`The answer to the $64m question, nylon stockings'

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Oct 27, 2005

Byline: By Denis Kilcommons

On this day in 1939 a new development in ladies fashion was launched at the New York World's Fair that by-passed Norah Batty like the snap of a garter.

Yes, nylon stockings were revealed to the world and were an immediate hit with women.

When the first supplies arrived in stores they cost about $1 a pair and 64m were sold in the first year, thus providing an answer that has always puzzled me. What is the $64m dollar question? Nylon stockings, of course.

Nylon was invented by Julian Hill, a scientist on a research team led by Wallace Carothers for the DuPont company. In 1935 he found that by pulling a heated rod from a mixture of coal tar, water and alcohol, he got a strong, sheer filament, of silk-like appearance.

At first it was used for fishing line, surgical sutures and toothbrush bristles. But on October 27, 1939, DuPont showed the nylon stocking at the World Trade's Fair.

They were described as "strong as steel, as fine as a spider's web and run-proof". None of these qualities appealed to Norah. She liked wrinkles. Other women were not so reticent.

Sadly, while the feminine world waited to embrace nylons, the Second World War got in the way. America joined the conflict in 1942 and the manufacture of stockings was cancelled for the greater effort: nylon was needed for parachutes and tents.

Ladies in Europe had worn stockings since the 16th century, in wool, cotton or silk. But nylon was a leap forward.

If the Moon landing had been one great step for man, then the invention of nylon was one wonderful pointy toe step forward for women, and I'm talking in social context here, without any slight intended. Nylon looked like expensive silk but was cheaper and wore better.

Of course, during the war women in Britain were lucky to have stockings in any material.

Which is why they turned to gravy browning and an eye pencil. They would mix up a cup of Bisto with which to give their legs an all-over tan and get a girlfriend to draw a straight line down the back of each leg.

If you didn't look too carefully, you might think they were wearing stockings - unless the rain came on and their legs ran.

"There goes Elsie Golightly," Norah would say, as a young woman hurtled past the queue outside Hollowgate chip shop circa 1940. "It's only just started to drizzle and her legs are running."

Then American servicemen arrived to a mixed reception. Chaps moaned they were overpaid, over-sexed and over here. They were also over here with nylon stockings, which were a currency of the highest value in anybody's language.

After the war, when normal production was resumed, there were nylon riots in the States whenever a supply of stockings arrived at a store.

Which is taking it a bit far. I mean, I grew up in the era when a glimpse of stocking was shocking but delightful, but I don't think I could have been driven to riot over a pair of American Tan.

And then came Mary Quant and mini skirts and stockings became impractical and tights were invented and, for men of a certain age, the world became a duller place and ladies these days usually wear tights.

Except for Norah Batty.