More Than Just a 'Continuous Clothing Closure'

Before the 'zipper' zipped, it was a complex series of hooks and eyes. The very first patent for a device resembling a sliding fastener was granted to Elias Howe in 1851 for his 'Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure'. However, the famed sewing machine inventor was too preoccupied with his other successful invention to commercialize it, leaving the concept largely dormant for decades.

The Clasp Locker's Rocky Debut

The first significant step toward a practical fastener came from Chicago inventor Whitcomb L. Judson. In 1893, he patented his 'Clasp Locker or Unlocker for Shoes,' a hook-and-eye system designed to eliminate the tediousness of buttoning high-top boots. Judson unveiled his invention at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but it proved unreliable and prone to jamming, limiting its initial commercial success. He established the Universal Fastener Company to market it, but widespread adoption remained elusive.

Gideon Sundback: The Father of the Modern Zipper

The true breakthrough arrived with Swedish-American electrical engineer Gideon Sundback, who was hired by Judson's company in 1906. Sundback meticulously refined the design, dramatically increasing the number of fastening elements from four to ten or eleven per inch. His crucial innovation was creating two facing rows of teeth that interlocked when pulled together by a slider, a design he patented as the 'Hookless Fastener No. 1' in 1913, followed by the definitive 'Separable Fastener' in 1917 – widely recognized as the blueprint for the modern zipper.

From 'Separable Fastener' to 'Zipper'

Despite Sundback's successful design, the device still lacked a catchy name. That changed in 1923 when the B. F. Goodrich Company began using Sundback's fastener on a new line of rubber boots, or galoshes. An employee, noting the distinctive sound the fastener made when operated, exclaimed 'Zip 'er up!'. The onomatopoeic name 'Zipper' was born, and it quickly stuck.

Zipping into Fashion and Beyond

Initially, zippers found their niche in boots, tobacco pouches, and military gear during World War I, where the U.S. Army used them on flight suits and money belts. It wasn't until the late 1920s and 1930s that zippers truly penetrated the fashion world. They became popular in children's clothing, praised for promoting self-reliance, and notably gained traction in men's trousers after the 'Battle of the Fly' in 1937. High fashion designers like Elsa Schiaparelli also began incorporating them, elevating the zipper from a mere utility to a design statement.