Fun Holidays - Zipper Day

As the fashion industry developed, styles of clothing and shoes changed, new materials were created, and accessories were improved. Buttons have been replaced by buttons and zippers. Two textile tapes with metal links attached to them in a checkerboard pattern, which were connected and separated using a small lock, were patented on April 29, 1913 by the American Gideon Sundbeck. In honor of this invention, a holiday was invented - Zipper Day. The creation of the “automatic continuous fastener” in 1851 belongs to Elijah Howe. The prototype of the modern zipper was invented by Whitcomb Leo Judson in November 1893. It was assumed that this device would be used as a shoe fastener. Judson was inspired to create the device by the desire to help a friend who, while rescuing a girl from a burning house, severely injured his back. It became difficult for him to bend down to tie his shoelaces. To make the task easier, a clasp made of two metal chains with a lock (slider) was designed. However, due to shortcomings and complex manufacturing, the first lightning bolts did not become widespread. Judson and his company Universal Fastener, which was on the verge of bankruptcy due to numerous claims from buyers of the device, had to hire an engineer of Swedish origin, G. Sundbeck. He perfected the zipper, the right to produce it in Europe was transferred to the industrialist Martin Othmar Winterhalter. Today Zipper is used as a fastener for clothes, shoes, suitcases, wallets and other leather goods. One of the first at the beginning of the twentieth century. The sailors appreciated the new product. They installed zippers on "money belts" for fear of attacks in foreign ports and pickpockets. After the end of the First World War, fasteners from covers for large-caliber guns began to be used in sewing bags. Later, zippers were used for clothing. The first fashion designer to install a “snake” on women’s skirts was Elsa Schiaparelli. Coco Chanel followed her example. Since 1937, the fastener also appeared on men's trousers. The first lightning bolts were metal. After the invention of plastic, the material used to make links changed. This type of fittings, despite the improvement of production technologies, has not lost its popularity for decades. Manufacturers produce 3 types of zippers: tractor with plastic links, twisted (spiral) and metal. The leader in Zipper production is the YKK group of companies, which produces 94% of fasteners in Japan and more than half in the world. The tightness of the zippers allows them to be installed even on diving suits. The choice in favor of a steel or plastic, hidden or detachable fastener depends on the purpose of its use and the type of product. And the desire to celebrate the unusual Zipper Day comes from people who appreciate the benefits that this invention has brought to humanity.