Overheard a seamstress at my local fabric store and she changed how I think about zippers

I was at Joann's last Saturday picking up thread when I heard this older woman telling the clerk she never uses invisible zippers on denim. She said they pop after three washes and it's not worth the headache. I've been forcing invisible zippers into every project for the last year because I thought they looked cleaner. Turns out a regular nylon zipper with a lapped application is way more durable and just as tidy if you press the seam right. I tried it on a pair of jeans I was altering and the zipper lay flat without any weird puckering. Has anyone else had better luck with regular zippers over the invisible kind for heavy fabrics?

2 comments

2 Comments

theawest15h ago

Oh man, I have been there too! I used invisible zippers on everything because they looked so clean in the photos online. But yeah, after a few washes on heavier stuff they totally give up. That seamstress sounds like a legend for speaking the truth like that. Regular zippers really do hold up way better on denim and canvas, you just have to get the pressing right. I wasted so much time ripping out popped invisible zippers on my favorite pair of jeans last year. So glad you found that trick early, it saves so much frustration!

sage_perry1h ago

WAIT, you actually ripped out popped zippers on jeans and Still kept trying invisible ones?