A Brief History of the Duffle Coat

The Duffle coat is another one of Britain's iconic items of fashion that found it's way from being an item of functional wear.

It is now one of the best raise to fame success stories in respect to fashion that Britain offers, more often than not, an essential item in every wardrobe, perhaps because it is the only garment in a gentleman's wardrobe to have a hood. Initially starting off as predominately a man's item of fashion, it rose to popularity during it's years and now is widely worn by women.

The iconic "Monty" Duffle coat

The genesis of the duffle coat lies with 19th century British fashion designer John Partridge, the common myth is that the coat comes form the Belgium town "Duffel" but this however is a misconception, the iconic toggle fasteners on the garment had been used in Britain for over 200 years. the garment was initially used by sailors as a piece of functional wear, thus it found popularity within the British Navy during WW1 and WW2.

The iconic "Monty" Duffle coat worn by the Navy

However while worn by the armed forces, two gents in particular really did act as trendsetting trailblazers and set the scene for the duffle coat - namely Field Marshall Montgomery and Sir David Stirling as shown in the picture below:

Though of course not yet in it's fashionable state, these large, functional, work-wear duffle coats were popular amongst various circles within the armed forces.

The trend kicked off during the 1950's and 60's moreso and the garment became more fitted and adapted to fashion trends and thus found it's way in popular culture and TV through the likes of Paddington Bear first seen in 1958, becoming a large hit amongst children:

Most nowadays probably would not know who the Field Marshall who fist donned this jacket is but know what Monty jacket it - a true testament to the power of the success of this garment.

An intro to our top selling men's W229 Pilot Jacket

As the name suggests the pilot jacket served initially as functional wear for those air borne adventurers and military personnel, during World War 1 the cockpits in the fighter jets were open and thus the pilots had to fight against the harsh colds of the altitudes they fiercely fought on as well as their enemies. Hence the jackets had to provide the pilot with enough warmth, insulation and protection as possible.

Over the years as with many items of clothing from the military the garment saw its transition into mainstream fashion worn by civilians. Changes to the function adjusted the form accordingly (as these were no longer required to stand high altitudes) such as the original fabric often being made from sheepskin exchanged for more fashionable material.

1.   Being a military item of clothing, the early pilot jackets had to be cost effective, long lasting, warm and able to be produced relatively quickly.

2.   The high collars served as shield against winter winds and flurries, the pilots would have caught illnesses if their body temperature went beyond normal – the neck being a major chink in the body’s natural armour.

The jacket owes its popularity to the image painted by the war pilots of WW1 and WW2, the lifestyle of freedom and rebel spirit emulated by a pilot taking to the air seemed to have appealed well to the youths of each generation thus carrying it into the 21^st century and acting in a way as a small homage to the soldiers of the great war. 

This highly luxurious jacket 100% Waxed Cotton (Antique 8oz) and has a cosy wool collar to ensure maximum comfort when wearing this popular item of Oxford Blue. 

It features two button press breast pockets, two slide in pockets and adjusters on the hip and cuff to suit individual preferences. 

http://oxfordblueonline.co.uk/products/176/w229-mens-pilot-jacket

Re blogged from: http://www.mensfashionmagazine.com/ss14-trend-bomber-jackets