Filson’s New Jacket Combines the Best Parts of Two Classic Outerwear Worlds

Filson has always been the master of making ruggedness look refined.

Now the brand has taken that formula to its logical, “it’s frickin freezing” weather extreme with its new Waxed Down Jacket, arguably the strongest entry yet in a rapidly emerging new outerwear category.

Blending century-old innovations

Filson

Down insulation, famously patented for outdoor use by Eddie Bauer in 1940 after his near-fatal winter expedition, revolutionized how people stayed warm outside.

Waxed canvas, perfected and popularized by seafaring companies like Barbour back in 1894, was the original waterproof fabric long before synthetics came along.

Filson

Combine the two, and you get something greater than the sum of its parts. At least that’s the idea driving this new jacket and others.

The new jacket’s design reads like a love letter to the brand’s DNA: a shell of waxed cotton canvas, treated for weather resistance and built to develop a handsome patina with age, wrapped around high-loft goose down insulation.

Filson

The result is a garment that looks heritage but should perform more like a modern expedition piece — water-resistant on the outside, alpine-level warmth on the inside.

It should be noted that Filson has dabbled in this marriage before — the Women’s Waxed Down Barn Coat paired the same materials in a more casual cut — but this appears to be the first time the Seattle outfitter has gone full-tilt into deep-winter territory with the concept.

A peak example of a growing trend

Filson

This hybridization between traditional down jackets and waxed canvas outerwear isn’t happening in a vacuum.

Last fall, Huckberry’s in-house brand Flint and Tinder launched the York Quilted Waxed Jacket, nodding in the same direction — a city-friendly silhouette that hides an adventurer’s heart. Heritage stalwarts like L.L. Bean have also joined the trend with pieces like the Upcountry Waxed Down Hooded Jacket.

Filson

But Filson’s interpretation definitely lands on the burlier end of the spectrum, thanks to a 6.5-oz cotton shell and “ethically sourced” 650-fill-power 80/20 duck down.

Large patch pockets, heavy-duty snaps, and Filson’s signature no-nonsense cut remind you this is still a hardwearing jacket for colder conditions.

Pricing and Availability

Filson

The new jacket is currently available directly from Filson.com, which is also offering a free all-weather tote with purchases of $350 or more through 10/27.

That said, the jacket can also be found at Huckberry and other fashion-forward retailers that carry the Filson brand.

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