the mysteries of nylon jersey

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Hello!! First of all, just want to say HELLO! My name is Jill, I'm a vintage seller on Etsy, I'm an avid collector of 1930s fashion, and I'm a new member who is really happy to be part of the VFG!

I am still figuring out the forum, so forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong place. In a nutshell, another vintage seller contacted me today assuring me that a nylon jersey dress in my shop that I had listed as postwar 1940s is definitely late 1930s/early 1940s.

I had felt confident that my postwar dating of the garment was correct, as I done some research and consulted a 1940s fashion expert about this topic; I had discovered that, although nylon, in the form of nylon stockings, was made available to the public for a very brief time in 1939-1940, the war stopped all civilian access to nylon products. According to more than one Dupont nylon history site, Nylon JERSEY (and nylon fabrics for dressmaking) was not "invented" and made publically available until after WWII. Thus, it was my sense that even if a dress looked like it could be late 1930s, it would have been historically impossible for these garments to be from any earlier than 1945?? Since the war stopped much innovation in fashion anyway, it seemed to be reasonable that these dresses could look late 30s but be from just after the war. However, in light of these messages I got from the other seller, I am a bit perplexed.

HELP?? I would love to know of more sources, etc that can help affirm the exact date that nylon jersey was available to the public??

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!
 
You are absolutely correct Jill. Nylon was available in the form of stockings in the U.S. from 1939 until 1941 but otherwise, during the war the only nylon textile available was via surplus parachute 'silk'. Nylon jersey was probably being made during the war for military use, but it was not available until spring 1946 for civilian use, after nylon manufacturing had been retooled for commercial production. I recall I read an article that had Claire McCardell quoted as saying she was using the new nylon jersey because she liked the washability of the material. I think it was an artcile from 1946 but I don't remember where I read that but I suspect it was something like LIFE or Time magazine.
 
Hi Jill, is this the dress you're talking about?

Firstly, I had to go through so many of your items and I have to say that your shop is beautiful! You have amazing stock. Secondly - you're absolutely right on dating your dress as late '40s, in fact I would date it a little earlier as '46-48. It's wonderful!

I actually can't see how your enquirer could possibly think it's 30s because it's so very '40s. I love it when we have details about fabrics and constructions, it makes dating them so much easier. You can confidently tell her that she's wrong (and you have Jonathan's opinion, which is about as good as it gets on '40s fashion as he wrote the best book on it).

Nicole
 
Thank you so much for your replies, Nicole and Jonathan!! This helped me a lot!
Warm regards,
Jill
 
Oh, by the way, Nicole, YES, that was the dress. Thanks!

Mary Jane, thank you for your kind words about my shop!!
 
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