Kangol - Women

After returning to civilian life in England after WWI in 1918, Polish-born Jacques Spreiregen entered into the headwear market, importing Basque berets from France. Marketing them as a must-have post-war fashion item, he became increasingly involved in the production and distribution of berets over the next 20 years and in 1938, created the name KANGOL to distinguish himself from the competition. It is widely believed that Spreiregen combined the K from knitting, the ANG from angora, and the OL from wool. In 1954, the beret was re-designed into the first of the now famous Kangol caps by using stiffened materials to form a peak. Since then, the unique hats have been spotted on the heads of icons such as The Beatles, the British Olympic Team and Princess Diana. The label has firmly established itself as not just a fashion brand, but a cultural fashion fusion, taking the very best of British heritage and retro hip hop and mixing it with future fashion.