Which clasp is better to choose for a jacket, dress, skirt?

It is quite difficult for beginner seamstresses to independently determine the suitable fastener option for a particular project. The choice of zippers offered by modern stores is quite wide, so you can’t do without the help of professionals. Today we will tell you what the zippers are for, what they are and what kind of fastener is better to choose for a jacket, dress, skirt. In addition, we’ll give you some useful tips for screwing and operating common fastener options.

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What will the size of the lightning say?

Modern zippers can have not only different lengths, but also widths. As a rule, their width is measured in millimeters - designations such as the type or number of lightning are more often used, for example, the fourth type implies that the product has a width of 4 mm. This option is also incredibly important when choosing a slider on which the same figure is engraved from the back.

The length of the zipper is determined from the lower to the upper limiters, while the length of the tape is not taken into account. Today you can find products in rolls, the seller already in the process of buying cuts the right amount of fasteners. Such devices have no limiters, in addition, their choice of color of the tape is limited to a meager number of shades.

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Lightning Classification

Before choosing a fastener, it is necessary to study the classification of these products, because each option has its own characteristics that affect the scope of their application, the choice of method of sewing, use in general. And now more about the variety of lightning.

By way of unfastening

According to this parameter, fasteners are divided into three types:

1. Detachable. They are completely unfastened due to the fact that the pin of one half can be removed from the other. Such zippers are more common on outerwear: vests, jackets, sportswear. They are also actively used when sewing furniture covers.
2. One-piece. Such fasteners can only be unfastened to the bottom stop. They are used more often on skirts, dresses, trousers, decorative pockets, various bags, and home textiles.
3. With two runners. Products of this type allow you to fasten or unfasten clothing on both sides.

According to the material and shape of the teeth

The shape of the teeth of the fastener is the main parameter that affects its choice. The following varieties of lightning can be distinguished in shape and material:

• Twisted clasps. Produce them from polyester, coiled in the shape of a spiral, which is sewn or wound around a braid. As a rule, the color of the spiral corresponds to the shade of the braid or resembles the appearance of metal.

Important! Such products are equipped with metal or plastic runners. They are used in light clothing due to their light weight.

• Tractor fasteners. They are made of plastic. At the same time, each clove is attached separately to the braid and in color matches its shade.

Important! Use tractor zippers in outerwear, on backpacks and sports bags.

• Hardware. From the name itself it is easy to understand that they consist of metal cloves sandwiched around the braid. These devices are made of nickel or brass.The teeth in color correspond to the slider, can have the color of bronze, nickel, brass, dark nickel, antica.

Important! They are incredibly durable, but models that are cheap often stick and scratch with sharp edges of their hands.

• Secret lightning. These are plastic products of a special kind, since the teeth in them are located on the wrong side. Thanks to this unique design, they are completely invisible on the front side, making clothes especially neat. The braid on such products may have different densities.

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Decorative and special clasps

The choice of fasteners for dresses, jackets, skirts is not limited to standard products. Also on the market you can find other options for special zippers, which are produced by leading manufacturers for special applications.

Special fasteners include:

1. Fire resistant products.
2. Airtight fasteners for chemical protective suits.
3. Waterproof models for tailoring wetsuits.
4. Stretch fasteners used in the field of sewing knitwear.
5. Transparent products for the manufacture of underwear.
6. Double-sided models for the production of double-sided clothing.

Decorative zippers include:

• Products decorated with rhinestones.
• Clasps with stitches.
• Zippers with a rainbow effect on the prongs and printed color patterns.

Important! The braid can be made of antistatic fabric or special materials that are fully recyclable. Products can have a different color inside and out, have a reflective effect, even glow in the dark.

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What is the perfect clasp?

It is wrong to compare all existing types of lightning endlessly, because the choice of the best option is determined by many factors, in particular the type of fabric, the purpose of the thing.

Therefore, be guided by the purchase of the following generally accepted rules:

1. Metal products are ideal for thin leather, thick knitwear and denim. They have a dense tape, which is qualitatively painted, and the metal itself is additionally processed from rust.
2. Outer and sportswear requires special resistance from these elements, so in such cases it is better to choose a tractor or spiral zipper.
3. Secret products are best used on items made from thin materials. These include trousers, dresses, skirts, blouses.
4. It is better to fasten medium-density materials with spiral-shaped options. For example, detachable and integral devices. Their use is justified in the manufacture of children's clothing.

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How to choose the right slider?

Remember that it is important to choose not only the fastener itself, but also the slider, so that the product turns out to be of high quality, it has served for many years without complaints.

Types of runners:

• Latching automatically. These are universal devices that are used everywhere. They are very convenient in terms of operation and installation. The slider in this case, after you lock it in a certain position, does not allow the zipper to open.
• With semi-automatic fixation. This mechanism only works if the tongue goes down.
• Not having a locking mechanism. Simply put, these are haberdashery devices that are more often used for sewing backpacks or bags.

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Useful Tips

The following tips will help you maintain the condition of such clothing items for longer:

• Cotton zippers must be washed beforehand to prevent shrinkage on finished products.
• Clasps should be closed before each wash or chemical treatment.
• Zippers on children's things should be as smooth as possible, so that the child could not get injured on sharp edges.
• When putting on and taking off things, be sure to completely unfasten the clasps so that they are not damaged due to the additional load.
• Periodically process the cloves with wax or paraffin to make them glide easier.
• If suddenly something is stuck in a lightning, do not pull the slider forward, it is better to slide it back so that the obstacle is removed.

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Stock footage

As we found out the choice of lightning, this is not an easy task, it is necessary to take into account a lot of nuances, including the appearance of the products, the principle of their installation.