Do you zip left or right?

Someone who recently ordered and received a jacket through our online store has complained because the zipper car is on the left. He claims this is difficult and inconvenient for him because he is right-handed.

Rick and I had never even thought about this before with our own jackets, so we checked our closet. Of three unisex sailing jackets, two had the zipper on the left and one on the right. An extra-large ski jacket has the zipper on the left.

We tried on all these jackets and had no difficulty zipping them regardless of whether the zipper car was on the left side or the right side.

So I started a survey by calling my daughter, who has a large family. She went through all their jackets and the results were: 19 jackets with zipper car on the right and 3 jackets with the zipper car on the left.

So I guess the question is:
Does it matter whether the zipper car is on the left or the right, whether you are lefthanded or righthanded?

This will give you a chance to clean out your closet while you are checking your zippers.

Mine is on the right.

But this is quite a random topic :P

What is a random topic? We're talking about sailing jackets. Maugan, you really need to develop a sense of humor.

The thing is, this is a potentially sexist issue. As everybody knows, in the case of button shirts, men's shirts have the buttons on the right side and women's shirts have the buttons on the left side.

Therefore, I think some people might think that men's jackets would have the zipper car on the right side and women's jackets would have the zipper car on the left side.

No self-respecting guy wants people to think he is wearing a women's jacket. And, obviously, everybody pays close attention to which side of your jacket has the zipper car. Sort of like earrings.

I was going to post something about how a man's and woman's button up shirts have the buttons and button holes on opposite sides - wondering if the zipper thing was along those lines. But then I realized someone might start to theorize as to why I knew that.

I do have a sense of humor about it!!

I think its funny actually that someone took the time to notice a difference :P

I know Jake, I've taken my girlfriends' shirt off her many times and noticed the same thing >:-)

(no the apostrophe is not out of place)

Ever notice that when a woman is wearing blue jeans and a button down top that the flap on the pants is facing opposite as the flap of the shirt?

GARY

Gary, you're right. I had to get my jeans out of the closet to check.

But this is not relevant to the question: Does it make a difference to you whether your jacket has the zipper car on the left or right side of the jacket?

This is a serious, but humorous, survey for the benefit of manufacturers of sailing gear. Two life jackets I have found in our household have the zipper car on the right.

Is that a problem for lefthanded people? Is there a safety issue here?

I guess the most typical zipper us guys contend with is the pant zipper which we have to operate many times a day (depending on fluid consumption etc.). and this zipper is ALWAYS on the right. So I can see why all of a sudden having to zip on the left side would be awkward.

This depends solely on whether you are on a port or starboard tack.

On slacks and jeans I can't tell which side the car is on. It is just a straight up and down, because it is attached at the bottom.

A jacket is different, where you have to put the bottom together and the car is either definitively on the left side or the right side.

Possibly men have a problem with small-motor coordination and it makes a big difference to them whether they slide the zipper into the car from the left or the right. That is why I have asked this particular audience for your input on whether it is easier for you to put a zipper together when the car is on the right or on the left.

Please try to cooperate in this survey.

Well then if you really want to know, I can tell you that I think that all zippered products for men should be operated from the right. That is the way they are accustomed to using the zipper.

While I can quickly start the zipper and zip up my pfd without even looking, if it were backwards it would cause a short stumble of my attention.

Women can use zippers easily from either side because they are used to using both. So a unisex zipper should be of the male gender and be operable with the right hand.

GARY

But regardless of whether the zipper car is on the right or the left side, once I put them together at the bottom, I always use my right hand to raise or lower the zipper. I think this would be true regardless of whether the zipper raiser was right- or left-handed.

It is possible that if, in the design of the product, the flap overlaps toward the left, that would be more convenient for the left-handed person, and if the flap overlaps to the right, it might be better for the right-handed person.

But let's just disregard the direction of the flap for now and concentrate on the design of the zipper itself. I'm sure we can save the flap issue for a later thread.

The reason that the buttons are opposite on sides: This enables a man to get a womans shirt off with out having to think too much....the way I got it figured.

Mary,

What I meant to say is that I am sure that it's a customary use thing. I think the basis of it is that we usually operate the tool with our right hand, and use the left to assist. When hooking the zipper at the bottom (with a right hand zipper) you hold the zipper car with your right hand and hold the tab with the left. And once you hook it you immediately shift fingers and zip the zipper right up (with your right hand). No having to change hands or anything. I think a zipper car on the left side is intentionally made that way for left handed people. Or possibly the factory gets a better price on the left handed zippers and never thought someone would complain about it because they may not have stopped to think about why it ould make a difference.

Did you call the factory to ask them why they did it this way?

Mary all I have to say is welcome to the world of retail!


Thanks,
Brad Stephens
www.sunjammers.com<------new site!
Authorized Hobie/Vanguard Dealer
Division 15 Chairman
Panama City Beach, FL
brad@sunjammers.com
850-235-2281

Hi Mary,

For the benifit of your survey I use a Wave wake boarding jacket with side entry zipper that zips upto your armpit.

This is located on the left side off the jacket. I have never thought about it too much but now I think about it, I being right handed, would find it awkward if the zipper / entry was from the right side.

I hold the car in my left hand, hook in the right zipper track with the right, start the car up the zipper about 2 inches with my left, and switch to my right to pull up. I had to go put my jacket on and observe because it's instinctive. I never realized that I switch hands to pull the zipper up. I'm right handed, and putting on a girl's jacket or sweater, I fumble and take a while, probably switching hands a few times. In all honesty, though, my lifejackets have plastic clasps that fit much better than a zipper jacket, anyway.

Are you talking about putting a girl's jacket or sweater on yourself or on her? And I assume you are referring to jackets or sweaters with zippers?

