Image: Eddie Bauer

We aren’t huge hunters.  In fact, our quail hunting trip last season with Commonwealth Birding was the first time either of us had fired a weapon in a few years.  That doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate styles that have evolved from the needs of outdoorsmen of days gone by and we are glad a number of companies are getting back to their roots as outfitters and releasing some pieces that would make their founders proud.  Eddie Bauer is one of those companies that is returning to their roots and we are really liking their 1936 Skyliner Model Hunting Down Jacket ($299).

The original Skyliner jacket was so innovative that it received it’s own patent.  Believe it or not, Eddie Bauer himself is the one credited with the first ever quilted down jacket in the US.  While the jacket featured today may not have been available back in the 30s, the spirit is absolutely there.  With a quilted cotton/nylon shell and featuring extensive leather detailing, this European Goose Down filled jacket can definitely stand up to the rigors of a day of hunting.  That being said, it looks so good that it is just as fitting for a day around town as it is in the woods.