It's a Gloverall Dolomite

A cold wind was blowing from the north. Winter was staying put; and so was my Gloverall Dolomite duffle coat — firmly put. If there's only one coat you might reach for when the wind bites, a Gloverall duffle could well be it.

Heavenly hermit

The Dolomite is a vintage edition from 1970 and everything about it is correct. The hood has tab adjusters so you can cocoon your bonce in it quite snugly. You feel like a heavenly hermit beneath the hood, but it doesn't fall over the face and shut out the peripheral vision, giving potential assassins an advantage.

Inside we have bound seams throughout and reinforcements at the button placements. This is indicative of the quality of workmanship at Gloverall's London factory at the time and why the coat is still as good as new and proudly worn. Always look inside a garment to understand how much effort has gone into its construction. And if it's vintage, to check for moth nibbles.

Spare toggles

The horn toggles and leather ties are a delight. Did you know that Gloverall stocks spare sets of horn toggles (and wooden toggles) on their web site? Good for Gloverall.

Blue jumper

I'm wearing the coat here with a blue Guernsey in a Polperro pattern for another layer of warmth. I should tell you more about this jumper. In fact, I must. It's excellent, but under the radar and quite the snip.

I now venture outside for the photos below as I'm getting too warm indoors. It's decidedly parky, but I am impervious to the chill. My hands are now covered in my much loved string-back gloves from Dents.

Alamein beige

Outside we see the colour of the expedition-standard wool better reflected in the pics — classic Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein beige.

Desperado effect

We also see that the coat is a good length. Montgomery was only 5' 4" (and Rommel an inch taller). I'm 6' 2", so that might explain why Monty sometimes appears to be buried in his duffle coat. Incidentally, they say that aggression in small men is actually a result of the 'desperado effect' — smaller men stand a better chance of winning out in competition against a more physically imposing individual if they initiate before the 'gentle giant' has assessed their strategy. The taller man, meanwhile, tends to rest on his laurels.