Noo! Say it ain't so, Eddie! The only non-racist named designer company I can name off the top of my head! No!!!

Son of a bitch, I'm wearing an Eddie Bauer shirt right now. And I just spent $200 at an EB outlet over the weekend. Hope they don't disappear completely.

Anybody know how many people they have employed in Bellevue? I'm wondering how many lay-offs are coming.

Wow. Eddie Bauer. I haven't purchased anything there since a few LL Beans moved into the general area. Good luck with the proceedings, Eddie.

Damn... I get my work kakhis from them since it's so easy to get long inseams for my height. My wife shall mourn this if they cease to exist.

Hey Ford, now is the time to drop the Eddie Bauer edition Explorer for a Jack Bauer edition.

I like Eddie Bauer but I did notice that they have closed quite a few of their mall stores the past couple of years.

RIP. I liked their stuff. It always seemed like it was well made.

@SacraBos:

Agreed - have never had trouble with the quality. Probably why nearly half my wardrobe is from Eddie Bauer.

I have a feeling they may not be going anywhere. This firm that has bid on them (CCMP) seems to want to continue operations, albeit probably closing some stores. Their website lists some of their investments/ownerships as things like Quiznos, so it may not be one of those Circuit City-style liquidations, unless the vultures come around and bid very high for the assets.

@MaytagRepairman: Hey Ford, now is the time to drop the Eddie Bauer edition Explorer for a Jack Bauer edition.

..which is attacked and damaged severely by terrorists every 24 (hours).

Not a big fan of the clothes, but the old Eddie Bauer Home Stores were great - super sheets, comforters, and high quality bedroom furniture - was sorry when that closed years ago!

@The-Lone-Gunman: No problem, that's covered by the Jack Bauer warranty, and the US Government will cover the warranty work.

So, I guess no more Ford Expeditions?

I bought a blue polyester messenger bag from EB in middle school and it lasted me until at least high school. In fact, I think I still have it somewhere and it's still perfectly usable. Needless to say, my mother and I were highly disappointed when the store in our local mall closed a few years ago.

@YourTechSupport: How about a list of racist named designer companies? I guess I can't name any off the top of my head...

@changed my name: they reverted to predominately a catalog company.

I still use the Eddie Bauer backpack I bought when I went off to college in the fall of 2002. It's in awesome shape. For a while, the bulk of my wardrobe was Eddie Bauer. Their down jackets are some of the best made. I think they should be ok in the end...I do feel bad for not ordering from them recently. But right now, I can't cost justify anything

My girlfriend is a big EB fan. It's one of the few places we still spend money at. Hellistore & Abercrummy and Fitch no longer get our cash. That makes me sooo happy too as I can't STAND those stores, and the prostitues in waiting that work there.

Well, poop. I was at Eddie Bauer today, bought a pair of shorts and 2 pair of pants. They all fit PERFECTLY. It figures.

@dreamsneverend: My fiance also buys all of his work khakis from them, because it's easy to get short inseams for his lack of height. He'll be bummed.

Still have my Eddie Bauer wristwatch that I got as a gift to replace my lost Seiko back in '99. Hope they stay around in one form or another.... with the same quality.... that's asking too much, isn't it?

Oh man! All the freakishly tall people in my extended family are going to be wandering around in highwaters if Eddie Bauer stores end up going away. I really don't care for their style of clothing, but for tall sizes they are unparalleled.

@SacraBos: I worked at an Eddie Bauer store for a while to make some extra cash. I had to buy a lot of their stuff to wear to work, but 1.) they had a generous employee discount and 2.) four years later, I'm still wearing it. It is quality stuff.

So this is probably a dumb question, but can I still order stuff from their catalog, or will they immediately cease operations?

@Ichiro51: Abercrombie is the immediate company I think of when it comes to racism, sexism, etc.

In 1987 I bought an Eddie Bauer soft-sided briefcase because I was promoted to a field job with my employer. It was thrown into more car trunks and on more office and interview room floors than I can count, while stuffed to bursting with files and papers. When I retired in 2005, I was still carrying that same briefcase every day. It's hanging on the wall downstairs right now, and it still looks good.

Just today the husband and I spent well over a hundred dollars in an Eddie Bauer outlet store, and it wasn't the first time this year either.

@sponica: I still have (and occasionally use, mostly out of lack of opportunity) my EB college messenger book bag, too, purchased back in '95. It's worn a little shiny on the inside, but the rest is mint.
I like their clothes and have recently fallen in love with their Curvy Fit jeans (even while having become increasingly disillusioned with the poor styles and fit of their made-for-outlet line). Not to mention that my husband is very slim and very tall and got a lot of mileage out of their custom inseams. I hope they stick around.

