Sylvia Rognstad wrote:
Does anyone know when elastic was first used in clothing and how?
I don't have sources for this, but it developed in the early 1800s. Rubber had been used on cloth to make waterproof clothing, and then it was pressed and cut into strips for belts and things. It wasn't terribly stretchy like what we have now, and it tended to be pretty sticky. Rubber "thread" wrapped with fiber was developed to counter the stickiness, and became the kind of elastic we use in clothing now.
Dawn _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
