Velcro For Clothes: a Brief History of Velcro in Fashion
Velcro is arguably one of the greatest inventions of all time. It was even used to secure Neil Armstrong's spacesuit! Learn the history of velcro for clothes
You may not think about it often, but Velcro is ubiquitous in our lives today. This simple fastener is commonplace and we use it on a daily basis without a second thought.
The applications of this fastening material are endless, and it's likely that it's a bigger part of your life than you even consciously realize.
Velcro has been popular since it was first created and it isn't going anywhere. Read on to learn about the history of Velcro in fashion and the ways that Velcro for clothes has changed the fashion industry forever.
The Invention of Velcro
If you were a child in the years after the invention of Velcro in the 1950s, then at some point you were amazed by it. Many of us can remember the familiar sound of opening and closing a Velcro fastener on our sneakers before we learned how to tie our shoes.
But where did Velcro come from, and who invented it all those years ago?
Unlike many new technologies of the twentieth century, the invention of Velcro can be traced back to a single person. Swiss engineer and inventor George de Mestral enjoyed hiking in his country's breathtaking Alps. One day in 1941, he returned home from a hike and noticed burrs stuck to his clothing and to the fur of his dog and was intrigued by their clinging ability.
He examined the burrs under a microscope and discovered that their sharp ends were covered in microscopic hooks. These hooks grabbed onto anything the burrs came in contact with and held on strong.
After nearly a decade of research that followed, de Mestral invented Velcro. The word Velcro – a combination of the words "velvet" and "crochet" – is an eponym; it is the name of the fastening material itself as well as the name of the company that manufactures it.
In 1955, de Mestral applied for and received a patent for his new invention, and he borrowed $150,000 to manufacture and market it. A new product was born.
Benefits of Velcro
At first, the fashion industry and the world did not embrace Velcro. For a very long time, people used buttons and zippers for clothing, and for most, they seemed to be working just fine.
However, both buttons and zippers do have their own sets of problems. Zippers often get stuck and in an effort to free them, they can break easily. Overuse can cause them to wear down and then they must be replaced.
Buttons can come loose and become lost, and buttonholes can tear, rendering the buttons useless.
Both buttons and zippers can be challenging to use for both the very old and the very young. Even able-bodied people often find themselves struggling with buttons and zippers when they are in a hurry.
Velcro, on the other hand, did not present any of these issues. It is easy to use and can be used with little degradation time and time again for many years.
Velcro and NASA
In the late 1960s, one industry realized the versatility and ease of Velcro, and that changed everything.
As NASA prepared to send astronauts to the moon, scientists realized that Velcro would be a perfect fastener. Astronauts could use it to get in and out of their spacesuits easily, and it would hold tight regardless of the lack of gravity in space.
NASA's use of Velcro helped to popularize this fastener and soon, everyone wanted to try this futuristic product. Soon, Velcro for clothes and shoes became popular even for the average American family.
Velcro for Clothes
Around the same time as NASA's widely publicized use of Velcro in space suits, the fashion industry began to realize the versatility of this invention for clothing for regular citizens.
At first, Velcro was only available in a few colors which made fashion applications challenging; velcro patches today, however, offer much more variety. As a result, it was only used in athletic equipment at first. However, shoe manufacturers quickly realized that Velcro fasteners could be used in their sneakers. In 1968, Puma became the first brand to use it in their shoes, and Adidas and Reebok soon followed.
Soon, high-end fashion designers also started to take note. Pierre Cardin was an early adopter of Velcro in his designs and Paco Rabanne and Andre Courreges used it in their futuristic outfits as well. The use of Velcro never really took off in high fashion, but once well-known designers began using it, Velcro's popularity grew and grew.
Over the years, the use of Velcro in fashion for clothing became more and more common and accepted. In more recent times, designers like Tommy Hilfiger saw a need for disability-friendly clothing and realized that Velcro was the perfect type of closures for it. Popular sport sandals by Teva use Velcro as a fastener in all of their products.
Today, it's not even uncommon to see Velcro even on the runway. Helmut Lang, Dries Van Noten, and Virgil Abloh has all showcased different looks including Velcro in fashion shows over the past few years.
Not Everyone Loves Velcro
However, Velcro isn't right for everyone and everything, and not everyone loves Velcro.
In 2004, Velcro landed a contract with the United States military. Velcro has long been used by people who need to get dressed in a hurry including firefighters and doctors, so both the military and Velcro felt that military use of it would make sense.
However, after a few years of Velcro's use in the field, the military decided to revert back to buttons in 2010. Soldiers complained that Velcro was too loud and that the fact that closures attracted to dust, which made them difficult to close.
Velcro for Clothes
Velcro has changed our lives over the past seven decades. It's hard to imagine not knowing about this product, but it has not even been around for a full century yet. Today, Velcro for clothes, shoes, and other items is commonplace and it will likely be around and used well into the future.
Keep an eye out for Velcro at DC Fashion Week 2020! You never know where it will pop up.
For more information about DC Fashion Week, check out the rest of our site.