In the 1870s, a Yorkshire mill-worker named Joseph Dawson invented an efficient new mechanical process for separating the softest cashmere from its harsher guard-hairs, inspired by an overland journey through India. The process revolutionised the production of fine cashmere clothing. The company founded by Dawson later became a conglomerate which acquired Pringle and another old Hawick company, Ballantyne.

Throughout the 19th century, Pringle manufactured undergarments (vests and stockings), but in the Edwardian period, ventured into outerwear production with coats for men and women. 'Robert Pringle and Sons' became a limited company in 1922. In 1934, the company hired Otto Weisz as head designer. Weisz’s innovative twinset for women decisively transformed soft woollens from underwear to comfortable and daringly figure-enhancing outerwear.

This switch of production sparked over 30 years of successful selling of men’s and women’s luxury knitwear, with garments being modelled by high-profile, fashionable movie stars, from Margaret Lockwood to Lauren Bacall. Pringle garments, and cashmere in particular, were highly sought after and available from exclusive outlets. In the years following the second world war, Pringle joined the effort to restore Britain’s economy through an export drive. This led to a great boost in the number of lines manufactured especially for high end U.S. stores, associations which lasted through the 50s and 60s.

During the 1980s, Pringle increasingly lost its way both style-wise and financially, becoming unfashionable, associated mainly with sportswear, and falling victim to the rise of cheap imports. In 1999, after 10 years of worsening business, Dawson International sold off Pringle, seeing it as a less desirable global brand to its sister company, Ballantyne. By this point, the firm were reduced to producing largely run-of-the mill sports knits, rather than the cashmere and patented Argyle patterns of their glory days.

The brand, and its remaining factories in Hawick and Galashiels, were bought by Hong Kong businessman Kenneth Fang, who placed Kim Winser (formerly of Marks & Spencers) in charge as CEO. Mirroring the successful rebranding strategy of Burberrys, they repositioned Pringle as an exclusive designer-driven, vintage-tinged line available only from glossy boutiques and luxury department stores. An aggressive marketing campaign was backed up by head designer Stuart Stockdale’s new collections – some lines of which were sourced from selected archive designs which had been stored at the Hawick factory. Pringle’s first salon show was presented at London Fashion Week in 2004. Stars are once again photographed wearing Pringle.

James Pringle of Inverness is a separate brand, specialising in more traditional kilts and knits.

See also:  Cashmere Sweaters

LABEL STYLES

1 - Early label from a short-sleeved, tawny cashmere sweater. This is possibly from the 1930s, as the lettering style and layout is quite different from those used in the late 1940s and 1950s. ‘Pure Chinese Cashmere, Made in Scotland’ is printed on a separate label sewn into the side-seam.

2 & 3 - Alongside a plain ‘Pringle of Scotland’ label, Pringle’s common ‘Pringle of Scotland for ------’ label, used for lines produced exclusively for some high-end UK and a wide range of US department stores. The consistency of style, size and layout of these labels suggests they were all added in the factory. By the late 40s, the national export drive had prompted the Scottish companies to concentrate on creating a consistent brand identity for their overseas lines.

4 - 50s intarsia design label

- The rampant red lion, used on Pringle labels from early on, was registered as a trademark in 1950, but continued to be used by other Scottish brands on their labels throughout the 50s and 60s. It disappeared from Pringle labels in the 60s, 70s and 80s (although used as an embroidered motif on sweaters), making a come-back in 2002.

- Pringle was granted its first royal warrant by the then Queen in 1948; her daughter Queen Elizabeth II granted a second royal warrant in 1956. Her red royal warrant seems to appear on tags, and increasingly on the left of the label itself, replacing the rampant lion, from this date.

- Another symbol used on labels of both Pringle and other Scottish cashmere labels is the ‘vase’, probably standing for pure Scottish cashmere, appearing from the late 50s or early 60s onwards.

5 - Pringle own label, with royal warrant and ‘vase’ from a cashmere men’s cardigan,.

6 - - From a 1960s lambswool sweater, ‘Made in Scotland by Pringle for Lewis & Thos. Saltz, Washington’ – an unusual format label apparently added by the dept. store rather than by Pringle (who were probably responsible for the fabric content label instead).

- Permanent fabric size tags don't appear to be used in Pringle sweaters until at least the 1960s. From c.1970 (or 1973, when the UK joined the EEC) metric chest measurements appear alongside imperial inches in the corner of labels. In the 1990s, the size was often relegated to a separate fabric tag.

7-A 60s label with size. 

8 - From a 1970s v-neck lambswool argyle patterned sweater.

- Pringle’s famous ‘Intarsia’ and ‘Cashmere’ lines were given additional branding identity in the 1980s with specially formatted labels, often using glossily woven lettering. These may have run parallel to plainer, more traditional labels.

9 - A plain, traditional-looking Pringle label from an Argyle-patterned lambswool cardigan – the multi-lingual fabric and care labels of this cardi date it to the 1990s.