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The Eddie Bauer Timeline

A brief look into our history
06 Aug 2024

For the next 100 years, our mission is to continue to inspire, enable, and empower everyone to experience the outdoors and live their adventure.

1920
Open For Business
Open For Business

Outdoorsman and guide Eddie Bauer opens his first store in downtown Seattle, which quickly becomes a community hub where outdoor enthusiasts outfit their adventures and gather to share stories and experiences.

1925
Feathers!
Feathers!

Eddie Bauer begins working with feather and down merchants while making fishing flies for his shop.

1936
America’s First Down Jacket
America’s First Down Jacket

A life-threatening event inspires a revolution in outerwear. After suffering hypothermia on a fishing trip, Eddie responds by changing his life, career, and the outdoor industry forever with the invention of the Down Skyliner. It then becomes America’s first patented down jacket in 1940.

1943
World War II
World War II

Designs first down flight suit for the United States Air Force. His name on the label causes airmen to clamor for more, so Eddie launches his catalog.

1944
Women’s Outdoor Gear
Women’s Outdoor Gear

The first women’s-specific down jacket is patented. An accomplished sportswoman, Eddie’s wife, Christine “Stine” Bauer, becomes an outspoken advocate for Eddie Bauer’s first women’s department. She insists that the ground-breaking down designs be made for women as well.

1953
K2 Ascent
K2 Ascent

Outfits famous third American Karakoram expedition, attempting first ascent of K2.

Expedition in the Andes
Expedition in the Andes

Archeologists begin a two-year expedition to find and follow the remnants of the 25,000-mile Inca Road system. Eddie Bauer down sleeping bags provide crucial warmth as they camp in the Andes mountains throughout Ecuador and Chile.

1957
Scientific Research at the South Pole
Scientific Research at the South Pole

Outfits the first team of American scientists to spend the winter at the South Pole. They wear Eddie Bauer down parkas while they document record-breaking cold temps down to -102.1F.

1958
Search for Yeti
Search for Yeti

Are yetis real? Members of the Slick-Johnson Snowman Expedition aim to find out. Outfitted in Eddie Bauer down gear, they explore the high Himalayas, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these mythical creatures. Though no yetis were spotted, they claim to have discovered enough evidence to prove their existence.

Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum I

Outfits the first ascent of Gasherbrum I, the only 8000-meter peak first summited by an American team.

1963
First American Everest Ascent
First American Everest Ascent

Outfits first American ascent of Mt. Everest. This paves the way for decades of technical innovation and the continuous creation of performance gear.

1977
Trango Tower
Trango Tower

Outfits the first ascent of Trango Tower.

1980
Makalu
Makalu

Outfits the first American ascent of Makalu.

1981
Mt Rainier Ascent
Mt Rainier Ascent

In celebration of the International Year of Disabled Persons, Eddie Bauer outfits a team of physically challenged climbers who ascend Mount Rainier.

1983
Mt. Everest East Face
Mt. Everest East Face

Outfits first ascent of Mt. Everest's East Face

1998
Iditarod Race
Iditarod Race

Outfits the women's record holder for speed in the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

2009
First Ascent Begins
First Ascent Begins

Launches First Ascent line of expedition-class technical gear that wins over 50 industry awards over the next 10 years.

2017
EverTherm®
EverTherm®

Launches the EverTherm® Down Jacket with revolutionary Thindown® technology, eliminating the need for quilting. Jacket earns seven industry awards, more than any single Eddie Bauer product in history.

2019
10 Years of FA
10 Years of FA

Celebrates 10th Anniversary of First Ascent.

2020
Eddie Bauer Centennial
Eddie Bauer Centennial

Celebrates 100 years of product innovation for outdoor adventurers.

2021
Partners in Conservation
Partners in Conservation

Celebrates over 25 years of partnership with American Forests™. Together, we’ve planted millions of trees, both in forests and in urban neighborhoods, to rehabilitate and preserve our green spaces and promote tree equity for future generations.

Visit the Eddie Bauer Historical Archive

Learn more about the history of Eddie Bauer and read more stories like the one above.

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