Have you ever thought about Nylon, I haven’t not really. This year marks the 85th anniversary of nylons invention, that’s 85 years od stretch! This synthetic material has truly revolutionised the way we use materials, it’s in our tights and our toothbrushes but have you ever wondered where it came from.
Nylon is a catch-all term for fibrous polymers, invented in the 1930s by the DuPont company. Dr Wallace Carothers was a chemist looking for an alternative to silk, though they didn’t create a substitute they did formulate Neoprene. This synthetic rubber was heavily used in the war and now in both its solid and as a latex substitute, and Fibre 6, 6 which would develop into Nylon. Nylon proved itself strong and flexible, and its commercial debut came just three years later creating much-needed jobs in the years of the Great Depression.
Nylon received all the benefits of the press. The public was keen to experience this silk-like textile that would make the stockings they desired affordable. The expectation was that the fabric would be robust, long-lasting and that it wouldn’t run. However, not all the public were on board, there was a press endorsed rumour that Nylon was made using a cavaerine, a chemical extract derived from the deceased, scientists had to try to get the public back on side by assuring them the chemical used was from coal and that there was nothing sinister about synthetics.
Just as the world was beginning to accept nylon stockings, the start of WWII required the worlds nylon supplies, to make everything from parachutes to mosquito nets. Women missing their new affordable stocking took to painting their less and a black market emerged. After the war ended eight days after Japan’s surrender, Du Pont announced that it would resume producing stockings and newspaper headlines exclaimed “Peace, It’s Here! Nylons on Sale!”. Overenthusiastic production, estimates lead to product shortages and as a result, riots broke out in department stores across America and the UK. There has been no other clothing item to ever insight crowds the way the humble Nylon stocking has.
Though Nylon stockings no longer inspire riots. This versatile material has become a mainstay of consumerism, you will find it inToothbrushes. Umbrellas. Toilet brushes. Fishing line. Windbreakers. Camping tents. Winter gloves. Kites. Dog leashes. Dog collars. Guitar strings. Guitar picks. Children’s toys. Racket strings. Medical implants. These are a mere sampling the nearly innumerable things made from nylon—and consumers have Wallace Carothers and his team at DuPont to thank for it.