Hast (an acronym for Honest And Simple Trend) was started in Paris in 2012 by three college friends, Thomas, Samy and Emmanuel, who began selling shirts, ties and accessories online only, with no physical store. The brand cut out the usual retail markup by skipping wholesale intermediaries and traditional marketing spend, using the savings to work with better factories in Italy and Portugal instead of cheaper ones. Its shirts specifically are produced in a dedicated workshop in the Baltic states, a supply chain the brand has kept consistent since its founding.