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Nylon Stockings Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

DuPont's scientists, under the direction of Wallace Hume Carothers, first developed nylon. It was regarded as a revolutionary synthetic fibre due to its exceptional elasticity and tenacity.

Nylon Stocking Day occurs annually on May 15. It is a day to celebrate the history of this practical and elegant method for women to display their legs. It also encourages daily utilisation of these sheer stockings. This date in 1940 marked the first sale of nylon hosiery at Macy’s flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square. That day alone, some 72,000 pairs of hosiery were sold! Thousands of women descended upon stores in search of stockings. In only four days, four million pairs were sold.

The background of Nylon Stockings Day

DuPont’s scientists, under the direction of Wallace Hume Carothers, first developed nylon. It was regarded as a revolutionary synthetic fibre due to its exceptional elasticity and tenacity. It was utilised to produce experimental stockings with a cotton seam, silk welt, and silk toe. By extending newly sewn stockings over leg-shaped forms and steaming them, form-fitting, silky smooth stockings that never required ironing were produced.

As soon as nylon stockings were made accessible to the general public, they were deemed a tremendous success. Women from all over the world flocked to stores and purchased millions of this emblem of American innovation. It could not have arrived at a better time. With nylon displacing silk in stockings, the United States would no longer be dependent on Japan for silk. Seventy-five to eighty percent of the silk imported by the United States was used to manufacture women’s hosiery. It was a $400,000 per year industry, a substantial sum at the time.

The use of nylon was urgently redirected during World War II to the production of parachutes, aviation fuel tanks, shoelaces, hammocks, glider tow ropes, flak jackets, and mosquito netting. It may have helped win the war, but it stripped women of their leggings. They painted seam lines on their legs and applied leg makeup to resemble hosiery. Eventually, Du Pont was able to produce 30 million pairs of hosiery, and they were once again available for purchase.

The deceptively straightforward first pair of nylon stockings has become a symbol of America’s inventiveness, which has resulted in additional inventions and permanent improvements to American society and the world.

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NYLON STOCKINGS DAY ACTIVITIES

Buy your female pals stockings

Occasionally, stocking trips cannot be avoided. Any woman would appreciate an extra pair (or two) of hosiery.

Utilise stockings during a night out.

The next time you’re out on the town, replace your bare legs with hosiery for an old-school look. Not only will they be visually appealing, but they will also keep you warm.

Host a themed bash.

Gather your peers for a costume party with “nylon” as the theme. In addition to donning fun stockings, guests may also wear swimwear, activewear, undergarments, or simply carry an umbrella.