Dufflewool is Gloverall's natural insulation: a fill made from 100 percent wool, developed as an alternative to goose down and synthetic padding. It is the material behind a new chapter of Gloverall outerwear, engineered for warmth and longevity while staying true to the wool-first heritage the brand was built on. This guide covers what Dufflewool is, why wool makes sense as an insulation fill, and the two garments currently built around it.
What is Dufflewool?
Most insulated jackets keep you warm with one of two fills: goose or duck down, or a synthetic fibre engineered to imitate it. Dufflewool takes a third route. The fill is pure wool, the same fibre Gloverall has worked with since 1951, used here as insulation rather than as cloth.
Wool earns its place in that role on merit. It traps warmth in the natural crimp of the fibre, keeps insulating even when damp, where down collapses, and breathes rather than trapping moisture against the body. It is also renewable and biodegradable: a fill that comes from a fleece rather than a refinery. For anyone who wants an insulated jacket without down and without synthetic fill, that is the whole argument in one material.
The liner jacket silhouette
The first Dufflewool garments take their shape from the military liner: the quilted layer originally issued to zip inside an M-65 field jacket, which long ago became a jacket in its own right. The military-style onion quilting is functional, holding the wool fill evenly in place, and gives the jackets their utilitarian character. Worn under a coat in deep winter or on its own in milder weather, the liner is the most flexible layer in the wardrobe.
The Silas
The Men's Silas Dufflewool Liner Jacket is the men's expression: a regular fit with two in-seam pockets, a two-way front zip for ease when sitting or layering, and the onion quilt stitching that defines the silhouette. It sits comfortably under a duffle coat or overcoat on the coldest days and works as a standalone jacket for the rest of the season.
The Marilla
The Women's Marilla Dufflewool Liner Jacket brings the same construction to the women's range: the same wool insulation, in-seam pockets and two-way zip, cut for women. It layers cleanly under the longer women's coats and holds its own over knitwear when the weather does not justify a full coat.
Caring for Dufflewool
Treat a Dufflewool jacket as you would fine outerwear: dry clean only, no machine washing, no tumble drying, and a cool iron if the shell needs it. Between wears, hang it on a shaped hanger and give it air; wool's natural resilience does the rest. For the wider principles, the wool coat care guide applies here too.
Frequently asked questions
Is wool insulation as warm as down?
Weight for weight, down lofts higher in dry, still conditions. Wool's advantage is the British reality: it keeps insulating when damp, breathes as your activity changes, and resists compressing flat over time. For everyday winter wear, layered rather than expedition-rated, wool insulation is a genuinely warm, more resilient choice.
Is Dufflewool sustainable?
The fill is 100 percent wool: renewable, biodegradable, and free of both animal down and petroleum-derived fibres. It was developed with longevity in mind, and a jacket that stays in service for years is the most sustainable garment there is.
Can I wear a liner jacket on its own?
Yes. The liner silhouette left the field jacket behind decades ago; both the Silas and the Marilla are finished as jackets in their own right, and for much of the year they are worn exactly that way.
