Filson makes workwear, cold weather wear and sportsman wear for men who need tough, rugged clothing that performs well. This brand specializes in durable men’s clothing and accessories, along with lots of other products an outdoorsman might need to take on the elements and whatever else the day might bring. But Filson isn’t the only one of its kind. In fact, there are brands similar to Filson that offer the same great quality and the same types of stuff that tough guys need to tackle any outdoor task.
History of Filson
In the late 1800s, America was still a very young country with lots of wild places. The West Coast was especially rugged, with many areas still unmapped and unknown. Hills and trees and valleys and deserts were unspoiled and many areas had few occupants.
That is, until someone discovered gold in the Klondike region of Alaska. It was the Gold Rush, and it had a life of its own. Gold fever spread out all along the West Coast. Suddenly, this uninhabited, sparsely populated area became one of the most popular places to live on the entire planet.
And one man who was already living in the rugged West Coat of America saw an opportunity. C.C. Filson saw all the new people who were arriving in the area, a place that was still rough and rugged. He started a company called C.C. Filson’s Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers to provide the thousands of newcomers to the region with clothing and supplies they were going to need to go searching for gold.
C.C. Filson’s idea was the real gold. Not only did his brand-new business thrive, it’s still selling quality clothing over 120 years after it was first founded. Filson opened up a flagship store in downtown Seattle and the brand has gone on to become well-known all over the U.S. Turns out, they were right. There was gold in the hills of the West Coast. C.C. Filson found a way to bring the gold to him without going out to seek it.
The Filson brand hasn’t really changed so much in the last 10 or so decades. Filson still makes rugged clothing for rugged conditions and it still makes high-quality sportsman and outdoor wear for rugged men. But there are brands similar to Filson that have characteristics in common with this century-old brand. Start exploring them and explore all your workwear and outdoor wear options.
Finding Brands Similar to Filson
Filson definitely stands out from the crowd and its long history had made it a household name for many. But Filson certainly doesn’t stand alone when it comes to creating fashion that has a practical purpose. Find other brands that are similar to Filson and find out what makes the clothes from these brands so great.
Barbour (More Expensive)
Unlike Filson, Barbour makes clothing for women and children, as well as men. Like Filson, Barbour offers a huge range of products that contain everything you need to go outside. Umbrellas, scarfs, hats, bags, belts, even stuff for your dog. After all, they enjoy doing stuff outdoors, too.
Barbour makes jackets, tops, sweatshirts, loungewear and a whole range of different fashion styles. Burt like Filson, Barbour specializes in rugged outdoor clothing that’s ready to take on the world…even when the world is a harsh place.
The pricing at Barbour is more expensive, on average, than the price on similar clothing you can find Filson. This is durable, ready-to-go anywhere type of clothing. You’ll see casual shirts like button-up flannels, comfy hoodies and all the classic wardrobe styles you want to wear. The clothes here have a neutral, more muted color palette that’s full of shades like forest green and mustard yellow.
This clothing isn’t designed to be form-fitting or super cool. These are classic, everyday pieces that are worn in the harshest conditions to help you while you’re going to be out and out.
Belstaff (More Expensive)
Belstaff makes clothing for men and women and it makes them in tough designs that are ready to take on the world. The difference is that Belstaff makes styles that are a little more trendy, a little more stylish than many of the items you can find at the Filson catalog. While Filson makes tough clothing in timeless, classic looks, Belstaff makes outdoor wear that’s trendy and fashionable. If you’ve ever wanted to wear skinny pants while camping, Belstaff is the brand you’ve been looking for all along.
The fashionable clothes here are made for performance and for looks, in a range of hot colors and trendy styles that would be perfectly at home on the fashion runway. The clothes here are made with a huge range of features and styles. You can get motorcycle jackets, parkas, shorts and every piece of clothing you want to wear here. There’s a huge selection of tough but stylish clothing here.
The clothing at Beltaff is more expensive than similar items you can find at Filson.
Carhartt (Less Expensive)
Carhartt is one of the most famous names in workwear for good reason. The clothes here are made with lots of technology and durable designs in classic, traditional styles. This clothing brand makes polo shirts, T-shirts, jeans, flannel shirts, all those items that are your go-to style choices.
This brand makes clothing for everyone, with styles and sizes for men, women and children. There’s also a huge selection of boots here, along with tons of accessories. All the items you need to take on the big, bad world outside are here, including hats, socks, thermal underwear, wallets, even stuff for your pets.
Carhartt’s reputation for durable, practical work clothing is well-earned. And like Filson, Carhartt focuses on classic and traditional styles, rather than following the trends. The pricing here is more afforable than similar items you can find at Filson. If you like tough work clothing that fits well and performs well, you’re going to find a lot to like about Carhartt.
