The Aran sweater as we know it emerged on the Aran Islands in the early 20th century, its cables, diamonds and honeycombs knitted in undyed báinín wool. Its rise as a fashion object came with 1950s tourism and the Clancy Brothers, and by the 1960s the Aran was a global icon. The luxury interpretation of that heritage — knitted in fine merino, cashmere and alpaca rather than rustic wool — is the work of a few contemporary Irish houses, most notably Inis Meáin, which knits on the island itself.
Donegal, in the north-west, contributes its own tradition of flecked tweed yarns that appear in luxury knitwear from Ireland and abroad.
Knitwear houses in Ireland
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Inis Meáin
$$$Luxury reinterpretations of Aran island knitwear, made on Inis Meáin since 1976
Ireland knitwear: frequently asked questions
Which luxury knitwear brands are from Ireland?
Luxury knitwear houses from Ireland in this index include Inis Meáin. Ireland is home to the Aran sweater, the textured, cabled fisherman's knit from the Aran Islands off Galway, and to a small group of houses that have turned the island's hand-knitting heritage into refined luxury knitwear..
What is an Aran sweater?
An Aran sweater is a heavily textured knit from the Aran Islands off Ireland's west coast, characterised by cables, diamonds and honeycomb stitches in undyed cream wool. Modern luxury versions are knitted on the islands and in Donegal in merino, cashmere and alpaca.