The history of nylon stockings
Feb 19, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Contemplating the world-wide impact of nylon stockings
As Cole Porter sang in 1934’s Anything Goes, “In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking but now, Heaven knows, anything goes.” Stockings were an essential part of any vintage lady’s wardrobe, a key feature of retro culture, and as we move on in fashion we find icons like Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, reviving the trend. Join us as we discover more about the history of nylon stockings.
The history of nylon stockings
In the early 1930s Dr. Wallace Carothers and his team from DuPont were looking to invent a cheap and durable alternative to silk stockings. With hemlines on the rise since the end of World War I, ladies were demanding more sheer and fitted stockings to show off and complement their legs. The flapper girl wanted more neutral tones and nylon was the only product that could deliver.
New York World’s Fair
Debuting at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, they were immediately popular. They were less baggy and less expensive than their silk counterparts. Like their Edwardian predecessors, the stockings were fully fashioned to match the leg’s outline and were knitted at the top of the stocking. (Remember elastic had not been invented yet).
When they were released the advertising tag line “strong as steel” was put to the test. Within the first year over 500 million pairs had been purchased in America and the average working woman went through an estimated 36 pairs per year.
Image from Antique Rose
World War II pushed nylon from the realm of fashion into war-time uses: parachutes and tents for example. Despite this shortage, American GI’s would bring nylon stockings with them to Europe to impress their British sweethearts. After the war was won, American women were clamoring to get their hands on the stockings that had been missing for so long. This led to a series of nationwide riots, which spoke to just how important this invention was to women’s daily life.
How to preserve nylon stockings
This advice comes directly from the scientists at DuPont. There are two main things to keep in mind: buy shorter stocking lengths because the less fabric you have to pull, the lighter the strain on the material and always slide your stockings on, because rolling them on creates unnecessary pressure on the stocking.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: The BBC, Wikipedia, Plastics: The Making of a Synthetic Century by Stephen Fenichell, and the people who post their images without restriction.
Do you wear vintage nylons stockings? Have any tips for repairing or preserving your stockings? How do they make you feel?