Types of Zips and When to Use Them: Pant, Invisible, Jacket and Metal

A zip is a small part of a garment, but a wrong choice shows in seconds. A heavy metal zip on a soft kurti puckers the seam. A delicate coil zip on a denim jacket gives way in a month. Match the zip to the garment and it disappears into the work, which is exactly what a good zip should do.

Four kinds cover almost everything a tailor or boutique sews: pant zips, invisible zips, jacket zips and metal zips. We stock all four in our shop in Rattan Bazaar, and over sixty years the same questions come up at the counter. Here is how to choose.

Pant zips for trousers, skirts and blouses

Pant zips are nylon coil zips on a polyester tape, closed at the bottom with a stopper so the two sides never come apart. They are light, they bend with the fabric, and they take a press without melting like cheap zips do. This is the everyday workhorse for trousers, skirts, salwars, cushion covers and the back of a fitted blouse.

Buy them by the closed length you need, usually 7, 8, 9 or 10 inches for garments. For a fall that varies, a roll of continuous chain and separate sliders saves money on bigger orders. Tailors who cut their own pant zips from continuous rolls keep one black and one cream chain running and rarely run short mid-job. Stitch the zip in before the waistband goes on, then top it with a neat row of matching buttons at the closure for a finished look.

Invisible zips for dresses and gowns

An invisible zip hides completely inside the seam. Only a small teardrop pull shows at the top, and the coil sits on the back of the tape so the front reads as a plain seam. This is the right zip for fitted dresses, gowns, lehenga blouses and any side seam where a visible zip would break the line.

It needs an invisible zipper foot to stitch close to the coil, and it should go in before the seam below it is closed. Press the coil flat first. Done well, the customer cannot find the zip until they reach for the pull.

Jacket zips that open all the way

Jacket zips are open-end zips. The bottom has a box and pin instead of a stopper, so both sides separate fully when you open the garment. Use them on jackets, coats, hoodies, sweatshirts and bandis, anything that has to come right off the body rather than just open at the top.

They come in nylon coil, moulded plastic (vislon) for sportswear, and metal for heavier coats. Pick the length to match the finished front, because a jacket zip cannot be shortened from the bottom the way a pant zip can.

Metal zips for denim, bags and heavy wear

Metal zips are the strongest and the most decorative. The teeth are individual metal pieces crimped onto the tape, so they handle the strain of denim, bags, leather and heavy jackets without splitting. They also look the part in brass, antique brass and nickel finishes when the zip is meant to be seen.

They are heavier and stiffer than coil, so they are not for soft fabrics. If you want the metal look without the weight, a moulded zip in a metallic finish is a lighter substitute. For bulk orders of any of these, ask for our wholesale rates on WhatsApp and we will quote by the gross.

Buying zips in Chennai

If you are searching for a zip shop near me in Chennai, our counter in Rattan Bazaar, Sowcarpet carries pant, invisible, jacket and metal zips across the common garment lengths, plus continuous rolls and sliders for units that cut their own. We supply tailors, boutiques and garment units across the city, retail and wholesale. Send your length, colour and quantity on WhatsApp at +91 98402 69851 and we will keep it ready for pickup or dispatch.