Which apparel brand known for underwear is owned by Berkshire Hathaway?

Which apparel brand known for underwear is owned by Berkshire Hathaway? Fruit of the Loom is the answer.

Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of Fruit of the Loom’s basic apparel business on April 30, 2002. The deal followed Fruit of the Loom’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy and made the apparel company an independent, wholly owned Berkshire subsidiary.

Fruit of the Loom is best known for underwear, but its product range also includes T-shirts, fleece, activewear, casualwear and children’s clothing. Berkshire’s purchase included the Fruit of the Loom and BVD brands, and the company remained headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

A common mix-up is to choose Hanes, Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger. Those are major apparel or underwear names, but they are not the Berkshire Hathaway-owned brand described here. Another related fact readers often ask about is why Berkshire bought it: Warren Buffett cited the strength of the brand and the managerial talent available to rebuild the business after bankruptcy.