The Nylon Shortage and Paint-On Stockings during World War II,During World War II our parents, grand

The Nylon Shortage and Paint-On Stockings during World War II,During World War II our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents made some incredible sacrifices in order to win the war.  The military needed everything in order to fight, including food, medicine, weapons and ammo, clothing, and metals.  Many goods were of short supply or even rationed.  Even common everyday goods such as gasoline, butter, meat, and sugar could be rationed due to war shortages.On February 11th, 1942 the War Production Board, the government agency that coordinated America’s wartime economy, announced that all of DuPont’s production of nylon would used entirely for war materials.  Introduced in 1939, nylon was primarily used at the time (and still is) for women’s stockings.  However nylon is also very important for several war materials, such as parachutes, tents, tires, ropes, and cordage, all of which were needed in great supply for the military.  As result nylon stockings were no longer available, neither were silk stockings due to silk shortages.I first learned about the stocking shortages from my grandma, who was a young woman living in Pittsburgh, PA during World War II, and how she and other women of her generation learned to do without.  Women began to paint their legs with pancake makeup and draw a line down the back of the leg with an eyebrow pencil.  This created the illusion of a nylon stocking with a seam running down the back.  After a short while this technique caught on and soon women all over the country painted their legs, creating a whole new fashion.  It was only a matter of time before companies began to produce special “liquid stockings” with different formulas and tints.  One of the most popular companies was Leg Silque, which offered dozens of different tints and formula’s.  Department stores and malls even had special “leg makeup bars” were women could pay to have stockings painted onto their legs by professionals.When the war ended in 1945 the production of nylon for the military ended and commercial production returned.  DuPont once again was back in business making stockings, however it some time for DuPont to retool their factories for civilian production.  The result was a secondary shortage of nylon that caused an event known as the “nylon riots”.  In cities all over the country mobs of tens of thousands of women hit the streets to buy the few nylons available in stores.  For example, in Pittsburgh 40,000 queued up for only 14,000 pairs.  Chaos ensued as women pushed and shoved to get to them first, destroying shelves and displays, and overall causing more destruction to stores than profit.I will have to ask my grandma if she rioted for stockings back in the day. -- source link

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