THE ZIPPER

THE ZIPPER

The zipper is an invention that has to be refined many times over the years.

       The first was invented in 1851, in EEUU, by EliasHowe, but it didn't work very well because it wasn't made well.

       40 years later (in 1891), Whitcomb L.Judson improved it considerably, but with this system, the deslizant part had to put over (after closed), and then had to put in the pocket. As the invention was not very practical, it was never sold. 

       In 1906, Gideon Sundback, Swedish, took the company of Judson and created the desing that we know today, and he took it for sale in 1914.

       At first, the zipper was used only for boots and "tabarqueras", but in the twenties they started using it in pants and in children clotes.

       In the thirties, the designer Elsa Schiaparelli included the zipper in some of his desings and thereafter it joined many types of clothing.

       Now, the most biggest business of zippers in the world is the japanese company "YKK", wich was founded by Tadao Yoshida in 1934. Japan produces more than half of zippers of the world.

       

       The name "zipper" in Spanish is "cremallera", this word comes from the French "crémallière", wich comes from the Latin "cramaculus", wich comes from the Greek "kremastrê", wich means "hanging".