I am asking because I have not been able to find any difference between jackets designed for women and men. Most zipper cars seem to be on the right.

However, the ones that my daughter found that had the zipper car on the left side were mostly children's jackets, which would make sense if an adult is zipping them up, because when you are facing the person you are zipping up, it is easier for the right-handed person who is doing the zipping if the zipper car is on the left side. Whereas, if you are zipping up your own jacket on yourself, it is easier if the zipper car is on the right (unless, of course, you are left-handed).

We still have not heard back from the jacket manufacturer as to whether there is a reason for putting the zipper car on the right or the left, and whether there is any symbolism or sexism or handism involved. Perhaps the designer of the clothing was left-handed?

Mary, The only jacket that I have that zips on the left is my foul weather gear, Henry Lloyd made in Europe. I don't know if that has any thing to do with it but it does take getting used too.

Could it be that we now have zippers sewn into our jackets by either liberals (left) or conservatives (right)?
And pants or trousers which zip from the middle are moderates?
Rick

I thought maybe there was some international aspect to this and that it might make a difference where the jacket was manufactured. But I have two foul weather jackets, two different brands, both made in China, and one has the zipper car on the left and one on the right. Another jacket is made in Portugal, and the zipper car is on the left.

Rick and I went to a local play last night, and during it one of the male characters had to put on a leather jacket. I noticed that we simultaneously leaned forward to intently observe which side the zipper car was on. I know it is ridiculous, but at least it is sharpening our powers of observation.

By the way, it was on the right.

Hobiegary, should we be calling you Mysteriegary now?

On the issue of buttons, the reason that womens buttons on their blouses are opposite from men is that, way back in time eliteists men had servants (Or wives) dress them and so the women would be able to use the same hand to button theirs. Just like the zipper on the kids jackets. You would use the same hand to zip yours and the kids (opposite). Hmmmm, it seems the women do all the dressing!

Which brings to mind a story... When white men crossed the ocean and arrived in the western hemisphere they encountered the Indians. Their system was like this, the women did all the work, raising the children, did the cooking, etc. and the men hunted and fished all day. And they thought they could improve on a system like that!!!

Clayton

Clayton,
From what I have researched about buttons, it is exactly the opposite of what you said. It goes back to Victorian times. Men's buttons were always in the front, and men buttoned their own clothes, so their buttons were placed on the right side of their clothing.

Women's buttons were on the back of their clothing, so they were dressed by handmaidens or relatives, and the bottons were placed so they were on the right of the person dressing them. When they started putting women's buttons on the front of their clothing, they continued to place the buttons toward the right side of the person facing them (the left side of the blouse) -- and it continues that way even today, despite the fact that women are now presumably capable of buttoning themselves.

Well I was sure someone was dressing someone else. (maybe I was doing some wishfull thinking )
The button thing is pretty much the same but the zippers seem to have no method (at least at this time in the discussion) to the madness.

Clayton

The only, and rather lame, reason these days to have women's buttons on the left side of their clothing and men's buttons on the right is to differentiate between men's shirts and women's shirts. And who cares any more?

If buttons had just recently been invented, they probably would be on the right side of ALL shirts and blouses. Why should women be inconvenienced by having a left-handed buttoning system?

Zippers, on the other hand, ARE a relatively recent invention, so what conceivable reason could there be for having left-side zipper cars except for left-handed people or for children's clothing, where they are being dressed by others?

My conclusion from all this is that zipper cars on sailing foul weather jackets should be on the right side for the convenience of both men and women. It is obvious that a left-side zipper car indicates that the jacket belongs to a child or to a woman or to a man who needs help zipping his jacket.

And I now can understand the concern of the man who complained about his zipper car being on the left. But this is not just a male issue. It should be of concern to men and women sailors everywhere.

The foul weather jackets we have been discussing here are from some of the most prestigious jacket providers in the sailing world. We need to get the message to them that we all want our zipper cars on the right.

I feel there's some users of this forum that REALLY need to go sailing!!!

Rick and Mary, I have a reversable down vest with a two way zipper. Why a vest has a two way zipper I don't know, but the side with pockets has the zipper on the right. I find it slightly harder to get started on the left. I would think that any major manufacturer of quality gear, would exchange the product if the zipper was on the left, unless it was sold as a second, or was advertised that way. And I would expect them to deal directly with the customer, so that you/ any retail seller wouldn't have to. I am right handed, though I have been known to favor the left sometimes in politics! Let us know how it works out! And YES I need to go sailing! Won't be for months now though...

"When they started putting women's buttons on the front of their clothing, they continued to place the buttons toward the right side of the person facing them (the left side of the blouse) -- and it continues that way even today, despite the fact that women are now presumably capable of buttoning themselves. "

Perhaps it`s so that men can UNDRESS women more easily !

Well, then, men should have their buttons on the left, as well, so women can return the favor.

Hey Mary,

Take a look at the zipper and see if it has a YKK on it. Just curious because almost all zippers are made by the YKK company out of Japan. Take a look at almost any zipper from sails to jeans and it has a YKK on it.

Just curious if there is another manufacturer of zippers?

Mike Hill

That's interesting; and you're right -- almost all of our zippers are "YKK," whether left or right, metal or plastic. The only one that is not "YKK" is a ski jacket that was made in maybe Germany or Switzerland.

Mike, you are a freak.....

You sent me rumaging through my wardrobe and guess what. They were nearly all YKK. Those that wern't said nothing. When my girlfreind got home I asked her to show me here slacks. They said DEM.

I wonder why YKK have such a monopoly on the marked.

talk about worthy of a market study! "The YKK monopoly".

Is their stock available?
Rick