The Nylon Riots of 1945,Before World War II one of the most popular consumer goods were nylon stocki

The Nylon Riots of 1945,Before World War II one of the most popular consumer goods were nylon stockings, nylon having been invented by engineers working for DuPont five years earlier.  However when the US entered the war in 1941, all nylon and silk was redirected for the production of war materials, namely parachutes and cordage.  Stockings became a scarce commodity, often sold on the black market for as much as $20 a pair.  Those who could not afford that price either did without, or “painted their legs” to appear as if they were wearing stockings.When the war ended DuPont announced that it would resume civilian production of nylon.  While DuPont made grandiose claims that it could begin producing millions of pairs within the year, in reality it took time for DuPont to retool and adapt to a peacetime economy.  The result was that production was slow at first.  When the first pairs of nylon stockings hit the stores, tens of thousands of women lined up to buy them.  Stores were mobbed with women clamoring for stockings.  In New York City 30,000 women queued up for what few pairs were available.  In Pittsburgh 40,000 women crowded the streets to buy one of the only 13,000 pairs that were available. While the craziness was peaceful for the most part, at some places the competition became rowdy as women formed mobs who bashed through doors, overturned store displays, and brawled against each other for a pair of hose.  There were instances of kicking, screams, scratching, and hair pulling, all for a simple pair of stockings.The shortages of stocking continued until 1946.  By then DuPont began to re-adjust to peacetime production.  By March of 1946, DuPont was manufacturing 30 million pairs of stockings a month. -- source link

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