I noted a little snippet in our local news paper today. On this day 15 May 1940, Nylon stockings went on sale in America. In the first eight hours, 72,000 pairs were sold in New York city alone. Graham
They arrived in the UK some time after. Mum was very fashion conscious and wore them around the end of the war. But they easily got 'laddered'. Then it was me who took them to a local store for repair.
The reason they appeared later in the UK was that the Government requisitioned supplies for the war effort (apparently - I am not an expert!!): 21 May 1940
Me neither Tony, The product did generate mass intrest, Wikipedia claims fights and riots broke out, such was the demand. Nylon riots - Wikipedia Graham.
Nylon stockings became a currency for US servicemen posted to Britain before they were available on the open market As I remember those without access to the new fashion accessory used to paint their legs to simulate the nylon stocking.
Daily Herald, Thursday, April 6, 1950 For the avoidance of doubt, my interest in this topic is purely in the interests of historical research.
Here is an interesting and amusing entry in a 1AGRA intelligence summary for 29th April 44 "The Cellulose Factory" At 09.00 hrs today two sections of 155mm Heavy guns of 12 & 14 Btys 54Hy Regt. R.A. carried out a special shoot on the Cellulose Factory (1118) to the west of CHIETI...... It concludes as follows..... There is no doubt that the shoot was a successful one and extremely accurate as a predicted shoot. Altogether 185 rds were fires at the target. The final paragraph reads What on earth our wives would say, however, if they discovered we had been shooting at a possible silk stocking factory does not bear contemplation