Gloverall duffle coats

History of Gloverall

Originally, duffle coats were military apparel. In England these coats appeared in the end of the 19^th century. During the World War II field marshal Montgomery and other military officers wore duffle coats often. After the end of the war there was a large stock of these coats in England. H&F Morris, Harold and Freda company sold them and it turned out that duffle coats are utterly popular with the civilians. When there were none of the military duffle coats, the company produced its own model named Gloverall (an acronym from Gloves and Overall).

New duffle coats were similar to the original but toggles were made of horn and not of wood and the loops of leather, not of rope. The hood was smaller and the design was tighter and fitted. Duffle coats of the war time were very spacious and quite baggy. Fabric was also modified, it was bought in Italy. Duffle coats gained checked inner side which cannot be called lining because it is also made of wool with some addition of synthetics, as well as the front side.

In the 1960s duffle coats Gloverall were sold far beyond England. They were delivered to Japan, France, the Republic of South Africa, the USA, Canada, Sweden and other countries, even to New Zealand. Curiously, to the end of the 1990s Japan became the most important outlet for Gloverall (its share in total sales reached 40%). Another significant outlet was and remains France, where duffle coats are extremely popular with students and intellectuals. Moreover, Gloverall is beloved in the USA, Canada and Sweden.

Duffle coats Gloverall in films

One of the important factors of duffle coats’ popularity is their presence in famous films. There is a small list of movies, where there are duffle coats:

• The Third Man (1949)
• The Cruel Sea (1953)
• The Truth (1960)
• The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
• Dead Poets Society (1989)
• Submarine (2010)
• A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012)

It should be mentioned that film director Jean Cocteau liked duffle coats. He wore them even with formal suits, and this combination is controversial enough.

Actual models Gloverall and trends

Today range of Gloverall is wide. Product line includes traditional classical duffle coats as well as more original, extraordinary variants. For example, model Summer Monty is a light raincoat, which looks like a duffle coat. It is made of 100% cotton in Britain and has rope loops, hood and wooden toggles. Contrast elements give this model an interesting look. Summer Mid Monty looks more reserved because of lack of contrasts but it also differs from traditional duffle coats significantly, as it is made of 100% cotton and is short. Short duffle coats are one of the modern trends.

If you want to buy an authentic duffle coat, you should pay attention to model Original Monty (5750). It is a long, warm, loose coat with rope loops and toggles of natural wood. For those, who look for a shorter variant, Mid Length Monty Coat (3577) is recommended. Models 512, 3251 and 3512 are more modern but at the same time classical. They differ from two above mentioned models in loops which are made of leather and in toggles which are of natural horn. Model 3251 is shorter than duffle coats 512 and 3512 and it has pockets without laps. The difference between models 512 and 3512 is in design: the model 512 is more spacious. Today fitted models are more popular, of course. However, Gloverall still produces traditional variants too.

Classical duffle coats Gloverall consist of 80-85% wool with addition of 15-20% polyamide (synthetics). A curious detail: fabric for duffle coats Gloverall is double-layered, some models have checked inner side. It should be emphasised that the layers are not agglutinated with each other but seamed. Owing to this fact duffle coats are breathable and keep warmth at the same time. These coats are comfortable even at 15-20 degrees below zero.

Two most popular colours of duffle coats Gloverall are navy and sandy (or beige/camel). However, the company produces duffle coats in other colours too including fashionable for outwear today burgundy, loden, brown, black and grey. All the duffle coats Gloverall are made in England.

Collaborations of Gloverall with other brands

Gloverall has models developed in collaboration with the Pretty Green and Bastong brands. As part of the collaboration with Pretty Green, two original models of duffle coats appeared. The first one stands out with handmade fragments of the British flag — both on the front and on the back of the coat. The second one is made of woolen fabric, which is either sole-coloured burgundy or black on the one side, and on the other side ornamented, decorated with paisley pattern in burgundy tones.

As a result of cooperation with the South Korean brand Bastong, a narrowed duffle coat has appeared, which is similar to a classical model. The location of the pockets was slightly changed (in order to achieve the effect of an “elongated silhouette”), and toggles were increased significantly. As a main fabric casentino was used, an Italian woollen fabric with noticeable pills. It gives duffle coat an extraordinary look, which is not to everyone’s taste.

Duffle coats from other manufacturers on our website:

•  Pea coats and duffle coats Original Montgomery 

•  English coat models from brand London Tradition