The men's duster coat originated in Australia when an entrepreneurial sailor used old boat sails to make coats for the sailors. He soaked the sails in linseed oil to waterproof them and sewed them into long capes that would withstand the toughest weather. Eventually the sailors left to the Australian outback to become drovers and the garments became known as drover coats.

Following the sailors and their move to the outback came the Texas Rangers, who wore the men's dusters. The design was made to accommodate the horseback rider. It had a slit in the back that was held together with buttons to keep it from opening. The garment was long and the fabric used to make it was either linen or canvas. It was treated as oil cloth which made it water repellant.

With the appearance of the open motor car in the 1920's the men's duster coat had its resurgence. Because the car, predecessor of our convertible, was open it gathered dust and other irritants which forced the driver to wear a protective uniform. The objective was to cover as much of the body as possible, which this full length garment did.

The garb quickly made its way into films and books. In films the good and bad guys both wore it to make them look strong and adventurous. In books the garment was worn by spies, villains, vampires and other worldly visitors. Stephen King's book series The Dark Tower had the villains wearing long yellow dusters.

The modern man wears the men's duster coat to make a fashion statement and to possibly change his image, but whatever the reason he still cuts an elegant figure when wearing one.