Eddie Bauer

[reetpleat]

I am from seattle, home of Eddie bauer. I dated a woman a while back who worked for them and she told me a bit about their history. What is most interesting is that he/they, somehow talked the US govt into letting them put their labels on all the sleeping bags and other equipment they made under contract. So when all the GIs returned from the big war, they remembered all that great Eddie Bauer equipment. Incredible branding for sure. they also made a big name for themselves in outfitting expiditions including famous Seattlite, Jim Whittaker. I used to go to school with his son.

They even used to call themmselves Eddie bauer Expidition outfitters till the seventies.

So, interesting bit of history. Sadly, now they are nothing more than a label, making khakis and polo shirts. Bought by Spiegel in teh 70s.

But the founder was an avid sportsman, who opened one of Seattle's first sport outfitters around the same time as REI and designed and patented a quilted down jacket in teh thirties. He also invented a badminton shuttlecock that is still the standard today. i have owned a few pieces of their stuff. used to be amazing quality.

My roommate used to work for Filson, another great manufacturer who still makes nice quality whipcord coats and canvas bags.

Anyone else like Eddie bauer? anyone know much about their equipment in WW II? Anyone have some cool oldschool outdoors manufacturers in their town?

 

[cookie]

I thrifted one of their shirts - a striped number - that after so many wears is still keeping on...I have a pair of their linen pants which I thrifted NOS also classy slacks.

 

[adamjaskie]

They still have some nice stuff. I have a few not-very-dressy button downs that I got really cheap on sale. They seem to be pretty well-made. More the weekend at the cabin type shirts, though, not really work-appropriate. It's worth going there and looking around when they have a sale.

 

[anselmo1]

Unfortunately, the quality that once was put into the Eddie Bauer product is no more. 99% of their clothing line comes from China. The end result is this:

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/daily36.html

 

[nobodyspecial]

The down outerwear and down sleeping bags made by Bauer through the
1970's were very well made. Over time the brand was just another name. From time to time I've found pieces in thrift stores that were 30+ years old and still built like a tank. The Kara Korum line was especially good stuff.

 

[Chasseur]

While in many ways they are shadow of what they were, I still do like some of their stuff. In particular when I can pick it up from places like Ross, etc.

If you want and even sadder company evolution story look what happened to Abercrombie and Fitch, they used to be one of the leading American quality adventure suppliers, people like Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway used to buy their clothes, gear and even guns (where Hemingway probably bought the shotgun he commited suicide with) before heading off on safari. Now they just make trendy clothes for teens...

 

[Tomasso]

look what happened to Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch were the preeminent sporting outfitters in America, probably the world. My father always termed EB a poor man's A&F.

 

[Chasseur]

Yeah, it is quite sad what happened to them...

From outfitting men like Roosevelt and Shackleton, to making hip huggers...

 

[cookie]

Unfortunately, the quality that once was put into the Eddie Bauer product is no more. 99% of their clothing line comes from China. The end result is this:

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/daily36.html

A tragedy but that's what you call Chinese junk!lol

 

[Doublegun]

I have an EB down sleeping bag from the 70's. There are no comparably made products on the market today, that's ZERO! Granted my EB weights 3x-4x what a new down bag weights but I don't take it hiking so I don't give a hoot.

EB of today is just pathetic. Marginal quality, high price, poor service. I have been a Filson fan for years but it won't be long before they are the next EB or A&F. The quality of their non-traditional products is poor and most of their new stuff is made in Pacific rim countries.

 

["Skeet" McD]

I have been a Filson fan for years but it won't be long before they are the next EB or A&F. The quality of their non-traditional products is poor and most of their new stuff is made in Pacific rim countries.

Already gone and died IMHO, DG. I'm glad I got their oldest stuff a few years ago when it was still available: the original gunning vest and coat, the long-billed cap, the ducking cap, and the 1930 rainhat. Some are no longer available; others have been "improved and modernized;" others yet have been plastered with the FILSON logo....that's when I knew the trend was downwards...along with writing, asking them if (as they advertised) they would make up older products no longer in the catalog (I was interested in a trap vest they showed from a 1930s catalog to prove how old-school they were): many requests later, they said "no dice." Then I discovered that the company had been sold to new owners. That was about 5 or 6 years ago...since then the trend has been exactly that of EB and LLB.

You can't blame them, I suppose: they are businesses, and there seem to be more yuppie-wanna-be types who need to prove their cred by having the company logo splattered on everything they buy than old-school types who prize them for their quality and resistance to fashion trends. To make a long story short: it was loonies like us that got them through the "bad days" between 1960 and 1995....but now there's more money to be made catering to the nouveaux rustiques.... Sigh.

"Skeet"

 

[Doublegun]

Skeet,

I think most of Filson's "tin cloth" products are still high quality and their wool stuff is still top shelf, but there are more and more products with plastic buckels and "improved" materials. Their biggest problem is that they made good that are so durable it takes a life time to break them in (especially since the average hunter only gets out a handfull of times each fall).

DG

 

[nobodyspecial]

I have an EB down sleeping bag from the 70's. There are no comparably made products on the market today, that's ZERO! Granted my EB weights 3x-4x what a new down bag weights but I don't take it hiking so I don't give a hoot.

Down bags by Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends and Integral Designs are all superior to a 1970's EB down bag. All are made in North America with the highest quality control and impecable materials, but they are expensive. Someday.

 

[reetpleat]

I have seen some of Filson's whipcord stuff. My roommate bought them a few years back when he worked there. He said they would still get old men calling in to request higher rise pants. they cost 30 bucks more, but they didn't mind.

I remember a thread on here about a year ago about the new trend of wearing outdoor wear in the city.

Does anyone use an Eddie Bauer wwii era bag for reenactment? That would be cool.

 

[Lou]

I had a few EB items that were great. Unfortunately, they've gone the way of A&F, Gap, and too many others. Yet another US retail disappointment.

 

[Paisley]

Over the past few months, I've bought some t-shirts and a pair of pants from EB. I think they're great: good stitching, thicker-than-usual fabric, the pants sit at the waist where they belong, and the shirts have a long tail. But then, I'm comparing these to typical women's clothes, which are generally junk.

 

[Paisley]

I just had a strange experience with an order from EB. I ordered two pairs of jeans exactly alike except for the color. One pair of jeans was about a size bigger than the other. The tags say they're the same size. Regardless of manufacturer, that's why some things go on sale: they're mis-sized. But two different sizes?

It took me five minutes to unbutton one of the blouses I ordered, the bit of fabric that go around the buttons to fasten them were so tight. It's going back, too.

 

[storman113]

Happens to be a EB factory store near me. I do like their lite weight fly fishing shirts and will pick one up when on the sale rack. I have learned to open up the button holes with a knife before wearing

 

[Paisley]

These weren't button holes, they were loops of fabric, and I don't have a button hook.

 

[Trotsky]

I have thrifted a few of the shirts, and have one or two in the closest and frankly, they fit like tents. All are XL and not only are the collars HUGE but the rest of the shirt balloons out terribly. They fit more like other brands XXL, sad too as I like the stuff, just not the fit.