These columns reported on the miracle fabric of the 1930s: rayon – and rayon simply cannot be deleted from any serious study dealing with fashion of the 1930s any more than the word “polyester” can be separated from a discussion of 1970s fashion. The article presents a history of the fabric and makes it quite clear that the fabric was immediately embraced by all the fashion houses at the time:
“At New York’s swank Beaux Arts Ball recently, rayon achieved the final and indubitable stamp of smart consumers’ approval. The Ball was dubbed “Fete de Rayon Fantastique’ and two thousand members of New York’s ‘400’ reveled in rayon.”
“While the Ball indicated rayon’s acceptance by fashion and the haute monde, it indicated even more the alert showmanship of the industry. This showmanship has persistently and ingeniously dramatized rayon’s qualities.”
Read about the 1930s revival of velvet.
During the later years of the Great Depression a new hat was a seemingly unattainable fashion item and so many women began wearing another element in lieu of a hat – click here to find out…
Click here to read about the inventing of Nylon…
Click here to read about one of the greatest innovations by 20th Century chemists: plastic.
