The first time the duffle appeared in full big screen glory was in the 1953 film The Cruel Sea. Jack Hawkins’ character wears a traditional naval duffle coat throughout the film, and not only was it the first big screen moment for the duffle but it was also the moment when duffle coats started to appeal to the masses. Their popularity soared and manufacturing soon took off, bringing the durable duffle to a whole new audience.

In Don’t Look Now a scarlet red duffle coat makes an appearance, being a key moment in the Daphne Du Maurier adaptation and one that stands out in the memories of fans. More recently we’ve had Submarine, with the film revolving around a 15-year-old duffle coat-wearing Welsh boy, the success of which sent fans into a duffle coat buying frenzy to recreate the look. Paddington will of course be coming to screens near you soon (we hope) but there’s one film coming up just next month that has a duffle coat at its heart.

A Fantastic Fear of Everything, the latest Simon Pegg creation, sees lead character Jack wearing the traditional camel coloured duffle. Gloverall actually supplied two coats for the film, one for Jack’s character as a child and one as an adult, putting the classic Monty on the silver screen once again. It’s the star of the show and with it due to hit screens on June 8^th there’s not long to wait (the premise sounds good too), so the next time you pull on your duffle for a brisk walk make sure to take a moment to reflect on the movie history of the iconic coat—it’s come a long way.

He first appeared in the 1958 book A Bear Called Paddington and since then some 11 titles and several much-loved TV shows have followed suit, all bringing with them the same charm that we know and love. Michael Bond’s books have sold more than 35 million copies the world over so it’s about time the lovable bear took to a step up to the big screen, and with David Heyman, the producer of all 8 Harry Potter films, being behind the upcoming film we can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like—it’s set to incorporate a combination of live action footage and computer-generated images to bring Paddington to life, bringing a modern take to the traditional stories.

There’s no word yet on when it’s going to be released but there are some tentative suggestions of who could be cast as the voice of the leading man, with Sir Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry all being in the frame. David Heyman has spoken of his affection for the bear, saying “Paddington Bear is a universally loved character, treasured for his optimism, his sense of fair play, and his perfect manners—and of course for his unintentional talent for comic chaos.” We couldn’t agree more. We grew up with those stories and now we’ll get the chance to see Paddington in a whole new way, and of course, we can’t wait to see what his duffle coat looks like…

Umbrellas were first invented over four thousand years ago – but as parasol to protect you from the sun, rather than the rain. There’s evidence of them in Egypt, Assyria, Greece and China – and it was the Chinese who first tried to waterproof their brollies. They used a process of waxing and lacquering to repel water from the fabric, letting them stay dry even when it was raining cats and dogs.

They weren’t known as ‘umbrellas’, however. This was a western word originating in the 16^th century. Unsurprisingly, umbrellas first took off in the rainy northern parts of Europe. After all, if you’re sunbathing in the Med then rain protection is likely the last thing on your mind. They were originally only seen as suitable for ladies – sorry guys, you’d have still been getting soaked. It was only due to the efforts of Persian travel writer Jonas Hanway that umbrella use amongst men became popular in the 18^th century. English gentlemen even referred to their brollies as ‘Hanways’.

The first all umbrella shop opened in London in 1830 on New Oxford Street – it’s still there and going strong. Early umbrellas were made of wood or whalebone and covered with oiled canvas. Many were works of art, using top grade hard wood with intricate carvings. Steel ribbed designs and collapsible brollies came along in the next century or two – leading to now, where on a drizzly day there will be a rainbow of umbrellas on the streets. So, next time you unfurl your umbrella, just remember it wasn’t always that easy to stay dry on a stormy day!

Burberry have used the picture of Bogart wearing one of their rather fashionable trench coats, which is similar to what Bogart was wearing in the last scene of Casablanca. This has been spread across social media sites and has been added cleverly into the Timeline section of Burberry’s pages on Facebook, to show that it has influenced fashion, culture and people over decades. Bogart’s estate is claiming that it never gave the fashion house permission to use that particular image in their campaign. Burberry have retorted that it is purely for editorial use and not to help sales.

“Just as Burberry needed to obtain Emma Watson’s consent before using her name and image to promote Burberry’s brand and products, it needed to obtain permission from the Bogart Estate to use Humphrey Bogart’s name and image in its social media marketing campaign,” said publicity rights attorney Michael O. Crain, who represents Bogart LLC. “Burberry’s business hinges on respect for its own intellectual property rights, so it is quite surprising to see that it apparently has so little respect for the clear rights of others.”
Burberry will stand by its guns in the fact that this particular image was licensed and was not used for commercial gain, where as the Bogart estate want justice. Burberry has used hundreds of famous faces in its campaigns and also use people such as Robert Mitchum on their Facebook Timeline.

All of this because of a trench coat!

Duffle Coats.

Celebrities of all kinds have long been associated with the good old duffle coat, giving it a stylish and fashionable edge along with its hugely practical nature. Just think about who’s been spotted wearing it over the years—everyone from film heavyweights like Clint Eastwood, Dudley Moore and Robert De Niro to home-grown detective extraordinaire Jonathan Creek, and let’s not forget that most famous of duffle wearers, Paddington Bear. It isn’t just the men either—just last month Alexa Chung was spotted in yet another high-end duffle, and other famous fans include Cheryl Cole, Agyness Deyn and Michelle Williams, all of whom have been able to put a luxe stamp on the humble duffle coat.

