Filson Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket with Blaze Orange

A great piece of clothing alludes to an even better idea. The thin wool and simplicity of Pea Coats allude to the classic look of seamen. The waxed cotton Barbour Cowan Commando Jacket was worn by British paratroopers in WWII. The famous Red Wing 875 boot alludes to the simplicity and purity of the American workman. The ruggedness and precision of a Rolex Submariner conjures images of an intense diving lifestyle. A good pair of equestrian boots references an exclusive pastime now engaged in by the wealthy. Although relatively expensive, these articles of clothing give everyday people the image of an exclusive lifestyle without the work or the dirt.

Hunting will always be cool. Few pastimes are more rugged or more American than hunting. A Filson Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket With Blaze Orange details typifies the appeal of clothing representing an exclusive pastime by offering both the appeal of a heritage brand and the practicality of hunting gear.

Chat With Filson Store Manager and their Strategy

American heritage brands' lack of extravagant ad campaigns or the perception of a complicated marketing strategy is a major part of their appeal. The idealized heritage brand marches on unaware and unconcerned with fashion trends, instead focusing on core customers and quality products. Filson is now trying to expand their business while staying loyal to their brand image. The Portland store exemplifies these efforts.

I met Nathan Gray, Filson Store Manager, a couple days ago on my visit to the store and chatted a little about the possibility of Goldwin Inc, Filson's Japanese Distributor, opening a store in Tokyo. Yesterday I exchanged a few emails with Nathan and continued our conversation about the heritage movement and Filson's retail strategy. Here are a few questions with Nathan.

Foster: How much business do you get from people buying Filson due to the recent interest in American heritage brands?

Nathan: So far, the vast majority of our sales have been from our loyal Oregon customers who are delighted that we've opened a store closer than Seattle. I hope that our great location in the Pearl will turn a lot of new customers on to our brand. I believe that Portland will be an ideal location for us due to the interest in American heritage brands and the strong attraction this community has for natural products.

Foster: So Filson is using the Portland store as concept store to test the waters of expanding Filson to a new market? Interesting.

Nathan: I don't know that I would describe us as a "concept test store." One of the goals of any retailer is to increase their customer base, and hopefully the amount of exposure we will get here in the Pearl District will help in that aim.
Filson's apparent marketing strategy differs from that of other American heritage brands like Woolrich and Red Wing, who have launched sub-brands to capture on the resurgence movement. These sub-brands, Woolrich Woolen Mills and Red Wing Heritage, have their own websites, sales distribution, and collections. Filson has instead tried to overhaul their own brand by putting up vintage ads on their website (as attached in the article), and launching stores in strategic locations, Portland and potentially Tokyo, to capitalize on the resurgence movement.

My conversation with Nathan accentuated the differences between Filson and Woolrich and Red Wing's approach to capitalizing on the resurgence movement. It will be interesting to see how these two different approaches will weather the economic crisis and the current heritage fashion trend.

Portland Outdoor Store

The Portland Outdoor Store opened for business on the corner of 3rd and Oak in downtown Portland in 1919. Over the last seventy-nine years the store has changed hands once. It continues to carry the same traditional American western brands like Levi's, Stetson, Tony Lama, Georgia Boot, Woolrich, Pendleton, Filson and British brands like Barbour and Clarks.

In addition to these core brands, the Portland Outdoor Store offers a bunch of English and American horse tack and equipment and a full range of men's wool suits from companies like Pendleton. The Portland Outdoor Store staff knows the equipment inside and out and is very helpful in offering advice.

For added income, the store rents out expensive goods like saddles, jackets and bridles for 10% of an item's retail price for using in movies, plays and photo shoots.

I can't say enough about this store. It is an institution. Walking through its doors, one travels back in time. I can't think of a more authentic experience. The store resembles a real life Free & Easy magazine with a large collection of western memorabilia and merchandising. A number of stores, such as the RRL on Bleaker Street, have tried to recreate the same atmosphere, but they fall dramatically short. With their classic selection of American and English heritage brands, as well as their long standing tradition as a provider of outdoor equipment, the Portland Outdoor Store represents the best of the resurgence movement.

