Luxury British-Made Men's Duffle Coats — Voted by the Community

The duffle coat as we recognise it has strong historical ties to British military outerwear. The name comes from a heavy woollen fabric originally associated with the town of Duffel in Belgium, where thick wool cloth was produced; British manufacturers later adopted similar cloth for durable coats. By the late nineteenth century, British manufacturers such as John Partridge were producing coats with oversized hoods and distinctive toggle fastenings — features that were adopted in quantity by the British Royal Navy because they could be operated while wearing gloves and provided space for layering over heavy knitwear at sea. During the First and Second World Wars, duffle coats were widely issued to British naval personnel and ground troops, and Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery famously popularised the style in the 1940s, leading to its informal nickname “Monty coat.” After the Second World War, surplus military duffle coats entered civilian wardrobes in Britain, and brands such as Gloverall began manufacturing civilian-ready versions that kept the core features while refining details such as wool weight and toggle materials. Over time the duffle coat moved beyond purely functional wear into broader menswear, appreciated for its practicality, warmth, and classic silhouette — attributes still reflected in British-made versions today.