Corgi Socks: Where Heritage Meets Craftsmanship

Thursday, 14 December 2023
Corgi Socks: Where Heritage Meets Craftsmanship

For over 130 years, Corgi has been expertly crafting, in Wales, socks and knitwear across five generations of the Jones family, maintaining a tradition of excellence that dates back to its founder, Rhys Jones.

Corgis colourful yarns.

A Family Tradition

Today, the family business is overseen by Lisa Wood and Chris Jones, great-great-grandchildren of Rhys Jones. They’ve embraced their heritage and continued the legacy of creating the most exquisite knitted garments, accessories, and hand-finished socks. The heart of Corgi is very much alive in everything they do.

The Jones family through the years.

Craftsmanship and Heritage

Corgi’s products are designed and made in the heart of Wales, a region that has left an indelible mark on the brand. Highly skilled and dedicated craftspeople bring these creations to life, using a combination of traditional and modern methods unique to Corgi.

Hand linking is one of the many processes that Corgi Knitwear and socks go through.
Pressing and inspecting the socks – one of the final processes the socks go through.

A Storied Past

Corgi’s journey began in 1892 when it focused on crafting socks for Welsh miners. Its reputation soon grew, and it found itself creating argyle pattern socks for Brooks Brothers in 1939. During World War II, Corgi played a vital role by producing socks for the British troops.

In 1997, siblings Chris Jones and Lisa Wood took the reins from their father, Huw Jones, and transitioned the business from making socks to establishing and growing the Corgi brand.

Corgi’s commitment to excellence extends to its clientele, even royals. It is reported that Queen Elizabeth II herself had chosen Corgi socks, and even Prince George sports a jumper from the company. In a heartfelt gesture, Corgi created socks adorned with bees, a symbol of Manchester, to raise funds for those affected by the tragic Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.

Corgi Hosiery advertisement from the 1980s for knitwear jumpers.

By Royal Appointment

The pinnacle of Corgi’s royal recognition came in 1989 when it was granted a Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales, who is now King Charles III. This esteemed recognition reflects the unwavering dedication to quality and craftsmanship that is synonymous with Corgi.

Corgi Socks Today

Today, Corgi continues to be a symbol of heritage, quality, and craftsmanship. Their products, designed and made with love and dedication in Wales, carry forward a tradition that bridges the past and the present. At Cordings, we are proud to work each year with Corgi to create a bespoke collection of superlatively made socks, all made in ‘best in class’ cotton and merino wool and all with hand linked toes. Explore the latest collection of hosiery heaven – from tradritional navy to designs bursting with colour, that will make you want to hitch up your trouser leg that extra inch when you sit down!

Corgi hosiery staff outside of factory taken 100 years ago.
Corgi Hosiery staff outside of factory dressed in staff uniform. Resembling a staff photo taken 100 years ago.

SHOP CORGI AT CORDINGS

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