merch-spot-filson-bnnr-01-cb1572390320.jpg:us

Filson blends tradition with innovation

The 120-year-old outdoors brand is reinventing their shopping experience.

In 1890, an enterprising Nebraskan named Clinton C. Filson arrived in Seattle. Thousands of Americans were flocking to the Pacific Northwest at the time in hopes of striking it rich, but Filson came in search of entrepreneurial opportunity. He quickly found his niche, opening a modest business stocking durable and climate-appropriate clothing and accessories catered toward the needs of the area’s itinerant prospectors.

By the end of that century, C.C. Filson’s Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers had grown its business many times over. In the decades following, Filson began offering a more elaborate selection of products for its traditional target customers—workers, adventurers, and lovers of the great outdoors. By the 21st century, the company’s catalog had expanded to include casual wear, women’s clothing, fishing and hunting gear, luggage, and unimaginably cozy pajamas. In 2018, its modestly priced C.C.F. line was named “the best workwear line of the year” by InsideHook.

As with their expanded product offerings, the company has solidified its strong brand with the innovative brick-and-mortar stores they continue to open across the country. Often built by woodworkers and artists from the company’s home region, Filson aims to bring the “the view, the light, the topography, and the open natural honesty” of the Pacific Northwest to all of its flagship store, as one of the company’s architects put it. In its homestead-like Manhattan location, the company insisted on shipping an 1850s Douglas Fir barn from Oregon across the country to form the basis for the interior design.

filson-nyc-flagship-6-large-cb1572917796.jpg

Just as Filson’s IRL locations feel like so much more than retail storefronts, the company’s online presence has expanded beyond a simple shopping portal. The company’s “Filson Journal” blog highlights the stories of hard-working Filson customers from throughout the country, focusing on how they run their businesses, how they found their passion for working in nature or with their hands, and even how they smoke their meat.

Some customer testimonials detail situations in which Filson products did much more than provide comfort in extreme conditions. An Alaskan logger’s Filson coat and pants saved him from being mauled by a brown bear on Tongass National Forest, while his less well-protected hiking partner was killed. A Montana man was identified and rescued from deadly rapids thanks to his Filson Packer Hat, while stayed affixed to his head despite the vicious torrent.

Rest assured, though: you don’t need to be regularly putting your life on the line to get the most out of Filson products. Their functionality, high quality, and unassuming fashionability make them no-brainer gift choices for family members who enjoy the great outdoors, hopefully in less hair-raising ways. They’ll also be part of Amazon Pay’s upcoming holiday gift guide, which means you’ll be able to experience their elevated shopping experience while checking out with Amazon Pay, all while avoiding the frantic holiday rush.

Find a few of the latest gems from Filson in the Possible with Pay Holiday Gift Guide here.