February Fashion: The Cowichan Sweater

Credit: Clinton Hussey

The Cowichan sweater has a time-honoured place in the pantheon of Canadian style somewhere between the fringed belt of Quebec’s Carnival and the Roots Olympic bucket hat.

So it should have come as no surprise that the Bay’s Team Canada Olympic sweater sparked some controversy when it was unveiled last October. Although hand-knit, the Olympic sweater does not use traditional wools or traditional colours, nor is it knitted by Cowichan First Nations people.

However, like all iconic fashion pieces, the Cowichan sweater has often inspired contemporary designers to put their own twist on a classic.