@ngoandy: Is a list of one really a list?

@dreamsneverend: I get all my husband's clothes from Landsend.com. They have free custom hemming available on a lot of their pants. Not every pair but quite a few. I told a very short friend about this service, and she has been thrilled about it for years with their women's pants.

Their men's khakis seem to have a wide range of inseams to choose from [www.landsend.com]

They also sometimes offer "custom made" pants sewn up based on your measurements and style preferences, for not much more than regular pants. Here is a link to their custom men's khakis [www.landsend.com] and custom men's jeans [www.landsend.com]

Damn, I better get to the nearest EB tomorrow while they are still around. :-(

Nooooooo! My favorite jeans are from there! They fit perfectly and I don't have to hem them!

I'll join the chorus of fond EB reminiscing: I bought my first EB knapsack back in 1993, during high school. The bag stayed with me through college, was my companion when I went to Europe post-graduation, and was still in use (and in great shape) until last year, when my (stupid) boyfriend ripped the zipper, and somehow lost the bag when we moved. (He could not comprehend why I was so upset over a 15 year old bag.)

I am honestly saddened and disappointed to hear this news - they made truly great stuff that lasts for years - I hope they manage to sort themselves out.

no more life time warranty on clothes?

I just love Eddie Bauer. It's the first store I visit when going to an outlet.
Love the polos, shirts, cardigan, pants, dresses and hats! It fits well and lines are simple, uncomplicated, stitched well and in a class of its own. Eddie Bauer will be sorely missed if they're gone. Will cherish all my Eddie Bauer goodies and hoping that in one way or another, the brand stays on.

@HiPwr: Hate to bubble burst, but Eddie Bauer had a very nasty situation in suburban DC in the early 90s- 2 African American kids went into a store wearing Eddie Bauer clothing. After bringing their items to the register, the clerk accused them of stealing; they were made to remove their shirts and were sent home.

When the story made news, Eddie Bauer sided with the clerks despite the fact security footage captured them, but didn't reveal stealing. The company refused to offer an apology. That sparked a local boycott that never quite went national.

Of course one incident doesn't equal a pattern of racism, but it was enough for me and many of my friends.

I wonder if our titans of industry are starting to figure out that borrowing a bunch of money to finance your business expansion may not be a good idea for the long run. Eddie Bauer sells plenty of merchandise, but because they lived off their debt now they might be screwed.

Wow. I'm impressed by the EB love. I thought only middle aged women and lesbians shopped there. Turns out more demographics will be affected than previously thought.

@HiPwr: A very small list, haha.

I guess I could turn it into a list if I included Hollister and Ruehl, since they are owned by Abercrombie.

I'm wondering who else YourTechSupport is thinking of when mentioning a list.

@I speak Jive.: I didn't know I had a bubble to burst.

I also don't see the racism in your story.

@YourTechSupport: wat? Are you talking about?

Eddie Bauer is a not-quite LL Bean company that infamously stuck its name on the side gas-guzzling Ford Explorer SUVs.

@mschlock: I know, I still have my Eddie Bauer backpack from college (with the lifetime guarantee) and my favorite flannel overshirt, from the Seattle-drenched 90s, is an Eddie Bauer, and I've had it since about 1993, taken it to a dozen countries, 30 states, two continents, used it as a shirt, overshirt, nightshirt, pillow, blanket, emergency jacket, fashion statement, hobo pack wrap ... and it's still in basically perfect condition.

I don't shop a lot at EB because it's not really my style, but when I do buy there, their stuff LASTS.

@pax: 4 years? My favorite Eddie Bauer shirt is 15 years old and still looks great. And I've gotten a LOT of wear out of it.

@sponica: plus if you bust the backpack, they replace it.

@Robobot: It's not the same quality level, but Old Navy online has an extended range of sizes that fit tall people. (And short people.)

LL Bean and Lands End typically have extended ranges as well.

@hc130radio: Was I the only one baffled by that deal?

I can't afford Eddie Bauer stuff.

I did get a shirt from there for Christmas once that didn't fit, and I exchanged it for a beautiful turquoise button down, but I accidentally washed it with something red and it got dye spots all over it. I was so pissed because I couldn't afford to replace it.

This makes me sad :( I always stock the hubby up on new polos when the EB outlet has them for $7. I don't care much for the women's selection, but those polos can stand up to anything. And add me to the list of people who shop there for tall sizes...hubby is 6'4 and EB khakis are a godsend.