Episode 160. The inventions of nylon was immediately purported to produce stockings for women in the 1940s. However, shortly after its invention it was rationed for wartime use during WWII. Women still needed their stockings, though! This episode covers the high demand for nylon stockings, what women did to get through the ration, and what happened when they came back. Spoiler alert: it wasn't pretty! 

 

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Sources

“The 1946 Nylon Riots: Unruly Crowds of Women Battled for Stockings” by Rose Hiechelbech

https://dustyoldthing.com/nylon-riots-of-1946/

 

“The Way It Was - Nylon Wars, 1946” by George Bulanda (Sept 25 2019)

https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/nylon-wars-detroit/

 

“With Nylon Stockings Scarce, Women would Paint their Legs so it Looked like Stockings, 1940s” (Sept 18 2025)

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/nylon-stockings-shortage-1940s/

 

“Nylon: the reason we won World War II - and started shaving our legs” by Shannon Corbeil (Dec 20 2022)

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/nylon-ww2-why-women-shave/

 

“WWII and the Nylon Riots!” (Oct 1, 2021)

https://rosietheriveter.net/wwii-and-the-nylon-riots/

 

“Nylon Stockings: A Historical Journey from Wartime Rationing to Nylon Riots” by Zuzana (Dec 4 2021)

https://www.lifescienceart.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/nylon-stockings-wartime-rationing-nylon-riots/

 

“The rise, fall and riots of nylons: A sheer success 85 years ago this month” by Monica Zurowski (May 20 2024)

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/the-rise-fall-and-riots-of-nylons-a-sheer-success-83-years-ago-today

 

“How Nylon Stockings Changed the World” by Kimbra Cutlip (May 11 2015)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-nylon-stockings-changed-world-180955219/

 

“The Fascinating History of Nylon Stockings: A Fashion Icon” by Matthew Elliott

https://www.historyen.com/nylon-stockings/#google_vignette

 

“History of Hosiery”

https://www.stockingirl.com/pages/history-of-hosiery

 

“The History of Silk Stockings” 

https://www.girlsandnylons.com/history/silk-stockings.html

 

“The History of Stockings and Pantyhose: From 1900s Silk to Modern Tights” by Ditte J (Sept 26 2025)

https://memery.us/blogs/historical/the-history-of-stockings-and-pantyhose-from-1900s-silk-to-modern-tights

 

“From Silken Threads to Nylon Dreams: A History of Stockings” (Jan 17 2025)

https://missmonmon.com/2025/01/17/from-silken-threads-to-nylon-dreams-a-history-of-stockings/

 

Sound Credits:

 

Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay 

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/city-angry-mob-loop-6847/

 

Music by MMAudio from Pixabay 

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-jazz-mission-possible-512526/

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