“For the Masses not the Classes”: The Development of Rayon as a Mass Consumer Good for Women in Interwar Britain.

This thesis traces the growth in the consumption of the first man-made textile, rayon, in Britain in the interwar period. Rayon was first used commercially in the 1910s, but sales of the fabric soared in the late 1920s and by the 1930s it had become an established fibre in the textile industry. The thesis follows a “systems of provision” approach, and follows the entire rayon supply chain through various businesses to the end consumer. The manufacture, design, advertising, retailing, purchase and final use of the fibre are explored in order to understand how rayon became such an outstanding success. With the majority of rayon being used in womenswear, this is where the focus of this thesis lies. The work also explores the many methods and practices which are first seen in this period, and which form the basis of the “fast fashion” model which has become the norm for many global consumers in the twenty-first century. By examining social, cultural and economic changes in the interwar period it will be shown that it was a combination of price, function, feminine modernity and glamour which meant that rayon became a mass-market product. A multi-disciplinary approach is used, covering business, fashion, art and consumer history, and a broad range of themes are covered. The thesis also makes extensive use of the broad range of original written and visual sources from all parts of the supply chain.