Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
Are invisible zippers really invisible? Not literally — a truly invisible zipper could never be located by the sewing operator who has to sew it onto the garment. The zipper itself is not invisible, and it is not necessarily clear either: invisible zippers come in various colors, and one could probably be had in bright orange. They do not come in as many colors as regular zippers, but that is acceptable because the zipper is hidden for the most part once sewn in, so matching the color of the zipper to the color of the fabric is not as critical as it would be with a regular zipper. This page collects tutorials and resources for sewing with invisible zippers, plus the zipper factory directories for production purchasing.
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Invisible Zippers Term by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry |
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Are invisible zippers really invisible? The definition of invisible is an item that can not be seen. In my opinion, it is not really possible to create an invisible zipper. If it was invisible, would it really be possible for a sewing operator to locate the zipper in order to sew it onto the garment? Actually, I am just kidding about above. The zipper itself is not truly invisible. It is not even necessarily clear. In fact invisible zippers come in various colors. You can probably get an invisible zipper in bright orange. Certainly that component would not be very invisible. Invisible zippers do not come in as many colors as regular zippers, but that is OK because the zipper is hidden for the most part. So matching the color of the zipper to the color of the fabric is not as critical is it would normally be if using a regular zipper. The best tutorial that I have found regarding sewing with an invisible zipper can be found at http://sewiknit.blogspot.com/2006/03/invisible-zipper-tutorial.html
Here are a few more resources
that may help you better understand the
invisible
zipper.
Sewing.org - Invisible Zippers Threads Magazine - Sewing in a Zipper
If you are looking to purchase
zippers in bulk quantities for garment production, you can
visit the
Zipper Manufacturer
page. If you need other
apparel trim, you
can check the trimming section or visit the
trims &
notions directory site.
You may also wish to check out our sewing section and join the sewing group.
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The invisible zipper exists for garments where a visible closure would break the line of the design — dresses, skirts and fitted garments where the closure should disappear into a seam. Because the teeth and tape are concealed when the zipper is closed, the garment keeps a clean, uninterrupted surface, and the closure reads as part of the seam rather than as hardware. That concealment is also why the sewing technique matters: an invisible zipper is inserted before the seam is finished, with a special presser foot, so the stitching sits as close to the coil as possible.
Because the insertion technique differs from a regular zipper, tutorials are the standard way sewists learn it. The resources collected on this page — step-by-step tutorials and magazine and pattern-company guides covering how to sew and insert an invisible zipper — walk through the same sequence: prepare the zipper, baste or pin it to the seam allowances, stitch close to the teeth with an invisible zipper foot, then close the remainder of the seam below it.
No. The name describes the finished effect — sewn into a garment, the zipper is hidden in the seam so it cannot be seen in normal wear. The zipper itself is an ordinary colored component before it is sewn in.
In various colors, but not as many as regular zippers. Because the sewn-in zipper is hidden for the most part, an exact color match to the fabric is less critical than with an exposed zipper.
Through zipper manufacturers and factories: the Apparel Search zipper directories list invisible zipper factories alongside metal, nylon, plastic and polyester zipper factories for garment production purchasing.