It isn’t hard to see why duffle coats have such celeb status. Not only are they infinitely practical and ideal for the downpours we’ve been experiencing of late, but they can work with any outfit imaginable to offer something for all occasions. They can be dressed up or dressed down to suit your mood, and with plenty of different colours to choose from there’s something for everyone. The duffle has stood the test of time and should be a staple of your wardrobe, so follow celeb style and bring out your trusty duffle with pride.

Once upon a time, hoods either formed part of a cloak or cape or were separate forms of headgear in their own right. They were a common sight in medieval Europe where hoods with short capes were regularly worn, and men often wore soft hoods under their hats. Women had a number of options in those days—they could wear a type of soft, close-fitting headgear such as a snood or stiffened, structured hoods, and they could even opt for elaborate coverings (like a calash) made of material over a frame to protect towering wigs or oversized hairstyles. Since then hoods have evolved into the type we know and love today, normally forming part of the garment to be pulled up when needed and left to hang down when no longer required, and you can even get detachable versions or those that can be folded into a pocket at the neck when not in use.

The hood can be your springtime saviour, ensuring you’ll be ready for even the heaviest of downpours, because we all know how quickly they can appear. It can be sunny one minute and chucking it down the next with those pelting raindrops coming out of nowhere, so make sure you’ve got your hood at the ready (the oversized hood of a duffle coat can be perfect for this kind of weather) and you can be prepared for anything the great British weather can throw at you.

But, that doesn’t mean that all men will like the same kind of watch. A watch can be a real measure of a man, telling you whether he’s sporty, serious or likes the finer things in life, but no matter what the style there’s one thing that will always matter—quality. Quality shows, particularly when it comes to watches, and if you want to set yourself apart it’s important that you choose wisely. You need to spend the time to find a style, brand and price tag that fits the bill, and if you’re looking for the best why not take a look around?

Here at Duffle Coats UK we take quality seriously, and that’s why we stock only the finest Montgomery watches around. We know that the right watch can be the perfect finishing touch to any outfit, stylishly peeping out of your duffle sleeve to show what you’re all about, but we don’t expect you to spend a fortune to get watches of such calibre. Everything in stock is offered at way below the RRP and with our fantastic spring sale you could save even more, so see what we’ve got to offer and you’ll have a watch that can truly become your best friend.

The 33-year study, recently published in the Journal of Zoology, concentrated on male Thornicroft’s giraffes in Africa. It confirmed that the dark brown blotches on giraffes’ coats grew darker with age, with researchers actually being able to pinpoint the time when those changes occurred—it was found that the initial colour change started to take place between the ages of seven and eight, with their dark brown blotches going coal-black within the space of two years, and it’s thought that this darkening is the result of puberty. It’s long been known that giraffes develop darker coats as they grow older but up until now the exact timing of the changes were unknown, with these new findings meaning that researchers will be able to more accurately state the age of the giraffes they’re studying.

It isn’t just in the animal kingdom where coats can help pinpoint age either. We humans tend to pick different coats at different stages in life, and in many cases the coat can be a pretty good indication of how old the person is. Of course, there’s one type of coat that will stand the test of time no matter how old or young you may be, and that’s the duffle. It can be the perfect addition to any wardrobe and with our great range of spring styles for women it isn’t just for winter either, so take a look around and you’ll be able to fool onlookers by having a stylish, functional duffle coat at any age.

The colour spectrum is broken down into two halves—warm colours (reds, yellows and oranges) and cool colours (blues, greens and purples). Warm colours can evoke a range of feelings from warmth and comfort to anger and hostility, whilst cool colours are associated with feelings of calmness, creativity and even sadness. It often comes down to the specific shade and the context in which it’s used, but the psychological effect of colours can be useful in a whole range of situations—choosing the right colours in your interior design scheme can be a great way to enhance your home, for example (light purple is incredibly peaceful and could be ideal in a home office, whilst yellows and oranges are associated with appetite and could be perfect for the kitchen) and colours are also regularly utilised in marketing campaigns to evoke the desired feelings in the target audience.

Whilst a lot of psychologists question colour psychology, it can’t be denied that certain colours can have a profound impact on your mood. This can particularly be the case when you’re wearing them—slap on a bright coat, dress or top and you’ll instantly feel brighter and more confident, and at this time of year it’s the perfect opportunity to update your wardrobe with some fresh spring colours. Our lightweight duffle coats could therefore be a great investment, with them coming in a range of bright colours that are perfect for the season, so find the right colour for you and you could soon experience the difference.

We don’t think duffle coats could be confined to the winter—the style is far too iconic to be shrouded in damp, cold, miserable weather, and that’s why we’ve given it a revamp to ensure it can be experienced throughout spring as well. With everyone making the transition to lighter materials and brighter colours we’ve developed our own unique range of lightweight duffles, with each one of them offering the same central design with a springtime twist. It’s the ideal combination and can be the perfect addition to your spring wardrobe, letting you enjoy the benefits of the duffle without having to melt in the warmth.

Our range has been specifically designed to be worn at this time of year, and the colours we’ve got are perfect for the spring brights trend. With everything from bright red and orange to apple green and off-white there’ll be something for everyone, giving you an option that can go with any outfit necessary. You’ll have the perfect transition coat as you make your way towards summer yet the hood ensures you’ll be prepared for the (seemingly endless) April showers, helping you to stay warm, dry and stylish throughout the season. So what are you waiting for? Check out our range and we’re confident you’ll fall in love with our springtime duffles, giving you practicality and style in one handy package.