Honest, Guv, I wasn’t looking for trouble. Trouble in the way of another duffle-coat, that is. And certainly not another blue one. It was just that it started ticking all my boxes, saying all the right things. And it was just so very, very blue.
And it can not be ignored. The royal blue wool is so vibrant it makes me think it’s really Klein Blue, the deep blue developed by the French artist Yves Klein in the late 1950s. The idea of Klein Blue has fascinated me since reading about the character Hubertus Bigend and his suit in this colour in William Gibson’s eminent novel “Pattern Recognition”. In the novel he states that Hubertus wears this because the intensity of the color makes other people uncomfortable. And now I have my own almost Klein blue duffle. Score!
There’s more to it than that though. London Tradition is a maker in East London. Partly making their own things and partly making for other high end brands. I wish I could tell you which, but in that part of town secrets stay secrets. Have no doubts though, this is a finely made coat indeed. The cuts are clean, the stitches straight, the seams tidily bound and the proportions are right.
And that’s it, really. A duffle is a well-defined and traditional coat. You don’t want to mess around with it too much, or else it may become something entirely different. Make it properly, using good fabrics and bits and good dufflage will ensue.
Real horn buttons and leather straps on the toggles. Nice, large buttons with a subtle logo. Soft, dense wool fabric, warm and windproof. Nicely patterned lining. And that blue. Always back to the blue.
My duffle was specially made to the design I wanted. A fully royal blue duffle might have been a bit much for a shy guy like myself, so I broke it up with the black details. And I wanted bone toggles to make it different from my Gloverall. The result is very pleasing, and even more so when I know this coat was made for me, from start to finish. Personal, like.
At this point, you might be thinking: There is something of a trend for blue coats from London this Spring, and you’re not wrong. There is yet more to come.
UPS:
- Superb materials, design and construction
- A classic design that will live for ever
- Great combination of functionality, comfort and looks
DOWNS:
- Not exactly a stealth coat! (That is no fault of London Tradtion though!)
- No adjustment of the hood.
SCORE:
PRICE:
Available direct from London Tradition in East London at 300 pounds.
Amazing colour; and I agree, closer to Klein than Royal.
Uggg. I should stop going to your site. I’m trying to fend off of my coat addiction and then come here and see more of them haha