A closer look

The unstructured tube of canvas you shove your gym clothes into actually has European aristocratic roots. The word 'duffel' comes from Duffel, a small town in Belgium that produced a remarkably thick, durable woolen cloth in the seventeenth century. The military quickly realized this tough fabric was perfect for making cheap, indestructible bags for soldiers, cementing the town's legacy as the namesake of sloppy packing.