Over 100 years ago, the famed outdoor brand Eddie Bauer was founded. In 1920, Eddie Bauer himself established his company in Seattle, Washington. He was only 21 when he hung up the sign for his services, at the time called “Eddie Bauer’s Tennis Shop.”
What began as a niche tennis racket repair stand began to grow and expand, going on to offer all sorts of sports products and eventually designing original clothing. In 1940, Bauer came out with his quilted-down jacket, and from there, the brand’s identity was established.
The Eddie Bauer brand has been through a lot of evolution. It exchanged hands after Bauer himself retired, was purchased by General Mills in 1971, merged with PacSun in 2018, and today is owned by the parent brand, Golden Gate. Over the years, the company has partnered with other big brands like Airstream, Nike, and even Ford.
To this day, Eddie Bauer remains headquartered out of Seattle, Washington. They sell worldwide, though mainly in North America and Germany. With over 370 locations globally, let’s find out which is manufacturing.
Verdict: is Eddie Bauer Made in the USA?
No, Eddie Bauer products are manufactured overseas in East and Southeast Asian countries.
Every item we checked on their website had an “imported” status on the product page. Some simply stated “Imported,” while others said “Imported using domestic and imported materials.” Beyond that, there is no more information.
The following information from the Women’s Favorite Long Sleeve Crewneck T-shirt:
We contacted customer service to ask if they offer any products made in the USA. Here’s what they had to say:
Well. That was helpful. But ok, sure, we can check the tags. Cue the image search:
And this one:
Most of what we found was made in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the like. Are you surprised? We aren’t. Even less surprising is that Eddie Bauer used to make products in the US. Yes, this same sad story. As seems to be standard with aged brands born in the booming days of American industry…to find those old American made versions, you’ve got to go vintage.
The Made in USA Eddie Bauer closet is so coveted that this description is even listed in the product title on second-hand selling sites, like eBay:
We wanted to see if customer service would give us a straight-shot answer on the specific countries that manufacture their products. Here’s our conversation:
And continued:
What’s the lesson here? For one, don’t expect much from customer service. Secondly, if you need to find origin information on an Eddie Bauer product…check the tag. And don’t bet on that tag saying “Made in the USA.”
Popular American Made Eddie Bauer Products
- None that we could find
Popular Eddie Bauer Products Not Made in the USA
- Women’s Favorite Long Sleeve Crewneck T-shirt
- Stowaway Packable 30L Backpack
- Women’s Trace Boot
