As more and more people are opting to come into the sewing industry and most people tend to learn this skill at home, it’s essential for those people to know the different ways of using closures on their clothes. To be specific, clothing closures are essential for fastening these garments.
Today, we’re going to talk about various types of closures on clothing. So, let’s dig through the main part and discuss the characteristics and usage of individual closure types.
What Is A Closure On Clothing?
In most garments, you should use a joiner to join the separate parts of the garment. For example, you need buttons on your shirt to join the two different sides of it. So, you can call a closure the functional trim, which is used to close or open a garment.
Though fasteners are considered one of the types of closures, other closure types are typically not visible like the fasteners when you wear a garment. Functionally, you can use a fastener to hold your garment sections closed and together in place. Actually, the closure fixes the way a garment can be closed or opened.
Types Of Closures On Clothing
If you consider all types, there are a vast number of categories and variations available for closures. So, we take only the major types and their variations into consideration. And, from our list, you’ll be able to know about all the popular and necessary kinds of closures, which are pretty enough to fulfill your needs.
(A) Zippers
Originally, the first time to use a closure on clothing was reported in 1851. However, the first zipper was invented in 1913 by an electrical engineer. From the long period till today, it has come through many modifications and changes. In light of these variations, you’ll see numerous sizes and shapes in zippers. These various zippers are used, from upholstery covers to bags and dresses. Besides, the materials used for making the zippers are also not the same nowadays.
Usually, zippers are considered the easiest way to keep your clothing fit in your body, and the variants of this fastener are explained below.
1. Coil Zipper
Another name for this zipper type is the nylon coil zipper, which is made from coiled monofilament. Identically, this type of zipper, whose teeth are traditionally nylon, comes as a final product after sewing the coil into a zipper tape. That means the final output is available when the coiled nylon teeth are attached to the zipper tape for smooth movement.
Because of having spiral plastic elements as raw material, this zipper type is one of the most popular types. So, this versatile zipper type is suitable for almost anything from automobiles to sporting goods or luggage to apparel garments.
2. Metal Zipper
Usually, a metal zipper is made using two rows of metal teeth. These protruding teeth may be made of Nickel, Aluminum, or Brass. And, you can use the teeth as the linker of the rows like clasped hands. In this way, the impact feels the same as a continuous clothing closure type.
Metal zippers are also used in a wide variety of things. In general, this type of zipper is suitable for places where a longer zipper is needed, like crafts, handbags, bags, purses, sewing, etc.
3. Concealed Zipper
The concealed zipper is a special type of zipper because of its invisibility. Using a concealed zipper on clothing won’t allow you to see the zipper elements. That means the garment won’t be disturbed using a concealed zipper. Because of such a design, the concealed is best suited for skirts and outer dresses.
For the same reason, we recommend using it in a jacket where the open parts need to be hidden, and the concealed open-end zipper can do that at its best.
4. Two Way Separating Zipper
Sometimes called a dual or double, the two-way zipper is actually a metal or plastic-made zipper that can close or open the zipped parts in two opposite directions at once. So, the zipper stops can be located in any part of the zipper. However, you’ll see the stops at the ends in items like luggage and bags.
(B) Buttons
Coupled with the zippers, one of the most popular closure types is buttons. Interestingly, when you stop thinking about using zippers, the first thing as a closure comes to your mind is the buttons. Besides, this closure type is also widely available in local markets or shops.
Like the zippers, the buttons also come with a lot of variations in structures and designs. Though the first buttons were crafted from the shell, the raw materials to make the buttons are now wood, metal, or plastic.
1. Flat Button
The most used buttons in fashion garments are these buttons. The reason behind its popularity is the flatness of the button. As the buttons lie flat against the fabric, the garments get a standard and fashionable look. Not to mention, there are two variations where one has two holes in it, and another has four holes.
On the positive side, you can easily sew these buttons on garments through the holes and also use matched machines to sew them. Plus, the flat buttons are available in many materials like metal, wood, plastic, even ceramic and glass too!
Specifically, the two-holed buttons have holes in the fastening edge and are lined up parallel. On the other hand, four-holed buttons are suitable for heavier fabrics as they are stronger in characteristics.
2. Shanked Button
Mainly, the shanked button comes with a shank that looks like a stem. And, the button mostly has a flower on top. So, you must use your hands to shank a button, and these buttons don’t support machine sewing at all.
Other Closures
You will be surprised to know that only around 30% of the closures fall in all types if we exclude zippers and buttons from the list. So, these types are not so popular, like buttons and zippers. However, other types of closures may come in handy when you need to serve a specific purpose. The different styles may include tapes, toggles, snap buttons, snap fasteners, studs, safety pins, press studs, poppers, pins, magnets, loop fasteners, laces, hooks, grommets, frog closures, fabric ties, eyelets, clasps, buckles, brooches, and many more like these.
Conclusion
So, now you have it. All the major types and variations of closure types are described here. Though there are many options available in the market, zippers and buttons cover almost 70% of the market. Some garments require you to hand-sew the closures into place. On the other hand, some closure types allow you to sew clothing with a machine.
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