The WWII BRITISH FEARNOUGHT DUFFLE COAT, ARP is a “UNIFORMS OF QUALITY” Garment created as part of a two-piece collaboration with SAUNDERS ARCHIVE of Nova Scotia.

“The duffle coat is just a timeless, iconic menswear staple and this exact WW2 iteration of it is one of my personal favourites. These are not the sorts of things that ever ‘go out of style’ as they literally make up the fundamentals and foundation of Menswear’s history.” - Alexander Saunders

The rare WWII COATS, DUFFLE, which is noticeably shorter and allows for more movement than the more commonly seen fawn colored Royal Navy 'Duffle Coat,' was procured by the War Department between 1941 and 1943 for the British Army and later issued to Air Raid Patrol Wardens and the wider Civilian Defence.

Variations of what came to be known as the duffle style coat had been developed for the Royal Navy since before the war and similar designs can be traced to the 18th century. The shawl collar on this style was popularized in the Victorian era and would likely have been chosen for this hood-less design due to its insulating and protective properties compared to a standard collar.

The wooden toggles were much easier to undo when wearing heavy gloves in cold conditions and they met the restrictions of the Utility Clothing Scheme introduced in 1941 that prevented the use of metal hardware unless it was essential. The versatility of the jacket, which was very mobile while providing incredible insulation and protection, even had it supplied to allied forces, such as the Polish II Corps, largely recruited from Soviet prison camps, who did some of the toughest fighting for the allied cause during the Italian campaign.

Under the Air Raid Precautions program (ARP) and then the Civil Defence, civilian volunteers were issued the shawl-collared white coats as part of their recently established official uniform, for their roles as air raid wardens, firewatchers, rescue squads, first aid parties, and ambulance drivers. These volunteers were critical to life in wartime Britain, responding to the destruction of the Blitz. Their effectiveness and organization meant they were sometimes even deployed overseas.

When fighting ended in 1945, the War Department began to offload unused items; the white COATS, DUFFLE turned up on RAF bases and were widely used by Mountain Rescue Teams. A clothing wholesaler bought up deadstock duffle coats and began selling them to civilians. The business was so successful that they founded a new company solely to reproduce these military items for the civilian market. The duffle coat became an iconic British garment of the next 20 years and was seen throughout pop culture, embraced by the Mod subculture. This style was manufactured as a fashion piece and can be seen in photos of Jean Cocteau with Coco Chanel in the 1950s, a patron of the visual and literary French avant-garde.

This is probably the most direct introduction of a military garment into fashion in history, where deadstock items designed for war were sold not just as military surplus, but as a fashion piece within just a few years of the war ending.

Fearnought Wool

The COATS, DUFFLE is made from Fearnought wool, which was developed for sailors in the booming mills of northern England in the early 18th century. It was made through a process of soaking, heating, and agitating to mat the fibers tightly together, creating a thick, durable, and weather-resistant fabric.

The naming of the fabric comes from the expression 'fear nowt,' as in to fear nothing, and is similar to the 'dreadnought' expression which is often used by the Royal Navy for naming battleships. In the mid-1700s Royal Navy sailors in Captain Cook's expeditions as the first known Europeans to visit the Hawaiian Islands were issued fearnought jackets and trousers as foul-weather gear. It was used extensively by the Royal Navy for protective and fire-resistant garments until the 1970s.

The making of this wool was such a specialist craft that it was listed as a formal occupation in records from the time, with those qualified known as 'Fear Nothing Makers.'

Duffle, from where the toggle-closed coat gets its name, is itself a similar but different fabric to fearnought and originated in Belgium instead of England. The British Arctic Expedition of 1875 equipped men with fearnought clothing, noting that these wool pants "wear splendidly, and enabled them to dispense with duffle trousers." It is likely that the naming 'Duffle' became associated with this style as similar garments with horn toggle closures were indeed made in duffle wool.

Patch pockets to both hips

Cropped fit for mobility

Wooden toggle and rope closure

Shawl collar

Heavy ‘Fearnought’ off-white Melton Wool

Made in Japan