My Master’s Essay: The Creation of Nylon
I was recently told that I have been accepted onto my master’s course studying Fashion Cultures and Histories at London College of Fashion (LCF), starting in September. Part of my application was to submit an essay focusing on any part of fashion history that I wished to choose. Since I have been accepted onto the course I am assuming that my essay was not half bad, so I thought I would share it here on TORN. I decided to focus on the creation of Nylon, so if this is a topic that you wish to know more about then I hope you enjoy.
The history of nylon, from its creation to its commodification and necessity during the second world war, and eventually its popularity in everyday clothes, is important to understand because it has forever changed the worlds attitude towards synthetic materials. It is the pioneering material of fast fashion, and it has altered designers’ attitudes towards garments for the foreseeable future. Not only did the production of nylon have a significant impact on fashion after World War 2 (WW2), but it also gave mothers and wives more time as it was quicker and easier to wash and maintain, helping to change the stereotypical home dynamic that was for so long expected of women. The material even changed airplane travel. It is difficult these days to think about the fashion industry without including synthetic materials, however it was not long before the second world war that synthetic materials such as nylon were invented. Prior to the evolution of synthetic materials in the 1930s, in the United Kingdom (UK) womenswear was produced mainly out of wools and cottons (Webb, 2024). This essay explores how the effects of the first word war (WW1) led to the creation of synthetic materials, specifically nylon, and how WW2 then altered their commodity and availability,
To understand how and why synthetic materials were created, it is important to know the contexts in which they were researched and pioneered. Following WW1, The Treaty of Versailles was created in 1918. This was a 240-page long document (Kiger, 2023) which stated that Germany was responsible for starting WW1 and therefore needed to pay reparations to the Allies (the United States of America, France, Britain, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Russia). To fulfil its reparations obligations, Germany took a loan from the United States of America (U.S) and relied heavily on international trade. Despite the States’ insistence on being repaid, in 1922 it passed high tariffs on imported goods, making international trade increasingly difficult and reparations nearly impossible to be paid. Then the Great Depression hit America in 1929, and economies across the globe felt its impacts. The export business between Japan and the U.S plummeted and the raw silk industry alone fell 65% in one year. (Masson, 2011). In the U.S and the UK silk was heavily used for women’s fashion, including stockings. As a direct result of the reduction of silk imports into both countries, the American company DuPont began to investigate synthetic alternatives.
DuPont, an American chemical company founded in 1802 by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours (Britannica, 2025), is accredited as the pioneer of the plastics industry; the term ‘plastic’ “derived from from the Latin plasticas which means “that may be molded” (Masson, 2011). At the end of the 19th century Viscose was created, a semi-synthetic polymer; a polymer made by chemically modifying a naturally occurring polymer. It was commercially produced in the UK as early as 1910, and in 1924 it was given the name Rayon for U.S consumers. “With the success of Rayon, DuPont was on the hunt for a purely synthetic fiber that would one day replace silk hosiery.” (Masson, 2011). In 1928 DuPont convinced chemist Wallace Hume Corothers to join the company to research and pioneer such a fibre. Following years of research, in 1935 Corothers discovered a synthetic material that is today known as nylon, and by 1939 the material was being used in commercial production.
Made from polyamide monomers extracted from crude oil (Sewport, 2025), nylon; the name of which stems from its originally planned name ‘no-run “due to its perceived ability to resist “runs” when used in fabric”, is now known to be terrible for the environment, but at the time of its creation it was praised for being highly durable and versatile, however since “its inception, consumers have noted the pronounced inability of this fabric to wick moisture.” (Sewport, 2025). Regardless, the fabric had high stretchability, could withstand temperatures up to 220°C, and closely mimicked the effects of silk stockings. In the first year of commercial release, 64 million pairs of nylon stockings were sold in the U.S (Coffua, 2020).
