Wear a duffle coat the way its design suggests: keep whatever sits beneath it clean, simple and well-fitting, and let the coat provide the structure. The toggle fastening, the generous silhouette and the heavyweight boiled and Melton wools all point toward smart-casual dressing rather than formal wear, the duffle has been worn that way since the 1950s, and it repays the approach. Gloverall has been making coats in England since 1951, and every coat in the Heritage Collection is still made in England at our factory outside London. The twelve outfits below cover the Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat and the Men's Mid-Length Monty Duffle Coat across classic, contemporary and spring directions, with a separate section on the more refined Men's Morris Duffle Coat.
Can men wear duffle coats?
Yes, the duffle coat is a men's coat by origin. It was worn by the Royal Navy, takes its most famous name from Field Marshal Montgomery, and moved from military surplus onto campuses and city streets in the 1950s, where it has stayed ever since. Today it spans more registers of men's dressing than almost any other coat, weekend casual, Ivy League, modern military, gorpcore, smart-casual, and the only real question is what to wear with it, which is what this guide answers.
Classic combinations
Outfit 1: Smart-casual
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Camel, navy ribbed roll-neck, mid-grey tailored trousers, Clarks Wallabees
Camel carries a formality that Navy or Pine Green don't quite replicate, it elevates the coat's register naturally without fighting its toggle-fastened character. A ribbed roll-neck fills the collar space cleanly; tailored trousers rather than jeans lift the combination toward smart-casual without asking the coat to do too much. Clarks Wallabees in suede or natural leather: the crepe sole sits well against the coat's dense wool weight and working heritage.
Outfit 2: Weekend casual
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Navy or Pine Green, heavyweight grey marl crew-neck, dark straight-leg jeans, Blundstone boots
The most reliably British casual palette. Navy and grey marl is the combination the Original Monty has been worn with since it arrived on campuses and market stalls in the 1950s. Dark jeans rather than mid-wash keep the lower half from reading too light against the coat. Blundstone boots in tan or black anchor the combination solidly without formality. Add a muted plaid scarf for warmth and detail without disrupting the palette.
Outfit 3: Layered for deep winter
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Pine Green, Men's Submariner Jumper in Ecru, tattersall or flannel shirt, dark corduroy or heavyweight chinos, penny loafers or leather Red Wing boots
Pine Green responds well to warm, natural tones, ecru knitwear, corduroy, tan leather. The Men's Submariner Jumper, chunky ribbed wool, made in Britain, sits neatly under the Original Monty's wide lapels without bunching; its ribbed structure adds real warmth without bulk. A tattersall or flannel shirt beneath it adds texture and a visible collar at the neck. Penny loafers in tan or dark brown for the smarter version; leather Red Wing boots if conditions are wet.
Contemporary directions
Outfit 4: Wide-leg denim
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Camel or Charcoal, ribbed roll-neck in oatmeal or cream, wide-leg or relaxed jeans in mid or dark wash, Clarks Wallabees or chunky white trainers
The Original Monty's knee-length hem works with wide-leg denim in a way shorter outerwear doesn't, the wide leg reads properly rather than being cut off at mid-thigh. Camel with mid-wash denim and a cream roll-neck is the warmest-toned and most current version of this combination. Clarks Wallabees for a more heritage-grounded direction; chunky white trainers for a more contemporary, relaxed one.
Outfit 5: Ivy League city boy
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Camel or Navy, Men's Oxford Brushed Lambswool Jumper in Burnt Orange, oxford shirt in white or pale blue, tailored chinos or slim trousers in navy or dark grey, penny loafers or clean leather derbies
The duffle coat was on American East Coast campuses in the 1950s before it became a British heritage fashion piece, the Ivy League direction is built into the coat's history. The Men's Oxford Brushed Lambswool Jumper, brushed lambswool with a soft, textured finish, made in Britain, is the right mid-layer, and it sits under a duffle coat better than almost any other knitwear. Oxford shirt collar visible above the jumper's crew neck, tailored chinos, penny loafers: considered, heritage-rooted, and worn rather than assembled.
Outfit 6: Modern preppy
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Navy or Camel, grey marl hooded sweatshirt, slim or straight chinos in stone, navy, or khaki, clean white leather trainers
Modern preppy strips the formality from the Ivy League direction and replaces it with ease. A grey marl hoody as the mid-layer, worn hood-down under the duffle coat's own hood, keeps the combination relaxed without being sloppy. The duffle coat provides the structure; the hoody and chinos are the casualising element. A Navy Original Monty over a grey hoody and stone chinos is the cleanest version of this.
