The Day Women Found Pure Bliss: Nylon Stockings Hit the Shelves (21 photos)

Today marks a special anniversary in fashion history: on October 24, 1939, nylon stockings went on sale for the very first time at a department store in Wilmington, Delaware, sparking a wild frenzy among shoppers. American women were told that the invention of nylon was just as monumental for humanity as the internal combustion engine, the radio, or the telephone.

Here are a few fascinating facts and vintage photos tracing the history of this revolutionary staple of women's fashion.







1. It all began in 1938 in the laboratories of the DuPont chemical company, where scientists finalized the development of nylon—a new synthetic material backed by a massive promotional campaign.





2. A hosiery mill in Philadelphia. Photo: Lewis Hine.

Needless to say, the groundbreaking new product sparked immense public interest, though during the first few months, the stockings were available exclusively to DuPont employees.



3. An experimental pair of stockings made from nylon—a revolutionary material that added strength and elasticity to fabric.



4. The grand arrival of the "garment of the future" in New York in 1939, where DuPont hosted a launch event to showcase its invention.

Since stockings had previously been made of natural silk, ad campaigns drummed home a key message to American women: "wearing silk stockings instead of nylon is like choosing a horse over an automobile."



5. Vintage ad for the miracle product. Compared to silk, nylon stretched comfortably, held its shape, and made stockings resistant to both cold weather and moisture.



6. Stockings went on sale nationwide across America on May 15, 1940, drawing huge, eager crowds.



7. Some lucky buyers were so thrilled they put them on right there in the street. On the first day alone, 780,000 pairs were sold in New York. By the end of 1940, sales had reached three million pairs, with demand vastly outstripping supply.



8. A promotional photoshoot from the era.



9. In 1941, as World War II intensified, nylon production was redirected to make parachutes, military uniforms, and war supplies. Nylon stockings virtually disappeared from store shelves.



10. Yet women's desire to look stylish defied wartime hardships. Resourceful fashion lovers found a clever workaround: if you couldn't buy stockings, you could paint them on!



11. If a 1941 cocktail dress called for a pair of stockings for a special dinner, women would stain their legs with leg makeup and use an eyeliner pencil to trace the famous "back seam."



12. A classic case of beauty requiring sacrifice—along with patience and a steady hand.



13. 1942. A woman paints a fake stocking seam using an ingenious contraption made from a screwdriver, a bicycle pedal, and an eyeliner pencil. Photo: Bettman/Corbis.



14. Leg makeup for these purposes was quickly manufactured on an industrial scale.



15. Cotton stockings were also marketed as a nylon substitute during the war, but they were expensive and never caught on. Pictured: actress Ann Sheridan.



16. After the war ended in the fall of 1945, the coveted items finally returned to store shelves—and once again, women lined up for hours to get their hands on a pair.



17. Trying on a pair of stockings.



18. 1947. Shoppers at a store counter.



19. A model in an early 1950s stocking ad.



20. A photo from a Marilyn Monroe Christmas photoshoot.

As hemlines rose in later years, stockings evolved into nylon pantyhose—saving women from worrying about stocking tops peeking out for eager onlookers to see.