zipper vs. buttons

[Cantabrigian]

I am interested to hear from those who prefer buttons to a zipper on the fly of suit trousers.

Is it a question of how long the garment will last? I am under the impression that a zipper can be easily replaced and is - to my way of thinking - much more convenient.

[iammatt]

I think buttons are a nice touch, but I would leave them to pants that are meant for leisure time. I find that when I am working, I have much less time than I would like. The extra minute that it takes to button up a fly can be infuriating.

[Concordia]

Don't forget also that if you ever have a hand injury or suffer from gout, you may never be able to get your trousers on at all.

[Despos]

My father was a tailor in the era that zippers came into being and said zippers met resistance at first. The popular opinion amongst bespoke makers was zippers cheapened the garment.
Would you rather use the elevator or take the stairs?

[E. Tage Larsen]

Isn't it also an issue of the fabric laying more flat with buttons rather than with zippers?

[Cufflink79]

Right now all of my trousers have a zipper but I suppose when I have a bespoke suit made I would pick buttons for the fly.
However buttons might take longer to fasten, which means one needs to practice, practice, and practice.
Yes zippers are faster and more functional, the Duke of Windsor even had zippers put on his trousers because they were more functional, but old world workmanship still needs to be around in today's modern world for the next generation to use and enjoy.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[AnthonyJordan]

Would you rather use the elevator or take the stairs?

To use your comparison, I foresee a new slogan for traditional tailoring - "The button fly - better for your health, better for the environment"...

Seriously, I am sure that zippers have many advantages but I just find them too utilitarian for my tastes. Plus I understand that the loss of a button is less likely to cause unsightly gaping than the failure of a zip. Fortunately I have never suffered the latter, so I wouldn't know!

A.

PS I prefer the stairs, myself.

[Costi]

Dear iammatt, I really wouldn't want your job for anything in the world: a place where even toilet time is budgeted should pay one's weight in gold (just joking, please don't be offended, but I couldn't help smiling when I read your post).
Now to the matter - I am deffinitely and deffinitively in favour of button flies. I find that the fly lies flatter and doesn't swell as much as with a zipper when one sits. The zipper practically stiffens the fly (both the zipper itself, as well as the strips of fabric it comes with).
Then just think of the disastruous situations a blocked zipper can give rise to. If it's blocked (totally or partially) unzipped, you really must change your trousers, there is no other way (and usually that means going home...). If it's blocked fully zipped, the situation may become desperate as the trouser usually won't come off. And who of us was never driven mad by that kind of zipper (especially with tighter, sports trousers) that tends to come undone 2-3 cms all by itself all the time, keeping you busy pulling it back up every two minutes...
All this can never happen with buttons. And it's really a matter of days until you get used to buttoning and unbuttoning your fly without even thinking of it. With VERY little practice, it becomes as quick and natural as with a zipper. Plus, should a button come off, it is much more probable that one may find thread and needle and mend it on the spot, rather than manage to mend a broken zipper... And, Cantabrigian, I think it is much easier to simply sew in a new button (or a new set of buttons, for that matter) if you happen to lose one, rather than replace a zipper (which has to be done by a tailor).
My tailor sometimes sews in a button even in place of the usual metal hook that is placed in the middle of the waistband; he sews it on the inside of the left waistband half and makes a horizontal buttonhole in the right waistband half. Practically this "inverted" button closes directly above the fly buttons, at the waistband level. That's a tricky one that does take some practice to get used to handling it.
The only issue is that button fly trousers are a little more difficult to iron and press; but then that's for the presser to worry, not for us, isn't it?

[dopey]

I have had bespoke trousers made both ways from the same maker. I happen to prefer buttons, but at this point, it is really a matter of habit. I am convinced that any discussion of the practical merits of one or the other, including how the trousers lie, is purposeless. They are essentially the same.

[Cufflink79]

The only issue is that button fly trousers are a little more difficult to iron and press; but then that's for the presser to worry, not for us, isn't it?[/quote]


If for some reason you can't get to the cleaners, get a steamer.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Costi]

Dear dopey, I like to think that we may allow ourselves to be as discriminate as we like even about details (as the case is) and leave little if anything to hazard. Besides the fact that I do believe there are actual, practical and objective (arguable, of course) differences between zippers and buttons, I think that, even if it appeared that there weren't any as you say, confronted with a choice it would be our duty to break the surface of things and look deeper to see if anything whatsoever (practical or mystical) weighs in favour of an option. Sometimes it may be hypothetical, without being imaginary (as in my example with "what if a zipper breaks") and may give us grounds to lean on one side rather than the other. It may not be of utmost importance whether a thing is done one way or another, from a strictly practical point of view. But if we accept the idea that it doesn't matter whether a thing is done one way or antoher, we would weaken the very foundation on which elegance lies. I know you agree with me, because your well-argumented and discerning opinions are everywhere to be found in the LL. It would certainly would add more value to this topic if, instead of cancelling any distinction, you shared with us your personal reasons for choosing buttons in the first place, before it became a matter of habbit.

[dopey]

Dear Costi:

You are correct. Rather than edit my original post, I will leave its shattered visage half-sunk in the sand as a monument to the folly of hubris and the consequences of posting in haste.

Here are my more considered thoughts on the subject:

I find the choice of zippers or buttons to be largely a matter of personal preference as the two are materially identical in their effectiveness for their intended purpose. I also have not found the appearance of trousers with buttons or zippers to be materially different when both styles are made by the same maker, leading me to think that perceived visual differences are an artifact of the maker rather than the choice of the closure. That is what I meant when I wrote that spending much time on the differences is a waste of time. There are no substantial differences, in my estimation, to be uncovered.

There are however minor differences, but differences nonetheless. Exploring small differences is certainly something worth doing and something I enjoy. But you must come to the exploration with an appreciation of how much, or how little, is at stake. For example - buttons open faster but close slower than zippers. This matters, but, to me, only a very little. I have never found myself in a situation where the time difference, on either side, would have affected any outcome. There is also an aesthetic difference which exists only in the experience of the wearer (I would make an analogy here to seven-fold ties, which do not perform any better but still bring pleasure to the wearer). It is for this reason that I do, in fact, prefer buttons to zippers. That preference is nonetheless only a slight one. The principal reason I prefer buttons is strength of habit - I now find their absence a trivial yet nonetheless annoying surprise that I would prefer to avoid.

I had not previously considered the ease of repair for buttons, but now I have one more reason to prefer them.

As to how I got the habit - the first bespoke suit I had made, about a dozen years ago, had button-fly trousers. I used the same person at a different location for a subsequent suit, and thus a habit was born.

[Costi]

"purposeless" indeed...

[Vettriano man]

Indeed, I do prefer buttons mainly for the aesthetic point of view, but I also feel that it isn't such a bad thing to be forced to take a little extra time to fasten or unfasten ones trousers! Important time to concentrate the mind in between dashing around this mad world? Why is it that everything, nowadays, needs to be done with such impatience anyway?

[masterfred]

WIth hard-finished worsteds, I agree that the difference between zippered and buttoned trousers is minimal; however, my experience with more loosely woven fabrics such as woolen flanel is that button-flies tend to crease more around one's fly and crotch.