09-04-2009, 09:15 PM
Silk Stockings Go to War
In one of many unlikely pairings, ladies silk and nylon stockings played an important part in winning the war. At the time, silk was the only material out of which powder bags could be made. Powder bags contained the charge of gunpowder used in firing the "big guns." Silk was completely destroyed during the firing, unlike other materials that left a residue, which required cleaning the gun between shots.
salv30-5.jpg (Dimensione: 15.12 KB / Download: 928)
The caption to this cartoon reads: "If I can put up with painted stockings, what's wrong with having your socks mended likewise?" (Folder 5, Box 30, Defense Council, OSA)
Nylon stockings could be melted, respun into nylon thread, and manufactured into war products such as parachutes. With their silk and nylon stockings drafted into the war effort, stylish women needed alternatives. Many used leg make-up, otherwise know as "bottled stockings," that could last up to three days assuming no baths were taken. Some women even used eyebrow pencils to paint faux stocking seams on the backs of their legs. Sacrifice, and ingenuity it seems, were boundless!
( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ww2/services/salvage.htm">http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ ... alvage.htm</a><!-- m --> )
In one of many unlikely pairings, ladies silk and nylon stockings played an important part in winning the war. At the time, silk was the only material out of which powder bags could be made. Powder bags contained the charge of gunpowder used in firing the "big guns." Silk was completely destroyed during the firing, unlike other materials that left a residue, which required cleaning the gun between shots.
salv30-5.jpg (Dimensione: 15.12 KB / Download: 928)
The caption to this cartoon reads: "If I can put up with painted stockings, what's wrong with having your socks mended likewise?" (Folder 5, Box 30, Defense Council, OSA) Nylon stockings could be melted, respun into nylon thread, and manufactured into war products such as parachutes. With their silk and nylon stockings drafted into the war effort, stylish women needed alternatives. Many used leg make-up, otherwise know as "bottled stockings," that could last up to three days assuming no baths were taken. Some women even used eyebrow pencils to paint faux stocking seams on the backs of their legs. Sacrifice, and ingenuity it seems, were boundless!
( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ww2/services/salvage.htm">http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ ... alvage.htm</a><!-- m --> )