The Aran Irish sweater gets its name form the the Aran Islands. These islands are located on the west coast of Ireland in front of the Galway Bay. The residents in this area are mainly of Irish descent. The Irish sweater is considered a work-of-art and a treasured piece of clothing. Each sweater can be hand-knitted or hand-loomed with intricate stitch detailing. The Cable Stitch is the prominent stitch found on the front of most Irish sweaters, with cream being the most popular color choice. The symbolic embossed patterns and designs on each Aran Irish sweater makes it a classic that will never go out-of-style. The Irish sweater is often handed down from generation to generation and is the ultimate symbol of Irish heritage.

An Irish sweater can be hand-knit or hand-loomed using Irish sheep's wool. An Irish sweater that is hand-knit will cost twice as much as the hand-loomed sweater. A hand-knit Irish sweater contains natural oils which makes the sweater more resistant to water. Before a hand-loomed sweater is made, it has to be stripped of most oils. This process makes the hand-loomed Irish sweater not as waterproof, warm or heavy. Hand-knit Irish sweaters have more intricate detail and choice of patterns. A sweater that is hand-loomed simply can't create some of the intricate stitches that can be found on the hand-knit Irish sweater.

An authentic Aran Irish sweater is only available in a few color choices. These sweaters are available in an untreated white wool from a white sheep, untreated heather gray, and a brown or gray wool that comes from a black sheep.

Each hand-knit Irish sweater can take up to 60 days to complete, with each stitch having its own meaning. The Cable Stitch is known to be reminiscent of the fisherman's ropes. It is also meant to wish a fisherman a fruitful day at sea. The Zig Zag Stitch is said to represent the twisting cliff paths that are found on the island. The Diamond Stitch represents the small fields on the island.

The demand for hand-knit Aran Irish sweaters increasingly grows. Finding hand-knitters, the economy and manufactured sweaters are some factors that make finding a hand-knit Irish sweater harder to come by, which makes an authentic Aran Irish sweater increasingly valuable. Many of the knitters that make this style of sweater belong to a generation of knitters that are considered part of a cottage industry.