The duffle coat is back – and better than ever

Named for the Belgian town where duffel fabric was produced (duffle bags get their name from the same locale), the coat took off across Europe, with its popularity growing especially with students post–World War 2 due to surplus stock. The signatures of the coat, besides a durable wool fabric, include patch pockets, toggle buttons, and often weather-resistant touches like a bucket hood for rain or a fastenable neck strap to keep wind at bay. Due to its functional beginnings, this is an autumn/winter coat designed to keep you warm through any sort of inclement weather. Style-wise, it has had a series of resurgences over the years, most recently among the British contingency of the indie-sleeze era, some of whom are helping to repopularise it once again. (Alexa Chung posted an Instagram photo wearing one back in October.)

On the catwalk, other designers have also found ways to put their own spins on the style, with luxury labels like Khaite and Lemaire and contemporary houses like Toteme all mixing and matching the classic details to fit within their own vernaculars. Read on to shop the best duffle coats for women.

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