Are Kangol hats worth it?+
Kangol is a British headwear company famous since 1938, and that long history is a big part of the appeal. The name itself comes from its materials, the ANG from angora and the OL from wool, and the brand's furgora (an angora-wool mix) gives certain styles their soft, almost fur-like texture. If you want a hat with genuine heritage and a recognisable look, a Kangol earns its place.
Which Kangol cap should I buy first?+
For first-timers the two icons to weigh up are the flat cap and the bucket hat. The bucket, in the Bermuda Casual style, became the signature headwear for LL Cool J early in his career, while the flat-cap shape is the classic everyday Kangol. Pick the bucket for street heritage or the flat cap for a cleaner, more timeless silhouette.
Why is the Kangol bucket hat so iconic in hip-hop?+
In the 1980s Kangol berets and hats were adopted by hip-hop pioneers including Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Slick Rick and The Notorious B.I.G. The Bermuda Casual bucket hat became LL Cool J's signature, and the brand's profile rose further after the 1991 film New Jack City. That run cemented Kangol as a true symbol of hip-hop style.
What does the name Kangol actually mean?+
It is a clue to the materials. The K comes from silK, the ANG from ANGora, and the OL from woOL, so the name itself spells out what the hats were made from. A more recent claim that the K stands for "knitting" is incorrect, according to the brand's own history.
Why is there a kangaroo on Kangol hats?+
It comes from a happy misunderstanding. No Kangol hat has ever been made in Australia, but Americans so often asked where they could buy "the Kangaroo hat" that Kangol adopted the kangaroo logo in 1983. The animal stuck, and it has been part of the brand's identity ever since.
Who founded Kangol and where?+
Kangol was founded in 1938 by Jacques Spreiregen, a Polish-born Jewish immigrant who came to Britain via Paris and worked in wool, woollen goods and berets. With his nephew Joseph Meisner he opened the first Kangol factory at Cleator, Cumbria, in north-west England, later adding factories at Frizington and Carlisle. The brand has been quintessentially British ever since.
What did Kangol make before it became a fashion name?+
It started with practical, hard-wearing headwear for workers, golfers and especially soldiers. Kangol was the major supplier of berets to the armed forces during World War II, and it also provided the berets for the British Olympic Team in 1948. That military and sporting pedigree underpins the brand's no-nonsense reputation.
Did famous designers ever work with Kangol?+
Yes. In the 1960s designers Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin worked with the company, and its hats were worn by figures including the Beatles, Arnold Palmer and later Diana, Princess of Wales. So long before its hip-hop chapter, Kangol already sat on some very famous heads.
Which Kangol style do musicians wear today?+
Plenty still reach for it. Eminem wore the Cotton Twill Army Cap in his "Beautiful" video in 2009 and has kept army caps as a main style, while soul singer Gregory Porter is known for his Kangol Summer Spitfire cap. The Spitfire, made of furgora, was itself a celebrated 1990s release. The brand's link to music has never really faded.
Who owns Kangol now and where are the hats made?+
Kangol has been owned by Frasers Group since 2006, when it bought the brand from a private-equity fund. The global rights to Kangol hats have been held by the American hatmaker Bollman Hat Company since 2002. Production has moved on from the original Cumbrian factories, with hats now made at sites in Eastern Europe and the United States.
Is Kangol a British brand?+
At its core, yes. Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear, founded in Cumbria in 1938, and its roots in north-west England run deep. Ownership and manufacturing have since become more international, with Frasers Group as owner and US and Eastern European production, but the brand's identity and history are firmly British.
