And on this day, women found happiness – nylon stockings went on sale.
Today is considered a kind of birthday for nylon stockings: on October 24, 1939, nylon stockings first went on sale in a department store in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, creating an incredible rush among shoppers. American women were told that the invention of nylon was no less important for humanity than the internal combustion engine, radio, and telephone.
We've collected some interesting facts and photographs from the history of this intricate piece of women's clothing.
It must be said that the appearance of such a popular product generated enormous interest among American women, but in the first months the stockings were only available to employees of the manufacturing company.
Since stockings were previously made from natural silk, an advertising campaign explained to American women that "wearing silk stockings instead of nylon is like choosing a horse over a car."
1. So, in 1938, the laboratories of the chemical concern DuPont completed the development of the synthetic material nylon, which was accompanied by an active advertising campaign.
2. Philadelphia Hosiery Factory. Photo: Lewis Hine.
3. An experimental pair of nylon stockings, a material that gives strength and elasticity to any fabric.
4. The ceremonial arrival of the “revolutionary clothing of the future,” as the new product was called at the time, in New York in 1939 for the presentation of its invention organized by the DuPont company.
5. Vintage advertisement for a miracle product. Compared to silk, nylon stretched well, retained its shape, and made stockings resistant to frost and moisture.
6. National stocking sales in America began on May 15, 1940, causing huge lines.
7. Some lucky owners of the new item even wore them on the street. On the first day alone, sales in New York City reached 780,000 pairs. By the end of 1940, sales reached three million pairs, with demand significantly exceeding supply.
8. Advertising photo shoot from that time.
9. In 1941, due to the needs of World War II, nylon production was diverted to the manufacture of parachutes, clothing, and various materials for the army. Nylon stockings became a rarity.
10. However, women's desire to follow fashion and look impressive proved stronger than the difficult events of those years. So, a solution was found: stockings could be… painted!
11. If, for a festive dinner in 1941, a pair of stockings was absolutely necessary with a cocktail dress, they were made using varnish, and a dark pencil was used to draw the famous “seam at the back.”
12. This is exactly the case when “beauty requires sacrifice”, as well as time and special skills.
13. 1942. A girl creates a design for a stocking using an ingenious device made from a screwdriver, a bicycle pedal, and a cosmetic pencil. Photo: Bettman/Corbis.
14. The varnish for these purposes was accordingly produced on an industrial scale.
15. During the war, cotton stockings were also advertised as a replacement for nylon, but they were expensive and did not gain widespread popularity. Pictured: actress Ann Sheridan.
16. After the end of the war, in the autumn of 1945, the “revolutionary product” again appeared in stores, and again women stood in lines for hours to buy it.
17. Trying on stockings.
18. 1947. Customers at the counter.
19. A model in an advertisement for stockings from the early 1950s.
20. Photo from Marilyn Monroe's Christmas photo shoot.
Later, short skirts came into fashion, and stockings "fused" and took on the appearance of nylon tights - ladies no longer had to worry about elastic bands being exposed to a man's passionate gaze.