10 years after the Great Depression, a bitter Adolf Hitler felt that Germany was being treated unfairly by the Allies and wanted to reclaim what he thought was rightfully Germany’s land, and in 1939 Germany invaded Poland beginning WW2. The Allies quickly declared war against Germany, and the rationing of materials in both the U.S. and U.K. began in 1940 (Masson, 2011). In the UK people were issued ration coupon books to use for groceries, cleaning products and textiles. In 1940 the books contained 66 points for clothing per year, however by 1945 this was reduced to only 24 points (Imperial War Museum, 2025).
Nylon quickly became a sort-after material due to its affordable price, durability and elegance. In the U.S and UK the production of nylon for fashion was stopped so the material could be used for war efforts, “particularly for parachutes as well as tents, ropes, and some rain-gear.” (Mason, 2011). The need of nylon for military use would last until the end of the war, resulting in women using alternative techniques to achieve the same looks that nylon garments achieved – especially with stockings and tights. Nylon stockings were famous for the seam down the back where the stockings were knitted together, and once nylon stockings became hard to come by due to the synthetic material being needed for military purposes, women began “mimicking this seam with a steady hand and an eyebrow pencil” (Reed, 2019).
Once WW2 had ended in 1945, the use of nylon for the military was no longer needed, and fashion retailers quickly began producing nylon stockings again; “DuPont jumped back into consumer nylon production almost as soon as the war ended, with the first pairs of stockings returning to stores in September 1945.” (Wolfe, 2008). A famous instance of women’s want of the limited hosiery was in Pittsburgh in June 1946 when “40,000 people lined up for over a mile to compete for 13,000 pairs of nylon stockings.”
Perhaps the most culturally significant influence of nylon is how the synthetic material helped to progress the expectations of women domestically. Prior to its creation, housewives would spend hours washing cotton and woollen garments that required careful and specific care, but nylon and other synthetic materials were much easier to care for and better maintained their shape meaning less time worrying about drying the garments in specific placements and ironing pleats. Another significant impact that nylon had was on transport, specifically via airplanes. The concept of carry-on luggage was only made possible because of nylon and its lightweighted nature. Robert Ermatigner, executive vice president of the Luggage and Leather Goods Manufacturers of America, said: “All the lightweight luggage (made of nylon) made this (mode of transport) possible.” (Krier, 1988).
Nylon’s impact on the fashion industry lasts to this day, with Haute Couture designers such as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Miuccia Prada famously using the material. The 1948 Dior Eugénie evening gown was made from blush-pink nylon and boasted a “tiered bell-shaped skirt with a hem that lengthens towards the back in what is called the ailée line.” (Kim, 2022). Prada has become the Haute Couture label perhaps most well-known for its use of nylon; another notable one being Iris van Herpen who is known for using 3D-printed nylon in her collections. Miuccia Prada, the head designer of Prada, once claimed, “Suddenly, nylon started to look more intriguing to me than couture fabrics. I decided to introduce it to the catwalk, and it challenged, even changed, the traditional and conservative idea of luxury.” (Yaeger, 2021).
Outside of the Haute Couture world, Nylon has infiltrated almost every corner of the high street. Brands such as H&M, M&S, Primark, New Look, Uniqlo and more, use nylon to make garments resembling high-end products for affordable prices. This opens the discussion of fast fashion, and it would be irresponsible to discuss the creation of nylon without mentioning its environmental impacts. Nylon is made from a non-renewable oil (petroleum) and requires an energy-intensive process to be formed. Not only that but once it is made, the material sheds microplastics that will wash into waterways and oceans, and it is a non-biodegradable fabric which will inevitably end up in a landfill at the end of its lifecycle (Truscott, 2020). In 2020, 5.4 million tons of nylon were produced using crude oils. More environmentally friendly processes are being created for nylon, for example creating recycled nylon. This is nylon produced from “post-industrial / pre-consumer or post-consumer waste” (Bethmann, 2021).
