Will Your Hanes Tighty Whities Soon Offer More Fiber?

HanesBrands, the maker of cotton-based undergarments and active wear, is developing new products made from flax -- a crop used more often in cereal than in underwear.

What's behind the innovation? Price, of course. Hanes' action is a direct response to the rising costs of cotton prices. Prices of cotton have doubled since August of last year. About 60 percent of Hanes' products contain at least 90 percent cotton. Last January, Hanes Chief Executive Richard Noll predicted that the price of certain cotton items would rise by as much as 30 percent by the end of the year.

And why not look at flax?