By August 1945, World War II was almost over, and because nylon was no longer needed for the war effort, production of stockings was able to resume. The government was clear — they weren’t going to involve themselves in the distribution of stockings. Newspapers eagerly anticipated the mad rush women would make to the department stores that received early shipments. As expected, over the next few months, eager shoppers gathered to snag one of the few available pairs. In New York, 30,000 women flooded a department store. In Pittsburgh, 40,000 women lined up for only 13,000 available pairs. Shoppers tore through the stores looking for the nylons display. Those who scored a pair had to fend off shoppers willing to rip the product from their hands. Some cities saw crowds, others saw chaos. In Augusta, Georgia, women physically fought over the nylons and knocked over display merchandise in their struggles. During the shortage, many people began to suspect that DuPont was deliberately delaying production and the shortage was a result of artificial scarcity. Reporters suggested that the company was being greedy and unpatriotic for maintaining exclusive patent and production rights to a substance in such popular demand. Other retailers wrote to their congressmen in protest. In light of the public scandal, DuPont attempted to publicly shame "selfish housewives” for hoarding stock, which only brought more hostility towards the company. The nylon shortage was short-lived. The following March, production increased to 30 million pairs a month, and soon there was plenty for all. However, it took DuPont years to rid itself of the tarnished reputation it suffered.
