16 Best Duffle Coats That Put a Fresh Twist on a Classic Silhouette

When I first caught images of Altuzarra’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection, I was taken by the sense of playfulness with which Joseph Altuzarra approached timeless pieces—most notably a look that included a classic duffle coat in a surprisingly bold yellow hue, styled with a dramatic ruffle-collared knit and a pillbox hat. Clearly, timeless doesn’t have to mean boring. With a history that dates back to 19th-century British sailors, the duffle coat has spent enough time in the fashion vernacular to earn its stripes as a sartorial signature, but as of late, designers are finding ways to take the codes of something old and make them feel fresh again.

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 a fall 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 repopularize it once again. (Alexa Chung posted an Instagram photo wearing one back in October.)

On the runway, 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.

On the Fall/Winter 2024 runway, Joseph Altuzarra debuted this sunny yellow duffle coat—a bold and mood-boosting outerwear option for the season. Herringbone wool fabric, patch pockets, and classic toggle buttons balance the bright color with classic touches.