Hanes

American group of men’s underwear and men and women’s hosiery. It is world leader in the T-shirt sector together with Fruit of the Loom. Established in 1901 thanks to the business partnership between Pleasant and John Wesley Hanes, who left the tobacco business to start in the fabric industry. They had extraordinary intuition because the idea yielded money through Hanes’ two companies (one for the manufacturing of underpants and T-shirts, the second to manufacture and sell hosiery), which operate independently. The two businesses eventually merged in 1965 when they floated on the stock exchange. Thirteen years later, the group was acquired by Sarah Lee.
Hanes designed uniforms for the 35,000 volunteers who accompanied and attended the handicapped athletes participating in the Special Olympics in North Carolina.
25 years after the group’s acquisition by the Sarah Lee corporation, Hanes remains one of the top brands in the group. From its headquarters in Chicago, the corporation also controls Playtex, Wonderbra, and the underwear lines by DKNY and Ralph Lauren.