Come to Portland, stay in the nearby Ace Hotel, and shop at the Portland Outdoor Store.
Here is a typical Portland Outdoor Store shopper.


Filson Mackinaw Jackets and Filson Tin Cloth in the foreground.Filson Doulbe Mackinaw Hats and Pendleton Shirts
Stetson Hats.
This is where I got my Filson Alaskan Guide Shirt.
Second Floor: Woman's Clothing and Equestrian equipment and me with my new canon 17-55mm f2.8 lens.
The Third Floor: Saddles, Stirrups, and a Gun Holster (pictured below).
The Portland Outdoor Store offers no-commission sales of used saddles(pictured below).
The In-house expert will find the right boot for you from their 3000 pair inventory.
The Popick family has run the store since 1929 when Brad's grandfather, Abe Popick, and his cousin, Nate Director, bought the store.

Filson Store and their Art work

Filson has everything I am looking for in an American brand: heritage, US made quality, innovative products, timeless design, and a great story. Their wide assortment of vintage paraphernalia in their Portland store sheds light on the inspiration behind one of the most important brands in the Resurgence Movement (the recent popularity of American heritage brands). After my visit to their store and multiple perusals on their website, one thing is clear: Filson perfectly captures their heritage appeal and defines their story. If only their fits were a little better...



This is my favorite muse piece. Note the Field and Stream from 1925 (I think)

Filson Store: Portland Oregon

Ever since the Filson store opened in Portland Oregon in early November, I have been itching to visit. Nestled in the Confectionery building in the vibrant Pearl District, the 2400 square foot store (one of three flagships) has four main sections: Men's, Women's, Hunting, and Luggage. The store has an awesome array of products with all of the staples you would expect from Filson, (however I did not see a Wool Parker Jacket).

On a side note, I talked with the store manager about my blog and about men's wear. He had some interesting things to say about bringing Filson to the Japaneses market and the potential problems with sizing. For example, the Filson Mackinaw Jacket (pictured predominately in the NYT article, The Fashion Report of 1920), starts at size 38 and goes to size 52. For reference, I am 6'3 and 175 and size 42. The Japanese market would need sizes down to 34 for petite men. Apperently Filson's Japanese distributer had been in the store earlier looking for ideas for a potential Tokyo store.

In addition to quality products, the store is decorated with awesome vintage magazines, pictures, and books documenting Filson's history and the foundations of its ethos. I will have a separate post about these pieces.

Here are some photos to give you a feel for the merchandising and products, if you don't already know them.

Luggage


Tin Jackets. People mainly talk about Filson's wool coats and often overlook their Tin Cloth Jackets. Personally, I like the heavy duty Tin Cloth jackets more than a comparable Barbour Bedale.
My Blue Alaskan Guide Shirt!



Womens Section.

Urban Outfitters

I have always resented Urban Outfitters.

In high school, I used to call out Van's slip-shod J.A.P.'s (Jewish American Princesses) for wearing their "Jesus is My Homeboy" shirt, affectionately purchased at "Urban," for weeks on end. This lack of creativity in their selection and blatant copying of trends bothered me. Or perhaps my time spent as a salesmen at a skateboarding/snowboarding boutique watching tweens cycle through the Urban Outfitters across the street like commuters at subway turnstile. Or maybe it's because every time I go into the men's section, I see clothes very similar to ones i own selling at a fraction of the price. I rationalize this phenomena by saying, "Ohh the quality of this shit is miserable, my Paul Smith shirt will last forever, plus organic cotton makes me feel good about myself."

Recently my view of Urban Outfitters has evolved from disgust to respect.

Urban Outfitters is well positioned to exit this recession as prime youth retailer for multiple reasons.

First, many competing boutiques will shut down leaving the hipster field open for Urban Outfitters to capitalize.