Columbia (Less Expensive)
If you’ve ever gone on a ski trip or any sort of outdoor adventure, if you’ve had to work in harsh outdoor conditions and if you’ve gone in search of durable damping clothing and items, you know the name Columbia. This brand sells clothing for men, women and kids, not to mention a huge range of different footwear styles.
Shop Columbia for whatever you need in the way of fishing and camping gear and clothing, jackets with fleece lining, pajamas and everything else you might want to wear. This brand makes bags, backpacks, footwear, everything and anything you might need to head outdoors and have an adventure. Columbia also carries a huge range of different footwear styles, including a big selection of hiking boots and shoes.
You can even search the Columbia online catalog by activity, seeking out clothes just for the type of outdoor adventure you plan to enjoy. The clothing here is less expensive, on average, than similar items you can purchase from Filson.
Duluth Trading Company (Less Expensive)
The selection of stuff to buy at Duluth Trading Company is absolutely staggering. If it’s tough and work-ready, if it’s made to go outdoors, if it’s going to help you do rugged stuff, it’s at Duluth. This brand makes shirts, pants, outerwear, accessories, footwear and even underwear, not to mention a big selection of gear that includes tool bags, knives, cool gadgets and all sorts of other items you might need for whatever you plan to do. You can even get drinkware, games and all sorts of stuff to help you enjoy your outdoor recreation time.
Duluth Trading Company makes body and beard care items, too. You might be tough and rugged but you still need to take care of yourself, after all. You can practically never run out of items to browse at Duluth because the selection of things to buy here is so vast. Heck, you can even buy candy here.
If you like huge selection and stuff that’s optimized for having outdoor adventures, you’re going to like Duluth Trading Company. The prices here are slightly less expensive than similar items you can find at Filson, so you can buy even more. With the amount of stuff available here, you’ll probably want to!
Eddie Bauer (Less Expensive)
Eddie Bauer makes stylish clothing for men, women and children. You can find everything here, from activewear to everyday wear. If it’s casual and functional, it’s at Eddie Bauer. You can find anything you need here, from accessories like scarves and hats to outerwear like insulated coats and rainwear. T-shirts, sweatshirts, thermals, jeans, lined pants, shirt jackets. If it’s casual fashion, it’s here.
Not only is the selection of items here huge, but clothing items from Eddie Bauer also come in a wide range of different color options as well. You can even find a whole line of gender-neutral clothing items under this brand. And for the end of the day after the work is done, Eddie Bauer carries a range of loungewear, sleepwear, even slippers and blankets.
The clothing here is less expensive, on average, than similar items you can find through Filson.
The North Face (Less Expensive)
The North Face makes clothing for everyone, offering styles and sizes for men, women and children. The North Face was founded by two actual outdoorsmen and the clothing here is optimized for outdoor conditions, particularly the harsh and cold conditions you might face while mountain climbing. That’s where the name of this brand comes from. The north face of the mountain is the coldest and often, the hardest part of the mountain to climb.
Along with all the clothing you need to take on the outdoors, the North Face makes a big selection of bags and gear like blankets, tents, sleeping bags and everything you need to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. These clothes are made with a lot of technology in highly durable, high-functioning designs that are meant to perform well and keep you comfortable even in the harshest of conditions. These clothes are made to move with you and fit your body well even when you’re being active.
Like Filson, these clothes are not made to be trendy or fashionable. The North Face makes timeless, classic clothing that’s designed to perform and that’s just what this clothing does. If you like the high-performance, tough clothing you can get from Filson, you’ll find a lot of stuff to like at the North Face.
The pricing here is less expensive than similar items you can find at Filson.
Orvis (Less Expensive)
Vests. Flannels. Khakis. And quilted shirts that defy all clothing categories. You will find all of this and more at Orvis and you will find that it’s all tough and durable and ready to take you wherever you need to go to do whatever you need to do during the day ahead.
Orvis has a huge selection of clothing for men and women and many of the items here have multiple color options to take advantage of as well. Orvis specializes in hunting clothing and hunting gear, so you will find a lot of neutral styles and designs that are made to blend into the natural world outside.
You can find a huge selection of fishing gear and supplies here, including fly rods and reels. This brand definitely knows its outdoor activities and if you like the outdoors. And the more you like the outdoors and doing stuff outdoors, the more you’re going to like Orvis.
Prices at Orvis are less expensive, on average, than similar items you can find at Filson. These clothes are made for high performance but not high style. The colors are mostly neutral shades and Earth tones and the designs are mostly classic.
Schott NYC (Less Expensive)
Find stylish clothing for men and women, along with all the accessories to go with them, at Schott NYC. This brand specializes in motorcycle apparel. That means the clothes are both functional and stylish. There’s a great selection of cool leather jackets here, of course, along with work-friendly boots, hard-wearing blue jeans and T-shirts for days.