To conclude, the journey of nylon has been anything but a simple one. From its creation by DuPont in America in 1935, to its worldwide use in clothes today, the synthetic polymer has altered how fashion is made, and its accessibility, forever. Prior to the material’s commodification in 1939, both men and women’s garments were made predominantly from cottons, wools and silks. The aftermath of the first world war resulted in an international trade war, with the raw silk industry falling by 65% in one year, and the American company DuPont began to research synthetic polymers that could be used instead, discovering nylon in 1935. Following the second world war; when nylon was needed for military uses such as tents and parachutes, the synthetic polymer immediately came into fashion and was used to make nylon stockings which were incredibly popular in both Britain and America. In the last 80 years since, designers and high street brands have used nylon to make a plethora of clothes, including but not limited to dresses, trousers, shirts, ties and stockings. Despite nylon being a cheaper alternative to natural fabrics, Prada has famously used nylon in their designs, challenging what used to be considered luxury. Understanding the history of nylon is important as it has not only shifted the price, availability and speed of production of clothing, but also made a monumental impact on post WW2 fashion and cultures; it helped to change women’s domestic role, forever altered air travel, and saw the start of fast fashion as we know it today. Nylon is arguably one of the most influential materials in the last century, and thanks to its non-biodegradable nature, it will continue to be with us for a long time.
Bibliography
Bethmann R (2021), ‘THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF NYLON’, Performance Days. Available at: https://www.performancedays.com/loop/focus-topic/2021-12-the-sustainable-future-of-nylon.html#:~:text=Global%20total%20Nylon%20fiber%20production,due%20to%20COVID%2D19%202. [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Coffua S (2020), ‘The Nylon Tights Trend Started With A Tale Of Revolution’, British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/history-of-nylon-tights [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Imperial War Museum (2025), ‘8 Facts about Clothes Rationing in Britain During the Second World War’, Imperial War Museum. Available at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/8-facts-about-clothes-rationing-in-britain-during-the-second-world-war [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Kiger P (2019), ‘The Treaty of Versailles Punished Defeated Germany With These Provisions’, History. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-provisions [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Kim J (2022), ‘1948 – Christian Dior, Eugénie evening gown’, Fashion History Timeline. Available at: https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1948-christian-dior-eugenie-evening-gown/ [Accesses 11 March 2025].
Krier B (1988), ‘How Nylon Changed the World: 50 Years Ago Today, It Reshaped the Way We Live--and Think’, Los Angeles Times. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-27-vw-227-story.html#:~:text=World%20%26%20Nation-,How%20Nylon%20Changed%20the%20World%20%3A%2050%20Years%20Ago%20Today%2C%20It,We%20Live%2D%2Dand%20Think&text=Amazing%2C%20how%20a%20simple%20rearrangement,into%20a%20strange%20new%20substance. [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Masson M (2011), ‘The impact of World War II on women's fashion in the United States and Britain’, UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones, 1390.
Reed, P (2019). Fashion Evolution The 250 Looks That Shaped Modern Fashion. London: Conran Octopus.
Sewport Support Team (2025), ‘What is Nylon Fabric: Properties, How its Made and Where’, Sewport. Available at: https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/nylon-fabric [Accessed 11 March 2025].
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2025), ‘DuPont Company’, Britannica Money. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/money/DuPont-Company [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Truscott L (2020), ‘How companies can source nylon more sustainably’, Trellis. Available at: https://trellis.net/article/how-companies-can-source-nylon-more-sustainably/#:~:text=Like%20polyester%2C%20nylon%20is%20made,of%20its%20product%20life%20cycle. [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Webb D (2024), ‘The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of British Clothing Manufacturing: Where Are We Now?’, Underfound. Available at: https://theunderfound.com/blogs/news/the-rise-fall-and-rebirth-of-british-clothing-manufacturing-where-are-we-now?srsltid=AfmBOop7SVRsaHQuwoAe-44Tll4sd9dZvkpbtC8FFsbz7vghsRoviOqu [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Wolfe A (2008), ‘Nylon: A Revolution in Textiles’, Science History Institute Museum & Library. Available at: https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/nylon-a-revolution-in-textiles/#:~:text=Everywhere%20the%20stockings%20appeared%2C%20newspapers,to%20outside%20producers%20in%201951. [Accessed 11 March 2025].
Yaeger L (2021), ‘A History of Prada and Nylon—How the Textile Earned Its Fashionable Place’, Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/prada-nylon-handbag-history [Accessed 11 March 2025].
