Dufflissimo with Art and Jack

Dufflissimo

Dufflissimo — a term freshly-coined for the art of looking good in a duffle coat. The only coat where it is acceptable to have a hood. Alan Bennett can do it. Paddington Bear can do it. R. S. Thomas can certainly do it; tough military types and adventurers from history always do (see below). But Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel?

Well see for yourselves. Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel starred together — and wore duffle coats together — in the quite good Carnal Knowledge [Amazon], directed by recently-departed Mike Nichols and released in 1971. Have you seen this film? It examines the contrasting (male) attitudes to relationships of two friends, Jonathan and Sandy — played by Art and Jack — from their college years to middle age.

I think it's Jack Nicholson's best role, before he got all hair-stuck-in-the-air 'crazy Jack'. He displays an element of craziness here, admittedly — a portent — but he also brings a complexity, even warmth, to his character — a strikingly unpleasant Priapus destined for a flaccid end.

We seek dialogue-driven films at Tweed Towers, and the dialogue from Jules Feiffer's script is witty and honest; and a bit fruity, exploring as it does themes of a sexual nature in cheek-blushing detail. Hold on to your tea cup, you're in for a bumpy ride.

You Want One

Could you look good in a duffle coat? Of course you could — just project dufflissimo.

If you don't have one, then this one from Nigel Cabourn is quite simply the ultimate; but everyone should have a Gloverall duffle. Gloverall simply set the benchmark in duffle coats.

Here we see Gloverall's Classic Duffle Coat. Made in England, it has buffalo horn toggles and leather straps. Perfect for throwing snowballs at the prof in the university quad this winter.