Nice one, Eddie

From eBay to everyday: my Eddie Bauer story

I may have mentioned this before, but I’ve become a little obsessed with Eddie Bauer recently. You might have read in my last blog about picking up a down vest on eBay. Allow me to be dramatic for a moment and say this might be the most exciting pick‑up I’ve had in a while. Well, at least until the next one.

Eddie Bauer feels slightly exotic to a Brit. You do not see it that often, and when someone is wearing it over here, they are usually into their clothes. I felt the same way when writing about L.L. Bean. Things that are completely everyday in parts of the US become rare birds in the UK, and for me that is most of the charm. American clothing has always pulled me in for exactly that reason.

My recent pick‑up came from the Midwest, shipped in an Amish Country popcorn box. I would love to know the full story. Who bought it? Where did they buy it? Did they even think twice about it, or was it purely practical rather than a style choice? Maybe it is not that deep, but as I said, I am obsessed.

Eddie Bauer was founded in 1920 in Seattle, Washington, by Eddie Bauer himself, originally as a small tennis and sporting goods shop.

In the mid‑1930s, after nearly freezing on a winter fishing trip, Bauer set out to design something warm yet lightweight. Drawing on his own experience working with feathers and down, he created a quilted jacket filled with goose down. The resulting design became known as the Skyliner and in 1940 it received the first United States patent for a quilted down jacket, laying the groundwork for the brand’s legacy in cold‑weather gear.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Eddie Bauer expanded beyond the original shop, supplying sleeping bags and cold‑weather gear to the United States military during the Second World War and outfitting scientific and mountaineering expeditions.

Bauer retired in 1968 and sold the company to his partner. Soon after, it went through a series of ownership changes, including acquisition by General Mills in 1971 and by Spiegel Inc. in 1988. When Spiegel filed for bankruptcy in the early 2000s, Eddie Bauer was reorganised and later filed for bankruptcy itself in 2009, at which point it was acquired by Golden Gate Capital. In 2021, the brand was acquired by Authentic Brands Group and SPARC Group LLC.

Whilst getting more and more obsessed with the label, I started noticing what felt like a resurgence in the style. Maybe it is not a resurgence at all. Maybe it is just that thing where once something is on your mind, you suddenly see it everywhere. Either way, I have come across a ton of references that have pushed me towards wearing an Eddie Bauer vest, or at least a down vest more generally.

One of the first was an Outdoor Trad issue of 2nd Magazine, which really highlighted how outdoor pieces can sit comfortably alongside core Ivy classics. It made the whole thing feel less like technical kit and more like part of a considered wardrobe.

It got me thinking about the number of styling opportunities. There is a lot of fun to be had with something that, on paper, is purely functional.

Another influence, and someone who has consistently influenced me, is a friend of the blog, Aaron Chang. I have mentioned him a couple of times before, and I interviewed him previously on the blog.

Aaron wears a down vest in exactly the kind of Outdoor Trad way I was talking about, and he does it effortlessly. There is no sense of costume or overthinking. It just feels natural, like it has always been part of his wardrobe.

When I initially got mine, I went for my regular size, a medium. I was not sure about the fit. Being an American garment, I thought I would probably be able to stick to my usual size. I am used to wearing a lot of Japanese clothing, where sizing tends to be more accurate, so I often have to size up compared to Western brands and their penchant for vanity sizing.

With this vest, though, the medium was just too small for my liking. It fitted, but only really over a shirt. I wanted it roomy enough to wear over something thick, like a heavyweight sweatshirt, maybe even my Real McCoy’s ballpark hoodie. The other one I had was a nice turquoise colour, which I ended up selling to a friend, and then I bought this one, the red version, which is the one I kept.

I am glad I am finally part of Team Eddie Bauer. I picked one up, and for once I was patient enough to get the sizing right instead of thinking, “I will deal with it later.” With a piece like this I really wanted to wait and get it right, because I knew how much I would want to wear it. How much I have worn it has been proof in the pudding. I have worn it with tweed, with sweatshirts, in a number of ways, and I am still finding new ways to style it. That is why it has been such a genuinely exciting piece of clothing.