Fashion trend 2011 with duffle coats

Fashion trend 2011 with duffle coats: With the UK snow forecast, it's time wrap up warm in a duffle coat.

There was time when duffle coats were synonymous with Paddington Bear and small children. Not anymore.

When super-stylish actress Kate Bosworth is pictured covering up in a digital-print duffle by hip New York label Proenza Schouler, you should take note. Add to the mix sightings of a duffle-clad Sienna Miller, Rihanna and Taylor Swift looking cute as a button in a Topshop version, and it's a full-on micro-trend.

Duffle coats have been keeping Brits warm since 1890, when a manufacturer of outdoor clothing turned to duffle - a coarse, woollen fabric originating from Antwerp in Belgium - to market a new breed of coat. The British Royal Navy then issued their version during World War I, resulting in large quantities of army-surplus in the Fifties.

This season however, French designers have got in on the act, as Chloé, Carven and Paul & Joe offer their interpretations.

The great British high street has also come up trumps with styles to suit every pocket. Head to Topshop and you might struggle to choose between a caped, tartan-print or three-quarter-length duffle coat. The khaki style with a faux-fur trimmed hood by Whistles is also worth a look, and if you want a twist on this season's camel coat, Aubin & Wills' grown-up duffle is punctuated with red toggles