How a Fisherman's Knit Became a Ralph Lauren Classic—and a Perfect Gift Leena KimDecember 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM 0 "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If the Breton stripe was France's solution for protecting its men at sea, the cable knit was the Irish answer. The style emerged in the Aran Islands around the turn of the 20th century, when fishermen's wives started knitting thick sweaters for their husbands.
- - How a Fisherman's Knit Became a Ralph Lauren Classic—and a Perfect Gift
Leena KimDecember 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM
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"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
If the Breton stripe was France's solution for protecting its men at sea, the cable knit was the Irish answer. The style emerged in the Aran Islands around the turn of the 20th century, when fishermen's wives started knitting thick sweaters for their husbands. The distinctive intertwined rope pattern, for all its nautical and even slightly Celtic vibe, served a practical purpose: It provided an additional layer of warmth against the Atlantic's harsh elements.
By the late 1960s the cable knit sweater, much like the sailor stripe, had become a classic in more patrician circles on this side of the ocean. Its reputation was further buoyed by the impeccably costumed Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair—a film that warrants a rewatch this season, for obvious reasons.
In 1973 Ralph Lauren introduced his own take. He procured cashmere from heritage Italian mills and streamlined the silhouette, removing the bulk of the cables without sacrificing an ounce of swaddling comfort. Soon Polo's cable knit cemented its place in every aspiring millionaire's wardrobe when Robert Redford wore a cream one in 1974's The Great Gatsby (which won the Oscar for Best Costume Design).
It remains a staple of the Polo canon. If you're manifesting a Ralph Lauren Christmas this year (Google it), start with these—one is for slinging over your shoulders, natch.
Polo Ralph Lauren cable knit cashmere sweaters ($498 each)
Polo Ralph Lauren introduced its cashmere take on the cable knit sweater in 1973. It has been a unisex house staple ever since. Allie Holloway
The cable knit style, which is marked by the twisted rope motif, originated in the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland as utilitarian workwear to keep fishermen warm. Allie Holloway
Little has changed about the Polo cable knit, although it now comes in a range of collectible colors. The cashmere is spun in an Italian mill and finished using a hand-link technique for seamless construction. Allie Holloway
This story appears in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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Published: December 09, 2025 at 03:45PM on Source: MARIO MAG
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