GWG: Piece by Piece
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by Catherine C. Cole
New Brunswick, 2012 214 pp., illus., $29.95 paperback
While many of us have thought about blue jeans, particularly when trying to squeeze into them, fewer of us have likely pondered the stories and people behind the pants we wear.
In GWG: Piece by Piece, Catherine C. Cole does a delightful job in telling the tale of one of the country’s most beloved garment makers, Edmonton-based GWG. The book’s softcover coffee-table format lends itself well to telling a largely visual tale. The book abounds with images of old advertisements, interior shots of garment workers, and, of course, pictures of GWG blue jeans.
Sometimes it’s hard not to chuckle, though. A case in point is the unintentionally humorous advertisement showing a young Wayne Gretzky eyeing a leggy GWG-clad model. The fact that she’s wearing a mustard yellow “I luv Wayne Gretzky” T-shirt is a hoot.
— Mark Collin Reid (Read bio)
Mark Collin Reid is the Editor-in-Chief of Canada's History.