Kangol

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

British-founded headwear brand known for berets and bucket hats.

There's no proof Kangol pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.

Better-graded bags and accessories

Graded higher than Kangol, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

7 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Vestiaire Collective and Grailed and 5 more · See them allGood The Social StudioClothing & footwearSocial enterprise fashion labelIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond AkubraClothing & footwearRabbit-fur felt hatsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified Otto & SpikeClothing & footwearAustralian-made wool beanies, scarves, socksIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 1 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Kangol names some of the countries it makes in: the United States. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
United States	Systematic violations	Below a living wage	Low
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
BangladeshUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
VietnamUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
CambodiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
IndonesiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
PakistanUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Makes part of its range in its own factories
Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.

Research notes Kangol hats are made under licence by Bollman Hat Company, which produces some styles, such as the 504 cap, at its own factory in Pennsylvania, USA, after moving machinery there from China in 2016; more than 70% of Bollman's hats are wholly imported, and older Kangol production was in China. Neither Kangol nor Bollman publishes a factory list, production shares, audit results or a living wage commitment, and no modern slavery statement for the brand was found. No labour abuse findings at its suppliers have been reported.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Listed	Kangol is not rated itself in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; its 49% owner Frasers Group scored 5 out of 100 (2026), while majority owner and licensee Bollman Hat Company is not rated. Shop Ethical rates Kangol D+. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

Kangol - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Bollman owns 51% of Kangol LLC (bought from Frasers in 2023), Frasers 49%; over 70% of Bollman hats wholly imported; D+ rating
Frasers Group - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Frasers Group scored 5/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; lists Kangol (49% owned)
Copeland Borough Council: news on former Kangol factory site, Cleator · search the archive · The Kangol factory in Cleator, making hats since 1938, closed in 2009 with the loss of 32 jobs
Rural Pennsylvania hat company keeping 'made in America' alive (PBS NewsHour, 2016) · search the archive · Kangol hats long made in China; Bollman began making Kangol headwear in Adamstown, Pennsylvania in 2016
Bollman Hat Company to bring Kangol 504 production to Adamstown from China (Coalition for a Prosperous America, 2015) · search the archive · Kangol 504 made in China since 2006; Bollman moving knitting machines to the US
Kangol cotton bucket hat (ASOS Australia) · search the archive · Kangol hats sold online to Australia via ASOS

Published by Kangol or its owner

Kangol · search the archive · Kangol trademarks owned by Kangol, LLC and used under authorised licence

Company details

Owned by: Kangol LLC: Bollman Hat Company (51%) and Frasers Group (49%)
Headquarters: United States
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Kangol ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kangol, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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