Rosie's Coveralls and the Cotton Duck Mills

While nylon went to parachutes, Southern and New England mills turned out enormous quantities of cotton duck, twill, and sheeting for uniforms, tents, tarpaulins, sandbags, and webbing. Cone Mills' White Oak plant in Greensboro, North Carolina—the largest denim mill in the world since early in the century—was among the mills whose denim and work fabrics clothed war workers. Millions of American women entered the wartime workforce, and many were photographed in coveralls and work pants under the umbrella image of 'Rosie the Riveter.' After the war, denim—long a utility fabric—began its journey from the factory floor to everyday fashion.