Nylon

Book excerpt: In Nylon: The Story of a Fashion Revolution, Handley folds together an array of topics: the role of technology in modern life, the changing nature of popular taste, the fortunes of the late-twentieth-century garment industry, and the design innovations and artistry that synthetics permit, even encourage. Handley tells behind-the-scenes stories about companies like DuPont (inventors of Nylon, the first pure synthetic fabric) and its competitors and imitators. She introduces readers to the world of clothing design and manufacture, tracing the development of fabrics from the semisynthetic "Art Silk" early in the century to polyester, Lycra, and the newest technological fibers and desirable weaves. She examines the advertising strategies that played on and built up consumer expectations. And she describes a not-too-distant future of interactive textiles, solar units, intelligent jackets, and the "wearable office."