How is it the last day of July? I'm not ready. In coastal New England, the crowds thin as August goes on and the water is finally warm, and I intend to wring every last drop out of it. In a sweater, apparently.
I have three saved eBay searches containing the word “Cowichan.” Speaking about fall feels criminal but I operate by a rule you’ve heard me say before: opposite season is the best time to hunt for vintage. Few others are looking, sellers are motivated, and the finds are plentiful.
I call it opposite-season hunting, and next week it arrives in strong form on PMLF: a roundup of leathers, suedes, and other delicious company for cooler seasons. But related, and first: sweaters.
Going back to the theme of my first post ever (shopping for a summer mandarin jacket), I’ve been on the hunt for a “summer Cowichan” to wear in Maine next month on our sailing adventure. Below is my vision (and a snapshot from my first ever cruise in Maine).
A confession: I do own two Cowichan sweaters already, both of which I love and wear a lot. A traditional classic-patterned one that mostly makes appearances out west (and has done many winters of cozy duty), and a black one with red koi fish (similar to the captain below) that fits me a bit slimmer and lives in nyc. I wear both a lot (casually, but also dressed up a touch for dinners) so I can vouch: they’re versatile, well-made, and easy to wear but still unique and cool.
A brief history tangent, because the hunt is always better when you know what you’re hunting. Cowichan sweaters come from the Coast Salish knitters of the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, BC.
In the late 1800s, Salish spinners (who had been weaving blankets for generations) blended those traditions with knitting techniques brought over by European settlers. Cowichan sweaters are meant to be working sweaters for fishermen: hand-spun, bulky wool that keeps its lanolin (thus somewhat naturally water-resistant), knit in one piece, and with geometric or animal motifs.
What to look for. My criteria, in order: thick, hand-spun, and knit in one piece (so ideally no seams at the sides). A shawl collar, a zipper or buttons, and a motif of your choice (birds, deer, whales, geometric, etc.). On labels, the two or three names you’ll typically see when hunting:
Genuine Cowichan: hand-knit by Coast Salish knitters, usually with no tag at all
Mary Maxim: the Canadian pattern and kit company from the 50s/60s. These are typically knit by somebody’s grandmother from a pattern, with charmingly unhinged motifs (curling! horses! square dancers!)
Kanata (or White Buffalo): Canadian commercial makers on tags from the 70s through 90s. Machine-assisted but quality wool, and a great option given the entry point.
New “Cowichan” sweaters (like this one, this one, and this one) are double the price of vintage and not always 1) hand-knit, 2) wool, and 3) as cool (imo).
My first roundup is summer-themed, which is what I’ve been hunting for. The plan is to wear the winner on the sailboat over this base:
Of course, as luck goes, it will probably be 95 degrees when we are in Maine. But alas, I’ll wear it regardless all fall with a different base (perfect for the park on weekends or as an elite wfh outfit).
Row by row, left to right:
Ebay Kanata whale Cowichan (I ordered this exact one but a medium) Large; $266
Ebay 60s nautical Cowichan (My favorite of the haul but also a splurge) Large; $600
50s Scuba Cowichan (So whimsy; it’s very fun) Medium; $340
Ebay whale palm tree Cowichan (More modern than the others, but what a fun motif) Large; $279
Ebay 50s fishing Cowichan (The back has a very fun fish) Medium; $299
Ebay red whale Cowichan (I love the pop of color) Small; $299
I can’t do a vintage Cowichan roundup and not give you said vision for cooler temps. As always, the bases are easily interchangeable for basics you already have in your closet. I’m imagining jeans, a semi-sheer, long-sleeve fitted tee, and some kind of textured bag.
Cozy, right? Switch out the birkenstocks with cowboy boots when you’re out west or with ballet flats in the city to an early Sunday family dinner. The below roundup would be my fall and winter contenders, if I were in the market:
Row by row, left to right:
Ebay duck Cowichan (If I didn’t already have a good white one…) Large; $179
Brown horse Cowichan (Ralph Lauren makes a similar one for $800) X-Large; $336
Mary Maxim ski Cowichan (Think apres!) Small; $190
This sold before I could post it, but very similar Large on eBay here for $159
Mary Maxim horse Cowichan (horse girl is in for fall; love the pop of green) Large; $180
Kanata car Cowichan (Boy moms, this would be a hit; perfectly whimsy) Medium; $285
The lesson: Cowichans can do it all and opposite-season hunting works because everyone is too hot to think about sweaters (or leather).
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Finders keepers (in July),
SN
Some of these links may earn me a small commission, which I appreciate, since this whole thing runs on love.
Each week(ish) I’ll be sharing things from across home, fashion, travel, and littles…mostly wherever my vintage hunting and rabbit-hole deep dives take me. Thank you for the support.
not me literally writing about how I cannot talk about fall today and then now finding myself in a Cowichan rabbit whole with multiple new saved searches. oops.
They had a major moment recently, when Ryan Gosling wore a fox version of Mary Maxim’s blood thirsty wolf pattern in Project Hail Mary. Mary Maxim couldn’t keep up with kit orders from knitters.