On February 1, 1917, E.H. (Egbertus Hendricus, known as 'Edwin') de Waal founded a men’s clothing wholesale business in Amsterdam under the name E.H. de Waal. A significant part of the collection was sold under the brand Sir Edwin, promoted with the slogan “Sir Edwin, ondergoed is wondergoed
.” The company, based on the Keizersgracht, grew to become the largest menswear wholesaler in the Netherlands. In 1961, Edwin’s son Karel (nicknamed Kees) de Waal (1922-2025) took over the business. A year later, he added a small retail chain with four stores and introduced the
Captain Shop. In 1962, the chain was renamed Hij – initially Hij Herenmode, later Hij Mannenmode. The stores also sold boys’ clothing. After selling the wholesale business, the focus shifted to national retail expansion. By 1977, 75 Hij Mannenmode stores had opened across the Netherlands. That same year, Ronald de Waal – Kees’s son – joined the company, marking the start of international growth. In Switzerland, the company acquired about ten menswear stores and added another 30 within a few years. The Swiss stores operated under the name Hey. From 1983 onwards, Hij Mannenmode opened around 25 stores in Belgium. In 1984, Kees stepped down as director. Ronald continued expanding and, in 1986, acquired the womenswear brand Witteveen. These stores, active in both the Netherlands and Belgium, were soon rebranded as Zij. In 1989, following a fire at Witteveen’s head office in Amsterdam, the headquarters of Hij and Zij were merged into a new central office and distribution centre in Lage Weide, near Utrecht. Three years later, the company entered the German market with a store format combining Hij and Zij under one roof – the precursor to today’s WE stores. In 1994, the brand expanded to France, opening several stores around Paris. In March 1999, all stores were rebranded at once to WE – the start of a new international identity. Since 2009, the WE collection has also been available online, as well as via selected e-commerce partners. In 2010, the first WE stores opened in Vienna. In more recent years, WE has increasingly focused on online retail. Wefashion.com now represents a significant part of total sales. Online platforms such as Wehkamp,
Zalando, About You and Bol give WE access to millions of customers across Europe. Today, WE Fashion sells in more than 25 countries through these channels. Due to this shift in focus, the number of physical stores has been reduced to around 135, mainly in its core markets: the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. In 2019, the brand’s newest store concept launched in the flagship store on
Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. Many larger stores have since been redesigned to follow this concept. The new concept centres around welcoming, inspiring spaces that make every visitor feel comfortable, valued, and seen. Features include a ‘ring for service’ bell near the spacious fitting rooms, flattering ring-light-inspired lighting, and ‘catwalk’ mannequin setups to spark outfit ideas. The Kalverstraat flagship even includes a disco elevator for kids – perfect for filming TikToks – and a stairway where each step highlights how WE Fashion contributes to a better environment. ==Head Office==