Eddie Bauer opened his first store, Bauer’s Sport Shop, in 1920. In its early days the Seattle-based shop sold outdoor gear, but in the 1930s it began to offer a wide variety of athletic goods. In 1936 Bauer introduced a quilted down jacket that he advertised as “Bauer Down” and “Blizzard Proof”. In 1940 it became the first quilted down outerwear patented in the United States and by the late 1950s it was dubbed the Skyliner Jacket. In the 1940s Bauer formed a separate company, called Arctic Feather and Down, for the purpose of importing feathers and manufacturing feather and down products.
In 1942 he was asked to produce down sleeping bags for the US military. Shortly thereafter, Bauer also developed a down-insulated flight suit, the Cold Weather Buoyancy Flight Suit, which could double as a flotation device. It was manufactured for the Air Force and the individual pieces were labeled as the B-9 parka, and the A-8 flight pants. To further meet the needs of war-time production he introduced a chicken feather insulation that he called Feather Foam. Feather Foam may have also been made of down, rather than chicken feathers, especially after World War Two. Jackets made of Feather Foam were only advertised through the mid-1950s.
In the early post-war years Bauer launched his first catalog, allowing him to reach a nation-wide audience. Beginning in the early 1950s, the company began to receive favorable press coverage for outfitting various high-profile mountaineering expeditions. In 1953 Bauer introduced a down parka, the Kara Koram, that was used by American climbers attempting the first ascent of K2 in the Karakoram mountain range. Ten years later he outfitted the first American team to make the Mount Everest ascent, resulting in the Mount Everest Parka.
Eddie Bauer retired in 1968 and in 1971 the company was sold to General Mills. In the 1980s the brand expanded its womenswear lines and began offering home furnishings. The company was sold to Speigel in 1988 and in the 1990s it increased both its retail presence and the reach of its catalog. However, in 2003 Speigel filed for bankruptcy. In the first two decades of the 20th century Eddie Bauer changed hands through various acquisitions. As of 2025 it was owned by Authentic Brands Group and SPARC Group LLC. Note that in 2023 the brand introduced a new logo and font resulting in a noticeable change in the appearance of its labels.
Written by Jennifer Binns of Hollie Point Vintage
