Hanes
Hosiery
Hosiery
In 1901, J. Wesley Hanes’s Shamrock Hosiery Mills in Winston-Salem began making men’s socks. In 1902,
P.H. Hanes Knitting Company, owned by brother Pleasant, introduced two-piece men’s underwear. Wesley
focused on the women’s market and Pleasant broadened his product line.
In 1938, with the introduction of nylon by DuPont, Hanes was among the first to recognize the potential to
replace silk in women’s hosiery. Later they developed seamless hose and panty hose. The two companies
merged to form Hanes Corporation. The idea to package hosiery in brightly colored plastic eggs, and sell in
grocery stores, made the L’eggs brand the most successful hosiery brand ever.
In 1950, R. Philip Hanes, Jr. began training for leadership and led the company to even greater success. He
was Chairman of the Board from 1978-1988.
In 1979, Sara Lee, known better for bakery products, acquired Hanes. In the next decade, the Hanes Her Way
brand became a hit. Michael Jordan, a promising young basketball player from UNC-Chapel Hill signed on
as a company spokesman.
1994, Hanes became a major sponsor for the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. When the
local laundry was inadequate, Hanes airlifted fresh underwear to sports reporters. For the 1999 Special
Olympics held in North Carolina, Hanes provided uniforms for over 35,000 volunteers. By 2000, Hanes was
the leading brand of apparel in the world, and could be found in eight out of ten American homes.
Blackburn, Charles, Jr., Our State, 75(6), 120-1.
Women sewing union suits at PH Hanes
1930s.
Source: UNC Archives Postcard collection
1930s.
Source: UNC Archives Postcard collection