Academic Reading
The invention of the zip
AThe zip, or zipper, is such a familiar object that it is easy to forget how clever it is. Early versions were designed in the late nineteenth century, but they were unreliable and often jammed. It was an engineer named Gideon Sundback who, in 1913, developed the smooth, interlocking design still used today.
BAt first zips were used mainly on boots and tobacco pouches. Only later did the fashion industry adopt them for clothing, once designers realised how quickly and neatly a zip could fasten a garment. Now zips are found on everything from jackets to tents and luggage.