Dec 19, 2008

Holy Hosiery! (article by Kate Jacobs)


Early Nylon History
Part I: A Bright New Future for Legwear

On a May morning in 1940, consumers across the country descended on their local department stores, ravenous for a new product that had been hyped for over a year. What was this iPhone of its day? A product described by its creators as "one of the most significant developments in industrial research in the United States," something with global trade implications, and, most importantly, something that promised to ease the burden of fashionable women: nylon stockings.

This was an era when you couldn't stroll into any old CVS and buy a pair of sheer pantyhose in an egg-shaped carton. At the time, women's main option was silk. Silk snagged easily, bunched at the knees, and had to be imported from Japan (a very undesirable quality in the 1930s). And so when Du Pont announced the invention of nylon, curiosity about this new and mysterious man-made fabric was high. In preparation for nylon hosiery's release, the corporation produced a massive publicity campaign that included sending a young lady named Betty Huneycutt on a 50-city nationwide air tour as "Miss Nylon Hosiery."

Department stores added to the buildup. Gimbels ran an ad in the New York Times imploring women to test and compare: "Which would you rather have on your legs?" it read. "Coal and air and water, chemically blended and whipped and spun into a brand new man-made fiber? Silk that depends for its texture on the whim of a silk worm, and its ability to digest mulberry leaves? Test nylon for yourself!"

The excitement was so great that feverish rumors about nylon's durability began to spread: it would last forever! It would never snag or run! It's a miracle fabric! By early 1940, Du Pont found itself attempting to quell these inflated expectations. "I'm afraid many claims have been made for nylon that could not be substantiated," Dr. C. M. A. Stine, Du Pont's president and director of research, said in a speech at the Chemists Club that January. "Please disabuse your minds of the notion that nylon stockings won't 'run.' I think they will, though I hope not as frequently as stockings of natural silk."

On that first May day, salesgirls had been briefed on how to educate hysterical customers about the true, snaggable nature of nylon, but those customers snatched them up anyway. In Philadelphia, women waited outside Center City department stores before they opened, and local shops displayed signs that read simply "Nylon" to attract customers. A newspaper report said that 40,000 pairs were bought in the city by the end of the day. Most stores restricted purchasing to two pairs per customer, for it was estimated that it would take at least 18 months for the one little Du Pont plant in Delaware to meet national nylon demand.

How long do you think it took for the first customer to have her hosiery hopes and dreams dashed by a run? It's difficult to find reports of such things, but speaking both from experience and with a luxurious amount of hindsight, I'd guess, oh, about half an hour? But what a euphoric 30 minutes that must have been.

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Stay tuned for part two of Early Nylon History, in which we hear about the wartime hosiery-related sacrifices women made for their country and the ingenuity with which they overcame their fashion hardships.

Nov 30, 2008

NEW LOCATION!


WILBUR IS NOW OPEN!
716 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Check out the Daily Candy article on WILBUR

Jun 3, 2008

FLIP FLOPS


Summer is approaching and I love the hot weather. I'm half Italian and I crave heat & humidity. When summer comes along my personality changes from miserable & bloated winter shut-in to a pollyanna, sunshine, fruit-eating, summer extrovert. The sun is my best friend. Unfortunately, I forget the horrific thing that appears with warmth: FLIP FLOPS!!
I'm okay with these monstrosities at the beach - I'm not that unforgiving -- BUT IN THE CITY!! What happened to our world? When did we become so horribly & dangerously casual?
A nice leather sandal is permissible, but c'mon folks! City sidewalks are treacherous and dirty. Must I be accosted by the sound of your flip-flapping while I'm eating lunch at a sidewalk cafe? Must I see your grimy piglet toes while I'm relaxing in the park? Put on a pair of shoes and join the civilized people on the streets! Flip Flop season is now officially over! FOREVER!

Photo from Gathering Evidence Blog.

May 21, 2008

10% OFF COUPON

Print out this coupon and receive 10% off your first visit!

May 20, 2008

Friday! Saturday! Sunday!

PARKER POSEY VISITS WILBUR!


I'm very shy when I meet celebrities. I never know what to say or how to react.
"So, you're shooting a movie in Philly?"
Good question. I didn't fawn over Parker Posey and she answered me politely.
My neighbor came over and jabbered some line from the movie, HOUSE OF YES. Parker was responsive to his comment. I'm glad she couldn't read my thoughts: I detested HOUSE OF YES because it read too much like a play, and God I hate theater! The only Posey quote I remembered was "Hehehello!" from PARTY GIRL.
I could tell Parker was once a dancer just from the way in which she moved her body while she was shopping. Gracefulness is difficult to stumble by these days in Hollywood. Look at the beautiful Scarlett Johansson for example: she doesn't know what to do with her arms, so anytime she appears at an award ceremony she looks as if her appendages are made of sandbags. Anyway, I digress. Parker Posey didn't buy anything from my shop, but I got the pleasure of witnessing one elegant broad with her adorable dog. I will let the article tell you the rest.
PARKER POSEY & GRACIE VISIT WILBUR VINTAGE

WILBUR VINTAGE ON YOUTUBE!