One of our most popular products here at Calico Laine is without a doubt the ever useful haberdashery item, Zips. We have customers from the whole world over who come to us to Buy Zips, either online, in-store or over the telephone - and who can blame them, when we have so many varieties, lengths and colours available? The history of the Zip begins in 1851, when the inventor Elias Howe (who also created the sewing machine) filed and received a patent for the "Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure". Had he marketed his product more seriously, he may have received a lot more recognition for his idea than he did. It was not until forty two years later, in the 1890s, when Whitcomb L. Judson (another inventor) developed and patented a product that he called a "clasp-locker", which was the precursor to the modern day Zip. Today, Zips can be found in an innumerable amount of items, including many varieties of clothing, bags, and even practical items such as tents, sleeping bags and sporting goods. As such, there is also a huge amount of different kinds to choose from when you are looking to Buy Zips. One of our best-selling examples is our dress zip range - these zips are for use in garments such as dresses, skirts and trousers, where one end of the zip needs to remain closed. For clothing such as jackets and coats, an open-ended zip is required - at Calico Laine, we stock many different varieties, including plastic, nylon, brass and metal. Whatever type of zip you are after to suit your item, you are bound to find it here with us. Another of our popular kinds of zips is the concealed zip - also known as an invisible zip, this variety has the teeth hidden behind the tape, resulting in a smooth appearance from the outside of the garment while still maintaining an easy, quick fastening. This is another kind of closed end zip, and is popular for use in bridal wear, formal wear and garments for special occasions. If you are feeling a little lost on what kind of zip you are after, then feel free to get in contact with our friendly sales team either by email at sales@calicolaine.co.uk, or by telephone on 0151 336 3939, and they will do their best to help you. We also keep a good stock of our zips at both of our stores (in Neston and Liscard), so you can always drop in to pick up what you need and ask our sales team for advice in person as well.