Ban-Lon (sometimes spelled BanLon or Banlon) is a trademarked, multistrand, continuous-filament synthetic yarn used in the retail clothing industry. It was created in 1954 by Joseph Bancroft & Sons Company, by applying a process for crimping yarn to nylon in order to achieve greater bulk than ordinary yarns. [1] [2] It became popular for outerwear, swimsuits, sweaters and hose. It is frequently associated with 1950s and 1960s American clothing and culture. [3] [4]
Ban-Lon came to be used as a punchline for jokes in films and on television shows in the 1990s. In an episode of NBC's Seinfeld series, Frank Costanza said that because of his " man breasts" he "wouldn't be caught dead in Ban-Lon", [5] when Sid Farkus claims he wears it and there appears to be "some jiggling". Also, in the film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Michelle comments, "...how am I gonna impress anybody by selling Ban-Lon smocks at Bargain Mart?" [6]