Secondly, Urban Outfitter's Men's buyer, Dan Leraris, is doing a great job of picking brands. A recent article in the LA Times, "American Heritage Brands Make A Come Back" discusses Urban Outfitters role at the forefront of the revival of the American Heritage brand/work wear movement. Their awesome selection of LL Bean, Filson, Pendleton, Sperry, and Red Wing resonates extremely well with the direction of men's wear. By carrying these brands, Urban Outfitters will win over the demographic of men shoppers, like myself, that have avoided their merchandise due to quality issues and thus transfer Urban's brand image of that of cheap t-shirts to quality men's clothing.

In addition to carrying these quality driven brands, Urban Outfitters is doing a great job of launching more economically priced sub-brands for premium brands like Rogues Gallery and Patagonia. For Spring/Summer 2009, Urban will carry a line designed by Alex Carelton (head designer and founder of Rogues Gallery) called Never Sleep.

This Fall Urban Outfitters and Patagonia teamed up to offer a retro line of fleeces. By branding themselves as a viable distribution stream, premium brands, like Rogues Gallery and Patagonia, will use Urban Outfitters as a vehicle by which to launch mass market sub brands. This relationship will prove lucrative for both designers like Alex Carelton and Urban Outfitters while not compromising the image of their premium brands.
Maybe the pricing of this new merchandise will be out of reach for many Americans struck by these hard economic times, but I doubt it. These brands' image of classic quality are the essence of what men want in clothes and will "last." This perception bodes well consumers in a time when they are tightening their belts and focusing on the essentials. Wouldn't you rather have a pair of quality, leather Red Wing boots than two pairs of neon Dunks?

Filson's Recent Press

Filson first came on my radar last holiday season when I went to the Portland Outdoor Store to look for boots. Since then, I have kept a keen eye out for articles discussing the American Workwear phenomena and specifically Filson. Here are some interesting articles.

A Genuine Article, Seattle Times

American Heritage Brands Make a Comeback, LA Times

Fashion Report of 1920, NY Times

Portland Oregon Filson Store Opening, Fibre2Fashion.com

In addition to discussing classic brands like Filson, Pendleton, and Levi's, these articles discuss Rogues Gallery, a small "neo-classical" Portland Maine based brand where I intern. Enjoy,

Making a shirt

Today I set out on a quest to make my first article of clothing, a long sleeve t shirt inspired by a Filson Alaskan Guide shirt made out of heavy weight cotton flannel. I am going around to fabric stores today to find suitable materials. I am sure a lot of trial and error will ensue and I will keep the blog updated. Here is a rough design that i drew up last night.

Filson Wool Jackets: Might as Well Have the Best

I first stumbled across Filson at the Portland Outdoor Store in Portland Oregon (i will write something about this store soon). Filson is a classic outdoor outfitter based in Seattle Washington that makes pieces that could be worked into any modern wardrobe. The tag line, "Might as well have the best" sets the precedent for their cloths. I have an Alaskan Guide Shirt, pictured above that I swear by.

The first frosts of the Maine winter prompted me to start hunting for a winter jacket and I immediately turned to the Filson website. These classic jackets will endure the tests of time and trends and although they aren't cheap, your paying for quality not hype. For a heavy jacket, I like the Wool Parker. Made of 24 oz Mackinaw wool, these jackets will absorb up to 30% of its weight in water before feeling moist and the long, finger length sleaves will provide ample insulation in the cold winters. The jacket comes in Charcoal and Red/Black. I am leaning towards the Charcoal, pictured here, because it can be worn with my outfits and will age better than the louder Red/Black.
For a light jacket, I like the Wool Cape Coat made of 21 oz Mackinaw virgin wool. Like with the Wool Parker, the Cape Coat will absorb up to 30% of its weight, or 12 oz, of water before feeling moist or damp. The coat comes in grey and navy, both will look good with any outfit but i am leaning towards the grey.
Expect to hear more about Filson as people catch onto their amazing clothes.