Design details on duffles part 3: the big patch pockets

Imagine for a second you’re on a British naval ship in the late 1800s. And you’re heading for Antarctica. It’s cold isn’t it? Aren’t you glad you’ve got those huge pockets to plunge your hands into?

In case you don’t know why duffle coats have large patch pockets, it’s because duffle coats were first designed for the British navy. And one of the first recorded instances of duffle coat wear was indeed on a Royal Navy trip to Antarctica. Which is why those pockets had to be big enough for freezing hands.

Fast forward a thousand years or so, and our duffle coat design hasn’t changed. And the pockets are still large enough for freezing hands. And a pack of tissues. Or a dog lead. Or, as photographer, Amy Shore, told us recently, you can even fit spare camera lenses into the pockets.

What will you store in your duffle coat pockets?