Several aluminum alloys have been subjected to two stage tensile straining, an initial prestrain followed by a subsequent tensile strain at 90 deg to the initial direction. In AA1100-0 and AA3003-0 the prestrain produces dislocation tangling and diffuse cell walls resulting in an enhanced flow stress and decrease in ductility when the material, is subsequently strained in the orthogonal direction. In a fine grained experimental Al−Fe−Ni alloy the prestrain is accompanied by a very low accumulation of dislocations and in this case the flow stress is reduced and ductility enhanced in subsequent orthogonal straining. The commercial alloys AA2036-T4 and AA5182-0 are unaffected by the two stage tensile strain path. The results are considered in terms of the forming limit curve and it is also shown that the behavior is consistent with the concept of an “alien” dislocation distribution being generated during the prestrain.