Sewing News, Tips & Advice
The Story of the Zipper
The zipper has been around for almost 160 years, gaining popularity very slowly. Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine first obtained a patent for his invention, an automatic, continuous clothing closure in 1851, but did nothing to further its status. Therefore, Mr. Whitcomb Judson is generally known as the zipper's inventor as he was the first to market the device at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
The zipper did not receive attention until the 1930s when a media campaign was launched suggesting the zipper would allow children to dress themselves. Esquire magazine claimed the zipper was the "newest tailoring idea for men" in 1937. With the invention of the separating zipper, its guaranteed inclusion in the fashion industry was unstoppable.
To read more about the zipper, here's a link to "The History of the Zipper," an article on About.com.
