Eddie Bauer's 1936 Model Skyliner Jacket

It had hung in the closet my entire life. A baby-shit-brown puffy coat from the late eighties. My old man's. Something he had worn in the winter, when snow settled across Seattle, or when we'd drive east into the mountains to find some fun. I thought nothing of it initially. A warm coat. When I was in high school, however, I started to steal it. It was a bit big and smelled a little musty from all the years it had spent in our apartment. But it was warm as fuck and made me feel like a man. Like my old man. Years passed and I moved on to other apparel, other outerwear.

But it was always there, hanging in his hallway closet, waiting to be worn when the weather was the worst. Fast forward a few more years and my friend Shawn, who was working for Eddie Bauer at the time, asked if I was interested in any of their outdoor gear. I browsed around a bit, sorting through their extensive inventory, but found only a few things I was interested in, namely this remake of their 1936 Skyliner Jacket, the same coat my father had purchased prior to my arrival on earth.

Featuring their signature diamond quilting, which holds the down insulation in place, Eddie Bauer's 1936 Skyliner Jacket features a rugged cotton/nylon shell, StormRepel durable water-repellent (DWR) finish, 550-fill Premium Goose Down insulation and the same fit and finish as the coat my father owns. Available in both Saddle Brown and Black, the jacket retails for $199 and is an excellent alternative to all those ultra-premium, "I climb Everest," lightweight, bright-colored puffy coats everyone wears.

Click here to learn more about Eddie Bauer's 1936 Skyline Jacket.

Read about some of our other 'Essentials' here.

Photos courtesy of Karissa_Would.