History of the Zipper

The majority of people won’t think twice before using a zipper. Zippers are the most common item used on pants, boots, coats, not to mention camping gear and certain pillow covers. Before the zipper, buttons were the only option for securing clothing.

You might wonder how did our society come to start using zippers? Here’s some interesting facts about where and how the zipper originated.

The modern zippers have only been around for around the last 100 years. You might even still have a parent or grandparent around who remembers growing up without them.

Elias Howe

The first zipper was invented by Elias Howe, but he is not famous for this invention; as he was known for designing the sewing machine. Elias Howe received a patent for what he called an “automatic, contentious clothing closure” in 1851, but he never promoted it. Howe rather concentrated on marketing his sewing machine.

Whitcomb Judson

In 1893 just before the Chicago World Fair, Whitcomb Judson decided to improve Howe’s invention and created a hook and eye shoe fastener which at the time was more complicated than the modern zippers.

Whitcomb Judson took the time to promote his invention called the “clasp locker”, and because he did not use Howe’s name, people believed that he invented the concept himself. Although it premiered at the exposition, the zipper’s world debut was met with little success.

Gideon Sundback

The modern zipper was invented in 1913 by Gideon Sundback in 1913. He was married to the manager’s daughter at the Universal Fastener Company plant, where he became the head designer. After the death of his wife, Sundback buried himself in his work and invented what he called the “separable fastener,” for which he received a patent in 1917.

Gideon Sundback was a jack-of-all-trades so inventing the zipper didn’t stop there, he also invented the first manufacturing machine to produce zippers, known as the “S-L” or a scrapless machine.

Taking a Y-shaped wire and cutting scoops from it to form the shape of the zipper’s teeth that produces a continuous chain. Within the first year of use the machine could produce a few hundred feet of fastener per day.

The name “zipper” was given to the invention when the G.B. Goodrich Company began using it on their rubber boots.

There wasn’t a great deal of uses for the zipper when it was invented, but before they became mainstream in the fashion industry, manufacturers mainly used zippers for boots and tobacco pouches. The first time zippers was used was during World War I when designers engineered uniforms for the United States Military.

Zippers was around for at least 20 years before it became popular with designers in the fashion industry. Today we use them on everything from purses, shoes, jackets, pants and various other clothing items. Zippers are also the most popular fastener for backpacks, luggage, and camping gear.

Zippers are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from heavy-duty larger zippers to thin zippers, closed-end zippers, separating zippers, two-way separating zippers and invisible zippers.

Zipper materials include molded plastic, metal, and nylon coil, but there are many other options when it comes to zippers. The type of zipper used will depend on the item it is attached to.

Happy Zipping