Already sold on the Cowichan sweater’s pedigree? We’ve got more timely knitwear intel right here.
On the East Coast, we’ve officially reached the stage of winter where checking the weather feels a little superfluous—you can reasonably assume every day will be freezing, and you probably hear about any chances of precipitation well in advance. Right now, we’re more densely layered than a casserole. And while we’ve talked up burly CPO shirts, big-ass coats, and blizzard-busting puffers this season, we’ve yet to mention one of the beefiest knits on the market: the Cowichan sweater.
Cowichan sweaters were originally knit by the Cowichans, a Coast Salish indigenous tribe that’s been living on Vancouver Island, in present-day Canada, for thousands of years. For those unfamiliar with Vancouver Island, it gets cold in the winter. Like, really cold. So to help mitigate the harsh weather, the Cowichans used fabrics like mountain goat wool to knit blankets, leggings, and sweaters. Then, in the mid-1800s, Europeans arrived in Canada, bringing both sheep and regional knitting techniques—including Fair Isle—along with them.
Within a few years, the Cowichans were vamping all over the original track in the best way possible, creating their own distinct style of sweater in the process: a bulky, preposterously warm shawl-collar joint with an open front, often fastened with buttons or zippers. Real-deal Cowichan sweaters are always hand-knit with a burly one-ply yarn, preferably one that’s handspun and chunky-as-hell, often with a killer pattern in the mix.
Long before the existence of central heating or poly-down fill, they were made to withstand some of the harshest winters in the world—that they looked great was more of a welcome bonus. So great, in fact, that they’re still made to roughly the same specs today, with the same degree of consideration. In 2025, it can be difficult to find an authentic Cowichan sweater—one knit by Cowichan tribespeople, with wool sheared off local sheep—but there are more than a few options that get eerily close.
The best of the bunch, like those from Kanata, check all the boxes you should be looking for and then some: hand-knit in Canada from a cushy, extra-thick, locally-sourced one-ply yarn, and outfitted with a big ol’ shawl collar and the occasional knit pattern. Same goes for the seafaring riff from Faiz T.S. & Co., which mostly lets the cable-knit do the talking and takes a staggering 140 hours to complete.
Looking for a sweater with the same heft but a slightly softer hand? Chamula makes an incredible version out of merino wool, each hand-knit in Mexico from hand-dyed yarns. Nepenthes also offers one that’s made in Canada, and would look righteous with nothing but dark selvedge jeans and a thermal shirt.
For a streamlined take on the silhouette, RRL’s hand-knit zip cardigan runs a touch slimmer than its counterparts, and for anyone particularly enthusiastic about White Russians (or hall-of-fame sweaters), the Dude-approved Pendleton Westerley is always a safe bet.
The best way to rock one? Well, among the Cowichan’s most winning qualities is that it’s a bit of a dealer’s choice. When the weather is apocalyptic, you can layer ‘em beneath a winter coat, but they also make for killer fleece replacements; the wide-gauge yarn won’t feel stifling indoors the way a polyester pile can.
They look great with a flannel and jeans, hit especially hard with plush corduroys, and even play nice with staples usually associated with more temperate climates. (Steve McQueen famously wore his over a popover and chinos on the seaside set of Sand Pebbles, a look we wholeheartedly endorse.)
Would we recommend adding a Cowichan to your closet on a whim? The steep price means probably not. But if you’re looking for a layer with a lot more pedigree (and a little more personality) than an anodyne black fleece, it’s tough to beat.
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