Eddie Bauer through the years, from outdoor apparel icon to bankruptcy watch

"For more than a century, Eddie Bauer has been synonymous with American outdoor adventure apparel. Now the iconic brand is facing the possible collapse of most of its brick-and-mortar business as a bankruptcy filing looms. The retailer's roughly 180 stores across the United States and Canada could soon be shuttered amid plans for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing tied to the brand's North American store operations. Eddie Bauer, one of the oldest brands in American outdoor apparel, has a storied history. It's also faced bankruptcy twice before."

"The late Bauer patented the iconic water-resistant, bomber-style "Skyliner" jacket in 1940. He was inspired to create the coat after a near-fatal experience with hypothermia during a winter fishing trip in Washington state. 'I was climbing a very steep hill when I started to get sleepy,' Bauer said in a 1981 interview with The New York Times while describing the encounter. 'I reached to touch my back and it was ice. I realized I was freezing to death.'"

Eddie Bauer, founded in Seattle in 1920, became known for durable outdoor apparel and innovations like the patented quilted goose-down jacket and the 1940 "Skyliner" water-resistant bomber. The brand expanded to more than 500 stores worldwide at its peak, including locations across North America, Japan, and Germany. The current retail footprint has shrunk to about 200 stores, with roughly 180 in the United States and Canada at risk. The entity that operates North American stores is preparing for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing tied to store operations, placing most brick-and-mortar locations in jeopardy. The brand has previously experienced bankruptcy twice.

Read at Business Insider