Let’s be honest, you need a bit of imagination to wind back to when the Aran jumper was first invented. And fair warning—there’s shamrock, sea spray, and a healthy dose of Guinness in the air. Right then, off we go.
First things first, you’re in Ireland, in County Galway. Ed Sheeran hasn’t yet written a song about the place, but you’re well and truly there. There’s a good 20 kilometres of wild Atlantic separating your Aran Islands from the nearest bit of mainland—and you call one of these jagged bits of rock home.
There’s Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr, a wild little chain of islands to choose from.
Like most guys on the island, you’re a fisherman. It’s the early 1900s, and it’s up to you to head out and secure dinner. There’s no chance of dialling in an Uber Eats, after all.
The 20th century dawns over the island’s chalky cliffs and, just like the centuries before, it’s not pulling any punches on the weather front. Let’s just say that your gaff’s energy rating isn’t up to much, it rains on average twenty-five days a month, and that’s before we even think of the weather conditions out at sea when the elements really kick off. In short, it’s a pretty choppy existence by today’s standards.
Luckily, your better half spent three weeks knitting you a new jumper—meaning you’ll be sorted for warmth for the next 15 years. Thanks, Maureen. Using wool from local sheep, she’s crafted together a proper jumper, knitted the Aran way. Lo and behold, it’s an Aran jumper.
A little slice of history
You get the gist, the Aran jumper is a chunky Irish knit originally worn by fishermen tackling some pretty grim weather. It’s been around for the better part of 120 years and comes with two standout features.
First up: the wool isn’t washed.
That meant it preserves the lanolin—a natural fat—which helps deflect water. The catch? It smelled a bit strong, let’s say. The bonus? Sailors could go out in all sorts of squalls and only come home three-quarters-soaked.
Second, we can’t ignore those famous knit patterns.
Story has it there were two dozen variations to play with, each with its own special meaning. When knitters mixed and matched different motifs, every jumper packed its own symbolic punch—and would show off your family or clan, kind of like a tartan does in Scotland.
This story could have remained on the Aran Islands if the jumper hadn’t been splashed all over the silver screen.
That was enough to send its status rocketing and earn it a place on the shoulders of some of the world’s best-dressed, from Munich to Manhattan. Not bad, from such humble beginnings.
The Asphalte Formula
In case you’re wondering what Asphalte’s got to do with any of this, it’s simply because it’s exactly the sort of garment that we like to add our own halfpenny to. Finding a proper Aran jumper outside Ireland these days? It’s a proper struggle.
So, as usual, we throw ourselves right in—digging into the story, staying true to the spirit, hunting down the best natural fibres, crafting a fit that actually works for your day-to-day, teaming up with trusty European makers and, of course, making it available for a fair price.
It’s the good old Asphalte way—and in our humble opinion, we reckon it’s worked its magic once again.
Preorder opens soon
Your Aran Jumper drops for preorder next Tuesday at 10 am with delivery scheduled for late January.
It’ll go for 149€. Not too shabby for 850 grams of pure Merino wool lovingly knitted in Portugal. Especially when you consider how much effort’s gone into each of those intricate stitches.
Miss out now and you might spot it again at a later stock sale —but then it’ll set you back 199€. The increased price comes from storage and all the fiddle with logistics, as you can imagine.
As always with Asphalte, whoever preorders first gets delivered first. The smart move? Sign up for the alert now and you’ll be the first to know when it goes live.
Thanks for your time and until then,
The Asphalte team