Liquid Stockings
How nylon changed the homefront
Prior to 1940, women wore hose (stockings) made from cotton, silk, wool, or rayon. The nylon stocking, made by the DuPont company and patented in 1938, debuted at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and went on sale in the U.S. in May 1940. Wildly popular, DuPont sold 64 million pairs of stockings in the first year. Nylon stockings offered elasticity, greater strength, and a leg-hugging appearance that rivaled expensive silk stockings. Silk stockings vanished from stores when the U.S. cut off trade with silk-producing Japan after Pearl Harbor. The government seized the remaining silk already in the country for military manufacturing.
Nylon is a synthetic polymer with extensive commercial applications. Manufacturers can convert nylon into fibers, films, and shapes. War products manufacturers needed nylon for parachutes, tents, shoelaces and other products. On February 11, 1942, as WWII raged on, the War Production Board put a halt to women’s newfound love of nylon hose. Nylons that once sold for $1.25 a pair soon commanded $10-20 on the black market.
Christine Crist, a college student during WWII recalled, “Occasionally, a store would procure some nylons, and students would rush in nonchalantly, buy a sweater, and then say, ‘Oh, by the way, can I have a pair of nylons,’ because you just couldn’t just buy them.”
Women resorted to creative ideas such as dyeing their legs with tea bags or buying liquid stockings, a cosmetic formula applied to the legs to simulate nylon hose. Many women used an eyebrow pencil to create a line down the back of their legs. This was certainly more difficult than applying eyeliner! Liquid stocking make-up would last up to three days if you avoided bathing in hot water.
Which do you think felt worse? The warmth of nylon stockings in summer, or the feel of make-up on your legs?
At long last, the war was over. DuPont began advertising in August 1945—“Nylons for Christmas!” and “Nylons for New Year’s.” However, pairs of nylons weren’t available until later in January 1946. The result was “Nylon Riots.”
The New York City Macy’s sold 50,000 pairs in six hours. In Pittsburgh, 40,000 women queued up for 16 blocks to buy only 10,000 pairs of nylons. In San Francisco, a store halted sales when it was mobbed by 10,000 shoppers. Newspapers reported that screaming, shoving, hair-pulling, and near rioting were common.
The first sale of nylons in San Francisco following the war drew 10,000 people onto Market Street. The sale closed early when a display window caved in from the force of the crowd.
In Augusta, Georgia, crowds stampeded through a store. Detroit planned ahead—the crowd was civil because of a large police presence. The nylon acquisition frenzy subsided by April 1946, but it still took DuPont three years to catch up with demand.
From my novel, Dear Nora—Mother writes to Nora on May 22, 1944:
“Yesterday, I distinguished myself at Sunday School by tripping over the threshold. Being the last one to enter the room, the whole class witnessed my fall from grace. As I stood up, I caught Maimie Miller rolling her eyes. Everyone else rushed to help me. I bruised both shins but didn’t damage my hose. Healing bruises is easier than replacing precious nylon hose. I’ve tried the rayon and cotton varieties, but they get baggy around the knees.”
Nylons were so popular post war that the Sanderson Hosiery Company erected a 35-foot statue at its new factory in West Los Angeles. On opening day in 1948, actress Marie Wilson, who was the model for the giant leg, was hoisted up for publicity. Do you suppose author Jean Shepherd, whose childhood is depicted in the movie “A Christmas Story”, saw the ‘Big Leg’ as a child?
The best way to truly honor those who have died in war is to eliminate war.
Humans can create and sustain lasting peace on earth.