The tumultuous events during and after two world wars changed society
forever.The new status of women no longer prepared to be tied to the
home, a major re-adjustment of the class system, the pill and new sexual
mores. Clothes and fashion played an important role in perceptions of
social advancement, and man-made textiles supplied modern fabrics
inexpensive enough to open up mass markets. They provided the easy-care
demanded by the new consumer society. Written in an easy-to-read style
this book covers the history, invention and textile technology of the
main fibres including rayon, nylon, polyester and acrylics. Fashion,
textile, sex, and high street retailer stories are closely entwined
within that history. Anecdotes and illustrations add period character.