Kangol

Kangol is a clothing company famous for its headwear.

Founded in Cleator, Cumbria, England in 1938 by Jaques Spreiregen, Kangol (the K from silK or Knitting or Knitted, the ANG from angora, the OL from wool) produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers - they were the major beret suppliers to the armed forces during World War II, including famously Field Marshal Montgomery. [http://www.388308.com/flash.html]

During and after the war, Kangol berets were the height of fashion. In the 1960s, designers Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin worked with the company, whose products graced the heads of the rich and famous, including the Beatles and Arnold Palmer, and later Princess Diana. The company also supplied uniformed organisations such as the Scout Association.

In the 1980s Kangol berets entered a new phase of fashion history with their adoption by members of the hip-hop community, such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, and Kangol Kid of UTFO. The release of more consciously stylish products in the 1990s such as the furgora (angora-wool mix) Spitfire, was helped by its presence upon the head of Samuel L. Jackson in 1997. Kevin Eubanks, bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, sports a Kangol beret on an almost nightly basis.

References