The revolutionary nylons
Image Credit: DuPont Ad (1940s, exact date unknown) via Wired.com
Recently, we’ve seen sheer stockings make a big comeback.
Commonly called nylons or pantyhose, one could assume this resurgence is a result of swapping three (or is it four?) years of pandemic athleisure to match our (finally) busy social calendars.
For me, it’s the way they effortlessly elevate any outfit. Stretching and moulding to fit my curves with just a peekaboo of skin, adding monochromatic flair to an all-black-outfit (of course).
With sheer nylons, I’m ready to tackle the latent politics of boardrooms, the romance of a dimly lit spot for two, or the late-night dancing with the company of good friends.
But what if I told you they also revolutionized fashion manufacturing, sent women rioting in the streets and shook up geopolitical tension in World War II?
Friends, let’s dig in.
The invention
It all started with young, brilliant chemist Dr. Wallace Carothers and his experimental lab at DuPont, an American chemical company – getting free reign to research whatever he wanted.
Unknowingly, it was their first major invention as a team in 1931 (a synthetic material imitating rubber – think today’s wetsuits) that would set Dr. Carothers up for the discovery of nylon four years later.
(If the name DuPont seems familiar – yes, it is the same Du Pont family that Steve Carell plays heir to in the film Foxcatcher about the US wrestling team.)
But let’s get back to the science (of amassing great fortune).
While Carothers and his team were busy working on a way to make DuPont money, hosiery worn by women at this time was made from silk, by and large imported from Japan – aka an expensive material that often snagged and tore.
With growing geopolitical tension between the two countries and WWII looming, DuPont knew there was a big opportunity to undercut expensive silk imports from Japan and encouraged Carothers to continue focusing on synthetic fibres.
Combining coal, water and air, Carothers is credited with inventing nylon in 1935 – a synthetic fibre known for its ability to stretch, retain its shape and dry quickly.
The DuPont Drop
Despite rumours within the textile industry (can we imagine that group chat), DuPont remained quiet until the nylon patent issued in September 1938, with nylon being announced nationwide the following month.
Upon discovery of this game-changing material, it is alleged that DuPont’s Vice President ignored sharing this news first with the scientific community, and instead went to his target audience – women at a New York trade fair (talk about a PR strategy).
Initially only available in Wilmington, Delaware (DuPont’s HQ), every Wednesday the women of Wilmington would line up and rush to get nylons that were in limited supply. DuPont simply couldn’t keep up with demand, selling out in mere hours.
Image Credit: Crowd outside a nylons sale in San Francisco, 1946 via Glamourdaze
By the time nylons were introduced across America on May 15, 1940, DuPont sold nearly 800,000 pairs that day, ultimately selling 64 million pairs in its first year.
But let’s talk about that money, honey.
Nylons cost roughly $1.15 – $1.35 USD a pair (with inflation, $25.00 - $29.40 today) – making first year sales an estimated $74 – $86 million ($1.6 – $1.8 billion today). To put it in perspective, Taylor Swift just grossed $1.04 billion for her recent Eras Tour.
With this immense popularity, nylons became synonymous with stocking – versus its intended scientific name, a generic designation of a class of polymers (think how we use the terms kleenex or botox generally today).
Nylons go to War
In December 1941, the United States entered World War II and disrupted DuPont’s nylon darling, diverting all of its output to military needs, producing parachutes, uniforms, and ropes.
Following this news, it is alleged 40,000 women in Pittsburgh lined up to purchase 13,000 available stockings. Referred to as the nylon riots (go off queens), fights broke out across the country as women lined up for a coveted pair.
(Reminds me of living through the early 2020 pandemic – toilet paper panic, moms sewing homemade masks and distilleries making hand sanitizer that smelt like tequila – an ode to diverting resources to help the cause.)
Now, where were we? Ah yes, women rioting for synthetic silk.
As nylons became scarce during World War II, women became so desperate they resorted to putting creams on their legs and painting seams down their legs to give the illusion of nylons.
Some companies went as far as to sell makeup for women looking for the nylon look.
Image Credit: 1943 Ad for Charles of the Ritz leg makeup, via SarahSundin.com
(It’s giving Kim K. releasing contour makeup for your legs, or when I bought tanning lotion in high school thinking I looked 100% even – dear reader: I. did. not.)
But eight days after Japan’s surrender in August 1945, DuPont announced it would resume its nylon stockings. In response, the newspapers allegedly cheered “Peace, It’s Here! Nylons on Sales!”. As always, the audacity of the media and marketing.
The impact
We can’t overstate nylon’s influence on life as we know today – the manufacturing of fashion, the development of synthetic materials (inspiring polyester) and the revolution of how we now dress for comfort and convenience.
For me, I also believe the story of nylons provides a glimpse into the power of women as consumers, a long-ignored audience that companies and marketers are finally tapping into (think when alcohol companies realized ‘mommy juice’ could be an entire category).
On the other side of the story, many argue the invention of nylon perpetuated the wasteful consumer culture we see today – with cheap labour overseas and the ramp up of companies chasing chemical patents.
And are we still wearing real nylons today?
Despite Sheertex (the popular non-rip stocking) and other brands like it being synonymous with nylons/stockings, its materials are made from a proprietary fibre using “one of the world’s strongest polymers” – aka not the original nylon recipe from DuPont.
As you pull your favourite shirt out of your closet (or from the floor – let’s be real), take a quick look and peep that label.
We are living in the blend era of synthetic fibres, that nylon spurred in 1935.
Until next time,
- TSH xx
Thank you for reading the second instalment of The Style Historian.
I so appreciate you being here with me – I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a comment letting me know your thoughts. And let me know if there’s anything else about nylon you’d like to know – there was enough information for me to write a part two, but as promised, I wanted to be succinct! Have a wonderful week ahead.
Below are some very helpful resources that I used to write this.