Outfit 7: Modern military
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Camel or Natural, camo or olive field jacket as mid-layer, heavyweight cotton or wool base layer in ecru, grey, or olive, straight or cargo trousers in olive or dark khaki, Danner boots or clean military-inspired derbies
The duffle coat and the field jacket share the same military DNA, both descended from functional military outerwear, both built for layering in cold conditions. Wearing them together is not a clash; it's a conversation between two pieces that reference the same tradition. A camo or olive field jacket worn under a Camel or Natural Original Monty, lapels and collar visible at the chest and neck, builds a layered silhouette with genuine depth. Keep the rest of the outfit tonal: olive or khaki trousers, a Danner boot. The toggles stay fastened.
Outfit 8: Gorpcore
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Camel or Natural, technical fleece or mid-layer in olive, grey, or ecru, relaxed nylon or ripstop trousers, Salomon hiking trainers
The Original Monty's military origins, descended from the duffle coats worn by the Royal Navy, named after Field Marshal Montgomery, give it a functional outdoor credibility that more tailored outerwear doesn't carry. Camel or Natural against a technical fleece and nylon trousers creates a tension between wool heritage and outdoor utility that currently works well. Salomon hiking trainers are the right footwear: trail-specific and functional, they sit against the coat's working origins rather than fighting them. Hood up, toggles fastened.
Outfit 9: The shaggy-knit centrepiece
Men's Mid-Length Monty Duffle Coat in Navy or Camel, Men's Oxford Brushed Lambswool Jumper in Burnt Orange or Purple, straight-leg jeans in dark or mid-wash, suede desert boots or leather chukkas
This combination builds the outfit around the knitwear rather than the coat. The Oxford Brushed Lambswool Jumper's shaggy, brushed texture against the Mid-Length Monty's smooth woollen exterior creates the contrast that makes the whole outfit work, with the visual interest in the knit itself. The Mid-Length Monty's shorter, more urban cut lets the knitwear read clearly; wear the coat fully open. Dark jeans and suede chukkas keep the bottom half grounded.
Styling the Morris
The Men's Morris Duffle Coat is the refined take on the duffle, buffalo horn toggles, leather loop fastenings and a tartan check lining, including Black Royal Stewart. It takes its name from Gloverall's founding Morris family, and, like every coat in the Heritage Collection, it is made in England at our factory outside London.
Refined: wide-leg trousers, a button-down shirt and a fine wool jumper, finished with Paraboot Michael derbies. The horn-and-leather hardware carries a formality the Original Monty's jute-and-wood deliberately avoids, so the combination holds anywhere between a working day and a long city lunch. On dry days, wear the hood down so the tartan lining shows.
Dressed down: dark straight-leg jeans and a casual crew-neck knit. The refined details still register against denim, which is the point, and the coat does the elevating on its own. The Men's Morris Mid-Length Duffle Coat is the shorter cut of the same idea, better if most of your wear is urban.
Choosing between the cuts
The Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat is the definitive version, knee-length, generously cut, made in England, and available in a wide range of colours including Camel, Navy, Pine Green and Charcoal. The Men's Mid-Length Monty Duffle Coat is the shorter, more urban cut, the coat seen in Doctor Who in 2025, and the better choice if most of your wear is city wear. The Morris and Morris Mid-Length sit at the refined end of the range. All four sit within the Heritage Collection, alongside the full range of men's duffle coats.
Colour pairings at a glance
| Colourway | Works with | Best direction |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | Grey, cream, dark denim, plaid, white | Weekend; Ivy League; modern preppy |
| Camel | Navy, oatmeal, tan, mid-wash denim, cream | Smart-casual; wide-leg denim; modern military |
| Pine Green | Oatmeal, mustard, tan, corduroy, flannel | Deep winter layers; weekend; casual |
| Natural | Pale grey, off-white, olive, technical fabrics | Gorpcore; spring; transitional |
| Charcoal | Oatmeal, ecru, mid-wash denim, white | Wide-leg denim; contemporary |
In spring
The duffle coat's season doesn't end in February. Wool breathes and regulates temperature in a way synthetic insulation doesn't, and the toggle fastening makes venting straightforward, open the top two toggles and the coat reads as a choice rather than a necessity. With lighter underlayers and a paler colourway, the Original Monty stays in rotation from March to May.
Outfit 10: Light layers for March
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Natural or Camel, fine merino crew-neck in off-white or pale grey, slim chinos in stone or sand, penny loafers
The most direct swap from winter to spring: replace the heavyweight roll-neck with a fine merino, move the trousers from cord or wool to chinos, and let the lighter colourway do the seasonal work. Natural or Camel sits in the same warm neutral palette as sand and stone chinos. Top toggle open; penny loafers in tan or dark brown keep the footwear clean and considered where a chunky winter boot wouldn't.
