Few collaborations in menswear make as much sense on paper as this one. Gloverall is the British brand most associated with the duffle coat: toggles, a big hood, a heavy wool body. Norbit is a Japanese label that builds refined, functional outerwear with a military backbone. Put the two together and you get a duffle that has been rebuilt with fleece, membranes and reinforced panels, and a peacoat you can wear inside out.
The pair are back for a second season, and the new collection is on pre-order now. Here's what's in it, how the coats are put together, what they cost, and who they suit.
The Two Brands
Gloverall has been reinterpreting the duffle coat since 1951 and is marking its 75th year. The brand's name, as the story is usually told, comes from a shop selling gloves and overalls that also sold surplus duffle coats before it began making its own. Its Monty duffle takes its name from Field Marshal Bernard "Monty" Montgomery. Gloverall says it has been appreciated in Japan since it first exported there in 1965, which gives the collaboration a longer back story than it might first seem.
Norbit is a Japanese label known for refined, functional, military-inspired outerwear. It was relaunched in 2018 by Hiroshi Nozawa, a veteran of Japan's fashion scene, and its mantra is "field, travel and chill": hybridised military outerwear with a technical backbone. Gloverall's own description of the collaboration is that both brands share a focus on utility and on materials that earn their place.
How the Collaboration Started
The first Gloverall x Norbit season arrived last autumn with two pieces: the Monty Jacket, a shorter, modern take on the Monty duffle, and the first version of the Morris Coat. Both were built with Polartec fleece, a membrane and Cordura reinforcement. Gloverall says both sold out and weren't replenished.
That sets the terms for this season: the collection is limited edition, available while stock lasts, and not restocked once it's gone. The Monty Jacket (£575) is still listed on Gloverall's site, but sold out in every size.
The New Season: Two Coats
The Gloverall x Norbit Reversible Dufflewool Peacoat
The new piece, and the more unusual of the two. It's a fully reversible peacoat based on Gloverall's Churchill Peacoat, rebuilt on Norbit's own block.
- One side: a double-breasted coat in Polartec fleece, with a windproof membrane laminated into a two-layer construction, tonal zipped chest pockets and Gloverall's branded anchor buttons.
- The other side: an onion-quilted nylon shell, a pattern Gloverall describes as inspired by traditional Japanese design and reinterpreted by Hiroshi Nozawa. It's insulated with Gloverall's Dufflewool, and exposed fleece at the collar and trims ties the two sides together.
- Details: elbow patches, two zipped chest pockets and two flap pockets at the hip on the fleece side, two zipped welt pockets on the reverse, and two internal pockets.
The Gloverall x Norbit Morris Coat 2.0
An updated version of the Morris Coat from the first season, now using more Polartec fleece. It keeps the duffle vocabulary, with a generous hood, a throat tab, buffalo horn toggles and leather loop fastenings, but the silhouette is oversized and the fabric is technical.
- Fabric: a three-layer construction of Polartec fleece, a windproof membrane and a tricot backing, with Cordura 305D panels on the high-wear areas.
- Details: elbow patches, an adjustable drawcord waist (with a spindle loop), a detachable throat tab, a shoulder cape, oversized four-way front pockets and a side slit.
- Fit and sizes: oversized, unlined, in S to XL, in dark navy.
What the Materials Actually Do
The spec sheets are full of brand names, so here's what they mean:
- Polartec fleece: a performance fleece that gives warmth without the weight of wool. On both coats it's the main fabric, and it's what makes them lighter and softer than a traditional duffle.
- Windproof membrane: a thin layer laminated into the fabric that blocks wind. It matters most on cold, breezy days, where an unlined fleece would otherwise leak heat.
- Cordura 305D: a hard-wearing nylon used on the elbows and other high-wear panels, so the fleece doesn't wear through where it rubs.
- Dufflewool: Gloverall's name for the wool insulation used in the peacoat's quilted side.
- Tricot backing: a smooth knit lining bonded to the fabric, which makes the coat easier to layer over knitwear.
The upshot is a coat that behaves more like technical outerwear than a heavy wool overcoat, while still looking like a duffle.
How to Wear Them
- The Morris Coat works best as a statement outer layer over a chunky knit, with straight or wide denim and boots or heavy trainers. Its volume suits relaxed tailoring, so don't pair it with skinny jeans.
- The peacoat is easier to dress up or down. The fleece side is good with a roll neck and cord trousers; the quilted side looks sharper with a plain crew neck and dark jeans.
- Keep the rest simple. Both coats have a lot going on, so stick to a neutral palette underneath.
My Take
If you've always wanted a duffle but never wanted the weight, this is the collaboration to look at. The Morris Coat 2.0 is the bolder, more practical choice, and the reversible peacoat is the more unusual one: two coats in one, and a sleeker alternative to the oversized duffle. They aren't cheap, and the dry-clean-only care and limited run make them a considered purchase, but in an autumn full of near-identical outerwear, they look different, and that's the point.
