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