Schott NYC makes clothes for men and women, along with plenty of accessories that include leather polish, belts, hats, bags and even jewelry. Schott also carries a line of products that were made in the U.S.A. There’s a huge selection of flannel shirts here in all sorts of different color combinations, along with a slew of standard button-down shirts.
This is classic fashion with plenty of vintage-style motorcycle jackets. But like Filson, this is clothing that’s meant to perform. These items are made with cotton flannel and other tough materials that wear well and are easy to machine wash and maintain.
The clothing here is less expensive than similar items you can find at Filson, so you can get a little more and spend a little less.
United By Blue (Similar Pricing)
United By Blue makes outdoor clothing look cool, integrating fashion trends into the clothing to create items that are highly wearable and fashionable. Many items here come in multiple color options and all the items here are meant to be both flattering and functional.
United By Blue has clothing for men and women that includes activewear, practical casual wear for outdoor use, shoes and accessories that include water bottles and bags. You can even get pet accessories here, along with lots of living items like kitchen and dining products. United By Blue puts a lot of effort into using sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing practices.
The pricing here is similar to the price you can find at Filson for similar items.
Woolrich (Similar Pricing)
Woolrich, like Filson, makes a big selection of outdoor-ready, rugged clothing. You’ll find a ton of flannel shirt options in different colors here, including some trendier flannel styles that put a modern fashion twist on a wardrobe classic. Woolrich makes clothes for men, women and children, along with blankets that are ready to be taken on outdoor adventures, too.
This brand carries every type of outwear you might want, including lightweight options, heavyweight styles, water-resistant jackets, parkas and anything else you might need to stay protected from the weather. You can also get a range of polo shirts, T-shirt, sweatshirts and pants here, along with lots of other casual fashion items.
Woolrich also has accessories, including scarves, hats, bags and whatever else you might need to head outdoors. The clothes here are classic but with a modern twist. This is for people who love the outdoors and fashion.
The pricing here is similar to what you’ll find when shopping with Filson, so you won’t spend any more to get items from this brand.
Wrangler (Less Expensive)
Wrangler is most famous for making jeans and other items in denim but actually, this brand creates a huge range of different items that includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, outerwear and all kinds of casual clothing for men, women and children.
You can find a whole line of workwear here and you can find anything you need for the outdoors, too. The big selection of jeans at Wrangler is pretty hard to beat, of course. This is a well-known brand and Wrangler is also right on the cutting edge of fashion trends. The label carries a range of fashion staples and you can get plenty of classic pieces here but Wrangler also sells everything new and trendy in casual fashion, too.
The pricing here is less expensive, on average, than what you’ll find at Filson. Similar items cost a little less here. Wrangler, like Filson, has been in the fashion game for a really, really long time. This brand was established in 1904.
Wearing Brands Similar to Filson
Filson makes tough outdoor clothing and workwear that’s casual, timeless and made to perform well. But Filson isn’t the only brand that makes clothing to help you get through all your outdoor adventures, whether you’re looking for lots of technology or lots of trendy styles when it comes to what you’re wearing. There are many brands similar to Filson that have the clothes, the footwear, the accessories and even the gear you want. Explore them all and stand expanding your rugged, casual wardrobe.
FAQs
Filson makes a lot of items, which means there’s a lot to know about this brand. We searched for the most frequently asked questions about Filson and found the answers, so you get all the info you need about this century-old clothing seller.
Are Filson products made in the U.S.A.?
Filson still makes many products in its Seattle factory, along with other factories located throughout the U.S. However, not every single Filson product is still made in the U.S. Like many clothing brands, Filson has some products made in countries like China and India, where manufacturing costs are cheaper because employees are paid less and receive far fewer benefits if any.
If you want to make sure you’re buying U.S.-made products, check the label or the online information. All items should be clearly marked to indicate where they were manufactured. Some items are only partly manufactured overseas, with some components still made in the U.S. However, all products sold in the U.S. should indicate where on Earth they were made so the consumers know exactly what they are buying.
Can Filson boots be re-soled?
Can you have your Filson boots re-soled to extend the life of your footwear? Resoling boots can give you some extra wear and tear on them and in some cases, it might be worth it to have boots re-soled rather than purchase a whole new pair of boots.
However, re-soling can only be done to certain types of boots. Boots that are made with Goodyear welt construction, for example, can be re-soled because this is essentially a sewing technique. Other boots that are held together with glue and other methods, however, may not be eligible to be re-soled. Check with a professional shoe repair shop to find out if a specific pair of boots can be easily re-soled. If not, you may need to buy a whole new pair of boots.
Who owns Filson?
The Filson family no longer fully owns the Filson brand. Since 2012, the majority shareholder of the Filson brand has been Bedrock Manufacturing Company, which is based in Detroit, Michigan. This is a development group that buys and manages several American brands.
Sources:
Seattle Business Magazine – Filsons New Owner Honors a Rich Heritage
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