nylon

While on vacation, I realized how much we take nylon fabric for granted. Yet this most twentieth-century of creations was the first fiber to be synthesized from petrochemicals. While rayon and acetate are older by a few decades, the development of nylon set off a fashion frenzy. Eight years after its introduction, nylon hosiery was a highlighted product at the San Francisco Exposition of 1939. Women clamored for this new stocking material, which proved stronger and cheaper than silk stockings. Special types of nylon fibers appeared from the 1960s on.

Nylon was the must-have synthetic until 1969, when polyester made its debut. If you want to learn even more amazing facts about this fiber, check out Nylon: the story of a fashion revolution.

On an earlier post, I had a comment asking when the pantsuit was invented. Some people are rushing to say Saint Laurent did this, but the truth may be a little less obvious. Both Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein had a great deal to do with regularizing feminine skirt suits. I’ll look into this, along with a request for information on the origins of the navy blazer, and report back later this summer.