Don't Sleep On Eddie Bauer's EBTek Line

Did you know that A$AP Rocky is currently the guest artistic director at PacSun? If you've been paying attention to limited-edition releases like flame-emblazoned Vans and chilled-out sweats from Russell Athletic, maybe you did. But for those of you out there who were previously unaware, well, now you know. And as part of the ongoing partnership, A$AP Worldwide teamed up with another well-loved American brand this week: Eddie Bauer. More specifically, Rocky and co. focused on the EBTek line of outdoorsy activewear which had its heyday from the mid-'90s into the aughts before being reintroduced in late 2020.

Here's the thing about EBTek: It's really good. Vintage-y in all the right ways. A little techy (hence the name) but a little gorp-y (it is Eddie Bauer, after all). It's exactly the sort of line that hits just right, especially right now when we're all still riding high on the renewed appreciation for the natural world that counts as one of the very few upsides of a pandemic. But while other brands (think Arc'Teryx and Patagonia) seem like they're absolutely everywhere lately, EBTek is still flying relatively under the radar.

This shouldn't be the case, and it seems A$AP Worldwide is aware of that—and looking to remedy the situation. The 13 pieces for sale at PacSun right now run the gamut from camo-covered fleece hoodies and pants to washed-out sweatsuits, but all capture a vibe. Maybe it's a particularly stylish hiker in 1997 flipping open his StarTAC phone at the summit in search of a bar of service. Maybe it's a cool kid in 2022 who knows that said hiker was on to something back in the day. Probably, it's a little bit of both. And if A$AP, Eddie Bauer, and PacSun have anything to say about it, we'll all be seeing a lot more of that vibe in the very near future.