lined with a woolly
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
pattern, or plain in the military version.
* Three or, later, four front wooden or horn toggle and leather fastenings.
* Two large outside patch pockets, with covering flaps on post-war versions.
* Originally knee length; shorter on later versions.
* A buttonable neck strap.
* Bucket hood with press stud adjustment. Later versions feature a neater "pancake" hood.
The large toggles and long ropes from the army coats were designed to enable easily fastening and unfastening while wearing gloves in cold weather. Current designs often feature imitation plastic buffalo horn. The original hood was oversized to allow room for a Naval cap. Early versions of the coat were knee-length but later ones were shorter.
History
Toggle-and-rope fastenings are known since ancient times, among others in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The Duffel cloth has been manufactured since about the 1450's in Belgium and since the 1550's in The Netherlands (
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
).
The initial influence of what became the duffel coat, might have been the hooded Polish military
frock coat
A frock coat is a formal men's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at th ...
, which was developed in the 1820s. It had the unusual features of a toggle closure and an integrated hood, and by 1850 had spread through Europe.
["Duffle coat history"]
Gentleman's Gazette In the 1850s, British outerwear manufacturer John Partridge developed the first version of the duffle coat.
["Duffle coat"]
Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion
In the 1890s the
British Admiralty
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...
purchased the coat in quantity for the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
from multiple manufacturers, where it was referred to as the "convoy coat", The navy issued a camel-coloured variant during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, most probably also made from
Melton wool.
The design of the coat was modified slightly and widely issued during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It became known under the nickname "
Monty
Monty is a masculine given name, often a short form of Montgomery, Montague and other similar names. It is also a surname.
Notable people with the name or nickname include:
First name Nickname
* Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976), British Secon ...
coat".
[''The Monty'']
at cabourn.com
at telegraph.co.uk
The character played by
Trevor Howard
Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved star status with his role in the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by ''T ...
in the 1949 movie ''
The Third Man
''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...
'', British Major Calloway, wears a standard issue Army duffel coat in numerous scenes.
Large post-war stocks of low-cost military surplus coats turned the duffel into a ubiquitous item of British civilian clothing in the 1950s and 1960s, especially among students. The firm Gloverall purchased large quantities, and in 1954 started producing their own version using leather fastenings and
buffalo horn toggles with a double-faced check lining, and many other modern versions copy some or all of those features.
Today
![Duffell coat (2210293264)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Duffell_coat_%282210293264%29.jpg)
Today, the duffel coat is often made of
Melton cloth, as opposed to modern duffel cloth which is a softer wool fabric with a distinct nap, used for high-end coats and
parka
A parka or anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. This kind of garment is a staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some Inuit ...
s.
In Italy as well as in Greece and The Netherlands, the duffle coat is called a Montgomery, or montycoat, after
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, who often wore one during World War II.
[
]
In popular culture
In the Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
episode ''The Curse of Fenric
''The Curse of Fenric'' is the third serial of the 26th season of the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 25 October to 15 November 1989.
In it, the ancient evil ...
'', the Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy.
W ...
wore a tan
Tan or TAN may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...
duffle coat over his costume.
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
wears the coat in the musicvideo "The man who fell to earth".
In the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'', part of the titular character's signature look includes a duffle coat, which was from actor
’s wardrobe, alongside a hat that is often depicted as red.