A Classic Aran Knit, Reimagined
Working with Matt Hranek of the WM Brown Project, we recreated a classic fisherman style. Blending heritage, craftsmanship and our super-soft Scottish lambswool, it’s a modern winter staple.
From Fishermen to Film Stars – The Story of the Aran Sweater
The British Isles are renowned for their rich knitwear heritage. Over the centuries, remote regions throughout the UK and Ireland, such as Guernsey, Shetland, the Fair Isles or the Yorkshire Dales, have developed distinct knitting styles, traditionally crafted from thick, coarse wool to protect the wearer from the elements.
Originating on the Aran Islands off Ireland’s west coast, the Aran style is one of the best known of these. In the late 19th century, British and Irish fishermen were invited to improve the region’s fishing industry and they brought their knitwear traditions with them. Soon the islands were producing their own distinct unique cable patterning using undyed, unscoured wool.
After the Second World War, the Aran style steadily became more popular. Aran knitting patterns appeared in Vogue in the 1950s and the Irish folk band the Clancy Brothers wore them on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1961. Soon the style was more likely to be seen on Hollywood stars than Atlantic fishermen. It’s hard to think of an Aran jumper today and not picture Steve McQueen chewing a cigar, though you could just as easily think of Elvis, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Robert Redford.