Nylon Stockings 1940.

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by ozzy16, May 15, 2019.

  1. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    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
     
  2. TriciaF

    TriciaF Junior Member

    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.
     
  3. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    The reason they appeared later in the UK was that the Government requisitioned supplies for the war effort (apparently - I am not an expert!!):
    Nylon.jpg
    21 May 1940
     
    PackRat and ozzy16 like this.
  4. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Me neither Tony,
    The product did generate mass intrest, Wikipedia claims fights and riots broke out, such was the demand.

    Nylon riots - Wikipedia

    Graham.
     
  5. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    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.
     
  6. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Daily Herald, Thursday, April 6, 1950
    Franconia.jpg
    For the avoidance of doubt, my interest in this topic is purely in the interests of historical research.
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  7. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    That is a huge amount of money!
     
  8. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    About £3.40 million!
     
  9. hutt

    hutt Member

    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
    DSC06104.JPG
     
    Owen, DianeE, Jba45ww2 and 2 others like this.

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