1960’s Classic Vintage Cowichan Style Heavyweight Hand-Knit Sweater Jacket - Fish & Whale Scene
Handmade in the USA
Unisex Size: X-Large
Color: Navy Blue, Gray & Cream
Material: 100% Wool (no material tag)
Bust: 24” flat
Length: 25”
Sleeve: 25”
Shoulders: 21
high shawl collar
brass full zipper front. (Talon brand)
side seams
cable knit trim
heavyweight, thick and warm
Good vintage condition with. No rips, holes or stains.
MORE INFO:
The Cowichan is a uniquely Canadian sweater. Originating in the mid 1800’s on the rugged shores of Vancouver Island, the design tells the story of one group of First Nations people and has become a symbol of their craftmanship, ingenuity and their fight to protect their heritage over the decades. It’s also a very cool looking piece of knitwear and extremely warm and practical!
The popularity of the sweater by the mid-1900s thrust Cowichan sweaters into the world of international fashion, where they have been appropriated by non-Indigenous designers.
While copies of Cowichan sweaters surfaced in the 1920s, the more famous imitations came during the 1950s to 1970s. By this time, Cowichan sweaters were internationally well-known. Many celebrities wore imitation designs in public, including Marilyn Monroe during a 1962 photo shoot, Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles in 1966, and actor Michael Glaser in the popular 1970s television series Starsky & Hutch.
Probably the most famous Cowichan inspired sweater is the cardigan worn by Jeff Bridges as The Dude in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Some people now refer to it as “The Dude Cardigan”.