Outfit 11: The transitional layering combination
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Navy or Camel, fine merino cardigan in cream or pale grey (removable mid-layer), cotton shirt or lightweight roll-neck, slim chinos in stone or sage, Blundstone boots
British spring is cold at 8am, warm by 2pm, and unpredictable by 6pm. A fine merino cardigan under the Original Monty is the practical answer: warm enough for a cold morning, easy to remove and tie at the waist when the afternoon arrives. The coat stays on; the cardigan is the adjustment. Stone or sage chinos keep the seasonal register right; Blundstone boots handle a variable spring day and stay in keeping with the coat's working heritage.
Outfit 12: Late spring into early summer
Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat in Natural, linen or cotton shirt in white, pale blue, or fine stripe, wide-leg or relaxed chinos in stone, cream, or natural linen, Clarks Wallabees or Birkenstocks
By late May the Original Monty becomes a morning and evening coat rather than an all-day one. Natural is the right colourway at this end of the season: light enough not to read as winter outerwear, neutral enough to sit over pale linen and cotton. Clarks Wallabees in suede for a more structured late-afternoon version; Birkenstocks if the day has moved entirely into leisure territory. The coat earns its year-round wardrobe place precisely because this combination is possible.
Is a men's duffle coat warm enough for winter?
Yes. The Original Monty is cut from dense, heavyweight wool, naturally water-resistant and warm even when damp, which matters in a British winter. For deep midwinter, layer the Men's Submariner Jumper, chunky ribbed wool, made in Britain, beneath it and add a wool scarf to cover the neck gap. The wide pancake hood provides coverage that no peacoat or overcoat matches.
Frequently asked questions
What should men wear with a duffle coat?
Keep underlayers simpler than you think you need to, a roll-neck or crew-neck knit, well-fitting trousers or jeans, and a considered boot or trainer. The coat provides the character; the outfit beneath confirms it. For contemporary directions: wide-leg denim and Clarks Wallabees under a Camel Original Monty; a grey hoody and stone chinos for modern preppy; a field jacket as a mid-layer for military-inspired depth; a technical fleece and Salomon trainers for gorpcore.
Can you wear a men's duffle coat smartly?
Yes, to smart-casual level. A Camel Original Monty over a navy roll-neck, mid-grey tailored trousers, and Clarks Wallabees is a considered smart-casual look appropriate for most social occasions. The Morris, with its horn toggles and leather loops, pushes slightly further up the register. The toggle fastening and hood resist full formal dressing, a duffle coat over a suit creates a register mismatch, but smart-casual is well within the coat's range.
What is the most versatile men's duffle coat colourway?
Navy for outright versatility, it pairs with almost everything in a British wardrobe. Camel has more styling traction right now, particularly with wide-leg denim and warm-toned knits, and works across casual through to smart-casual. Pine Green is the strongest choice for layered winter combinations. Natural is the right colourway for spring and gorpcore-adjacent directions.
What knitwear works best under a men's duffle coat?
A ribbed roll-neck fills the collar space cleanly and is the classic pairing. For deep winter layering, the Men's Submariner Jumper, chunky ribbed wool, made in Britain, sits neatly under the Original Monty's wide lapels without bunching. The Men's Oxford Brushed Lambswool Jumper suits the Ivy League and city boy directions particularly well. Crew-necks work for the more casual and gorpcore combinations where the knit needs to sit cleanly under a technical mid-layer.
Can you wear a field jacket under a duffle coat?
Yes, and it works well. The duffle coat and the field jacket share military origins, so they sit together naturally. A camo or olive field jacket under a Camel or Natural Original Monty, lapels and collar visible at the chest, creates a layered military-inspired look with real depth. Keep the rest of the outfit tonal: olive or khaki trousers and a lug-sole boot.
What should men wear under a duffle coat in spring?
Swap the heavyweight winter roll-neck for a fine merino crew-neck, cotton roll-neck, or linen shirt. For variable spring days, a fine merino cardigan as a removable mid-layer is the most practical approach, warm in the morning, off by the afternoon. Pair with slim chinos or light-wash jeans rather than heavy winter trousers.
How do you layer a men's duffle coat for winter?
Wear the Original Monty over the Men's Submariner Jumper, chunky ribbed wool, made in Britain, over a tattersall or flannel shirt. The Original Monty's roomy cut accommodates the extra layers without compromising the coat's silhouette. Add a wool scarf and beanie to cover any gaps around the neck and ears in very cold conditions.
