June 2, 2010
There was a time and a place when any well respected, properly dressed, modern woman NOT only wore stockings but she would carry around a spare pair in her purse, just in case. Stockings were made of silk and they averaged about $2.00 a pair, maybe more depending on where you shopped. Today, the average American pays more than $2.00 for their morning cup of coffee. In 1940, the average American household lived on less than $24.00 per week so if you got a snag in your stockings I’m not sure you could just go out and buy another pair of stockings without sacrificing some of the family’s monthly allowance. Then, on May 15, 1940 the Du Pont Company changed how the modern woman bought and wore hosiery. It was the first day that nylon stockings were sold retail!
I came up with the concept of this blog weeks ago and thought it would be fun to explore the world of “plastic” clothing. However, as I am typing it, gallons and gallons of crude oil continue to spill into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and kill wildlife and seafood sources of the region. I now have writer’s remorse. I don’t want to give the impression that I support offshore drilling as a viable means to continue to produce synthetic clothing and textiles by writing about the fascinating world of nylon.
On April 20, 2010, a semi-submersible exploratory offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded after a blowout and sank two days later, killing eleven (11) people and causing a massive oil spill threatening the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida The rig is owned and operated by Transocean, Ltd., on behalf of BP.
Now, as I re-read what I started to write; I ponder this notion; “Did Mr. Du Pont’s vision of re-creating a world of synthetic fibers and materials for clothing include killing off some of our world’s richest, natural resources?” In 1937 new and exciting studies on hemp were being introduced to society. These studies of hemp coincided with Mr. Du Pont patenting his creation, nylon. Over the years it has been argued that Mr. Du Pont paid millions of dollars to private organizations to create special groups that advocate the criminalization of the production of hemp and slander its positive qualities, especially its use as a fiber in textiles. Do any of the labels on your clothing say 100% hemp? I know I don’t have any. The majority of my wardrobe is created from a fabric made of blended synthetics and cottons. Supporting recycling and reuse of already manufactured clothing, such as vintage articles is a safer way to wear the fabrics of the future.
I pray that the oil executives will control the spill and cease the production of future spilling of oil into the Gulf very soon. I also pray that a new awareness of the idea: “You Are What You Wear” will surface and force the textile industry to re-think how fibers are used.
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