Kangol: Popularizing the Beret

Headwear have been a popular form of clothing since ancient history. Utilitarian in that they provide protection from the harsh weather elements, headwear have also long been considered fashion statements, reflections of a culture or creative expressions. Plain and flat or large and trimmed with plumery, hats and similar head coverings have come a long way in the centuries they have existed. Since 1938, Kangol has been a word-recognized brand in hat manufacturing, having made popular the iconic beret that is still seen and worn today.

Kangol was founded in 1938 in Cleator, Cumbria, England by war veteran Jacques Spreiregen. Spreiregen initially entered the business importing berets from France in 1918. In the next 20 years, he became increasingly interested and involved in the hat business, marketing berets as a post-war fashion item. Spreiregen came up with the name Kangol as a combination of silk, angora and wool, and began producing berets for golfers, workers, civilians and of course, soldiers. Kangol soon became a favorite hat brand, and was the leading supplier of berets for the armed forces during World War II, famously gracing the head of General Bernard Montgomery.

After World War II, Kangol saw a rapid increase in popularity as berets became a fashion staple. Kangol was the supplier of berets for the English Olympic Team in 1948. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Kangol reinvented the original beret design to accommodate newer hats such as the stiffer Carricap and the Kangol seamless cap. Popular designers Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin contributed to Kangol, which began seeing growth abroad. In the sixties, Kangol was able to secure a deal that made them the sole manufacturer and distributor of headgear featuring the Beatles, which greatly benefitted both the band and the hat company. By the time the 1980s came, Kangol was in full swing, with the likes of Princess Diana of Wales wearing a Kangol hat on the cover of a 1983 Vogue magazine. Soon, Kangol caps began to gain footing among American rappers such as LL Cool J and in the hip-hop industry.

Now owned by Sports World, Kangol has remained an iconic hat brand, with popular celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson still sporting them in photos and press events. Kangol now produces a wide range of headgear, all made with the same quality and heritage that the company has been loved for all these decades.