Business

H&M introduces Mauritz Archive collection

Global fashion player H&M has introduced a new menswear line that pays homage to the company’s history. H&M dusted off material from Mauritz Widforss, one of its two predecessor companies, to create the “Mauritz Archive,” a collection that includes $39.95 long underwear meant to be worn by today’s man as pants.

The products will be sold in around 250 stores and will be made available online from Sept 19 marking the latest step in H&M’s campaign to cater to men and help push prices higher amid sinking sales. With items such as a $59.95 jacquard sweater based on a decades-old pattern from a Mauritz Widforss catalog, the retailer is counting on the retro Scandinavian duds appealing to hipsters who have shunned H&M as too pedestrian yet are prepared to spend on trendy, well-made items with a storied past.

“H&M is slowly edging away from their usual mainstream offering, which is seen by many men as boring, lacking personality and uninspiring,” said Craig Landale, founder of U.K. blog Menswear Style. It’s part of a broader push into menswear. H&M earlier this year linked up with British cycling store Brick Lane Bikes to create a line of clothing for Mamils - middle-aged men in lycra.

While the stretch chinos go for 29.95 euros ($40) and caps for 9.95 euros are a fraction of what cycling fans would pay in specialty shops, they’re-priced well above many offerings at H&M, where a T-shirt can be had for under $6. An underwear partnership with soccer player David Beckham allows H&M to charge $34.95 for a three-pack of briefs bearing his name, almost twice the price of the company’s standard version.

H&M also announced that it is opening a menswear-only store in Stockholm next year. The retailer has about 30 men’s stores in eight markets. H&M can’t afford to ignore any customers. Europe’s second-largest clothier reported unchanged or declining same-store sales for six of the first 8 months of its current fiscal year.

The company is also using the menswear line to boost the perception of its quality. Many garments in the 21-piece collection are made from specialty fabrics, such as waxed cotton - a material also used by J. Barbour and Sons Ltd. to make its jackets waterproof. In an industry under fire for cutting costs and shifting production to low-wage countries, H&M has looked to suppliers such as Abraham Moon & Sons, established in 1837, which manufactures only in Britain.