This is what the ‘M’ stands for in H&M
Sometimes, acronyms become so familiar we forget they’re acronyms at all.
Think of companies such as ASOS, which stands for As Seen on Screen (you did know that, didn’t you?)
And many fans of H&M might be familiar with the fact that once upon a time, the high-street retailer was called Hennes – the Swedish for ‘hers’ – back when it first opened in 1947 and sold exclusively women’s clothing.
But what about the ‘M’ in H&M, and why was it added onto the company’s name the first place?
In 1968, Hennes changed its name after acquiring another brand: Mauritz Widforss.
Which was – slightly weirdly – a hunting and fishing equipment retailer. But either way, the store added men’s and children’s fashion to its repertoire.
Though according to Cosmopolitan, it only officially became Hennes & Mauritz and shortened into the easier-to-spell H&M in 1974.
It’s nice to know that H&M – sorry, we mean Hennes – is still going strong 70 years on and making bold new moves when it comes to sustainable fashion (even if its sizes have been called out as a bit iffy).
And though the name Hennes definitely has a ring to it, Hennes & Mauritz doesn’t so much, so we’re glad that the company decided to shave a bit off itself.
It’s as if it knew that 40 years later, we’d be hurriedly WhatsApping one another where on earth we are on Oxford Street.
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