History
The duffle coat owes its popularity to the British Royal Navy, who issued a camel-coloured variant of it as an item of warm clothing during World War I. The design of the coat was modified slightly and widely issued during World War II. In the Navy, it was referred to as a "convoy coat". Field Marshal Montgomery was a famous wearer of the coat, as a means of identifying himself with his troops, leading to another nickname, "Monty coat". Large stocks of post-war military surplus coats available at reasonable prices to the general public meant that these coats became a ubiquitous and popular item of clothing in the 1950s and 1960s. The British firm Gloverall purchased surplus military supply of coats after World War II and have continued to still make the Monty ever since and in 1954 started producing their own version of the Duffle coat. Gloverall made in the 50's what is known as today's Duffle by using leather fastenings and Buffalo horn toggles with a double faced checkback fabric. Every Duffle coat you see today in that configuration is a copy of that original made by Gloverall.
They were seen in the popular press as a form of uniform for stereotyped supporters of the left wing, as characterised by Labour leader Michael Foot. Other famous duffle coat wearers include members of Scottish band Belle and Sebastian, Tim Sadler, actor Dudley Moore, television character Jonathan Creek, children's book and television character Paddington Bear and Ed Helms as Andy Bernard in the popular American comedy The Office.
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