Parachute silk blouse - is it nylon or silk or a blend?
- Thread starter Vintage Runway
- Start date
bycinbyhand
VFG Member
What do the seams look like?
Vintage Runway
VFG Member
Here are some of the seams...
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
My great uncle worked in a factory that made parachutes early in WWII. Parachutes were first made of silk, then later silk nylon blend. Cotton would seem on the heavy side for a parachute, but I am certainly no authority on that subject.
When I was starting out in vintage WAY decades long ago, we collectors and dealers used the term "parachute silk" to describe garments that were actually made of old cast off or damaged silk parachutes. Oh, that was so long ago.........
I recall in the late 70s and early 80s, some club wear and evening type womens jumpsuits (the ones that resembled flight suits) were often made if a very thin silk similar to China silk, and it was sometimes called "parachute silk".
Of course, your blouse is much older than 1970s.
When I was starting out in vintage WAY decades long ago, we collectors and dealers used the term "parachute silk" to describe garments that were actually made of old cast off or damaged silk parachutes. Oh, that was so long ago.........
I recall in the late 70s and early 80s, some club wear and evening type womens jumpsuits (the ones that resembled flight suits) were often made if a very thin silk similar to China silk, and it was sometimes called "parachute silk".
Of course, your blouse is much older than 1970s.
Vintage Runway
VFG Member
There are no labels. I am making an assumption based on researching other similar clothing items. It feels like nylon but I want to list it accurately and use the term parachute silk if that is something that buyers will use as a search term.
bycinbyhand
VFG Member
Looks like a silk blend to me and maybe 40s.
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
The USA also could not (and did not want to) purchase the needed silk from Japan, for obvious reasons. So switching to nylon was imperative, aside from any cost factors. There were other silk sources but not enough to fill the huge need of the the war.