THE NYLON RIOTS OF 1945: When the United States entered WWII in '41 all resources were diverted to the war efforts.
THE NYLON RIOTS OF 1945: When the United States entered WWII in '41 all resources were diverted to the war efforts. Both silk and nylon were used to make parachutes and tents so stockings became a scarcity on the home front. Women sufficed by tinting their legs with dye and drawing seams up the back to create the illusion of hosiery.
When nylon stockings resumed production at the Du Pont plant in August 1945 – just 8 days after Japan’s surrender in WWII, it sparked a series of disturbances in America known as the Nylon Riots.
It had been more than 3 years since stockings had been widely available, and Du Pont was unable to meet demand as thousands of women lined up for a limited number of stockings. In one of the worst cases in Pittsburgh, there were 40,000 women lining up all day for 13,000 pairs of stocking – which led to fighting, hair-pulling and general hysteria as the mob rioted!
The riots began in September 1945 and continued to escalate in severity until demand was finally met 7 months later when Du Pont was producing 30 million pairs of stockings per month.
#WWII #WorldWarII #Fashion #1940s #Nylon #NylonRiots #Synthetics #PostWar #Textiles
When nylon stockings resumed production at the Du Pont plant in August 1945 – just 8 days after Japan’s surrender in WWII, it sparked a series of disturbances in America known as the Nylon Riots.
It had been more than 3 years since stockings had been widely available, and Du Pont was unable to meet demand as thousands of women lined up for a limited number of stockings. In one of the worst cases in Pittsburgh, there were 40,000 women lining up all day for 13,000 pairs of stocking – which led to fighting, hair-pulling and general hysteria as the mob rioted!
The riots began in September 1945 and continued to escalate in severity until demand was finally met 7 months later when Du Pont was producing 30 million pairs of stockings per month.
#WWII #WorldWarII #Fashion #1940s #Nylon #NylonRiots #Synthetics #PostWar #Textiles
I had not heard of this before, but it shouldn't come as a big surprise!
ReplyDeleteI believe that congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce became associated with the nylons fiasco and was ultimately quite embarrassed by the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteAnn Kennedy sounds like quite a drama. I think I'll try to read more about this
ReplyDeletePatsy Priebe Luce was an interesting woman, actively involved in politics when few others were involved. Here is a little bit of info to get you started. Not meant to be a promotion of the blog but it will get you started:-) http://www.annbkennedy.blogspot.com/2012/04/january-26-1946-stocking-lines-steel.html
ReplyDeleteAnn Kennedy great! thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnn Kennedy you have the most wonderful blog!
ReplyDeletePatsy Priebe Thank you for the encouragement. I'm plugging away to finish the project, but there are still about 400 letters to go and some days I wonder if I'll make it!
ReplyDeleteA mob of angry women, now that's scary.
ReplyDeleteWhat? They didn't have yoga pants in 1945?
ReplyDeleteSweat pants would have cured everything... ;-)
ReplyDeleteOshi Shikigami possibly even the post-war baby boom
ReplyDeleteValid point, Patsy Priebe! LOL
ReplyDelete"fighting, hair-pulling and general
ReplyDeletehysteria"....sounds like any line in New Jersey!lol
Pam WhimsicalVintage LOL!!
ReplyDelete