Hanes
A value, mass-market brand rather than a plastic-free one. Hanes sells genuinely cotton-bodied basics - many briefs and undershirts are labeled "100% cotton" in the body - which reads as a natural-fiber choice. The catch is in the construction: the signature ComfortSoft and Comfort Flex "covered" waistbands are a synthetic elastic core (commonly a polyester/elastane knit) wrapped so the band looks like fabric, and heather colors and "performance"/moisture-wicking lines mix polyester into the body itself. So an "all-cotton" Hanes pair usually still has an all-synthetic band riding against the skin at the waist.
How clear are their specs?
Body fiber content is stated on pack (e.g. 100% cotton, or a cotton/polyester blend for heathers), but the covered-waistband composition is usually not broken out separately on the listing even though it is a distinct synthetic component; country of manufacture varies and isn't clearly stated per pack.
Products to avoid
Documented so you know what to skip — each still has a full breakdown and sources.
