Abstract: A retractile cord of a telephone handset having individually insulated conductors is jacketed with an extrudable flexible clear flame retardant composition which includes a polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC). A phthalate plasticizer is included to impart low temperature properties to the composition while a phosphate plasticizer is used for flame retardancy and a polymeric plasticizer for resistance to extraction of constituents of the composition by oils encountered during use. The composition also includes a metallic stabilizer, a lubricant, an ultraviolet light absorber, an epoxy resin and epoxidized plasticizing stabilizer. The extruded composition is characterized by excellent clarity as well as superior low temperature, flame-retardant and lacquer-mar properties. Equally important is the outstanding resiliency of strand material covered with the composition and wound into a helical configuration with a plurality of convolutions.