Zips and buttons are a fifth of the bill and the first thing a shop forgets to charge for. Which kind goes on which garment, why the cheap zip costs the most, and how to put the hardware on the bill.
The Part of the Garment That Fails First
Stitching rarely fails. A seam done properly lasts as long as the cloth. What fails is the hardware — a zip that jams in the third month, a hook that pulls through, a button that comes off on the second wearing.
And when it fails, the customer does not say the zip was bad. She says the blouse was badly made. The two-rupee component takes the reputation of the four hundred rupees of work around it.
That is reason enough to take this seriously, but there is a second one. On a lined blouse with a concealed zip, hooks and interfacing, the hardware is often fifteen to twenty per cent of what the job actually costs. Shops routinely absorb all of it, which is a fifth of their margin given away one zip at a time.
Zips — Which Kind, and Where
Nylon coil, 3mm
The everyday zip. Light, flexible, quiet, and it survives being pressed. Blouses, kurtis, skirts, light dresses. If one zip were kept in the shop, this is it.
Concealed or invisible
Stitched so only the pull shows. For fitted dresses, side seams on blouses and anything where a visible zip would spoil the line. Takes a special foot and about twice as long to fit — price it accordingly.
Metal, brass or aluminium
Jeans, heavy cotton, jackets, bags. Strong and it looks like hardware, which on denim is the point. Will mark cloth if pressed directly and is wrong on anything delicate.
Open-end
Separates completely at the bottom — jackets, coats, anything that opens all the way. Comes in a length and cannot be shortened from the bottom, so the length has to be right when bought.
Closed-end
Everything else. Can be shortened from the top, which is why one length covers several jobs if you stock sensibly.
Why the Cheap Zip Is the Expensive One
A nylon zip costs a few rupees. A better one costs a few rupees more. The difference feels like nothing at purchase and is the most expensive saving in the shop.
When a zip fails in month three the customer brings the garment back. You open the side seam, remove the old zip, fit a new one, press and finish — forty minutes, free, because she is not paying twice for the same blouse. The saving was four rupees and the repair cost most of an hour.
Worse, she now believes the garment was badly made. The next blouse may go elsewhere.
The rule is simple enough to put on the shelf: on anything the customer paid real money for, fit the better zip. On a daily-wear cotton kurti, the ordinary one is fine. The cost difference across a year is a few hundred rupees; the cost of one reputation is not calculable.
Hooks, Buttons and Elastic
Hooks and eyes
Sizes 0 to 3; the small ones for blouse necks, the larger for waistbands. Always stitch through a double layer or interfacing — a hook stitched to single cloth pulls through and takes a hole with it. Four stitches per loop, not two.
Press studs and snaps
Faster for the wearer, weaker under strain. Fine on a child’s garment or a kurti placket, wrong on anything that carries weight or has to stay closed on a fitted bodice.
Buttons
Match the shank to the cloth thickness: a flat button on thick cloth strains the thread, and a shank button on thin cloth stands away. Keep the spare in a small bag stapled to the bill — the customer loses it otherwise, and it is the cheapest piece of goodwill available.
Elastic
Woven for waistbands, which does not narrow when stretched. Braided is cheaper and narrows, so it twists and digs in. For a petticoat or a child’s waistband use woven, every time.
Velcro
Strong, visible and it catches delicate cloth in the wash. Useful on children’s and adaptive clothing, almost never right on a saree blouse.
Putting It on the Bill
Most shops bury the hardware in the stitching charge, then feel the squeeze when prices are compared and the margin has nowhere to go.
List it. One line per item — zip, hooks, lining, interfacing, elastic, thread in a bought colour — each with its price. A customer who sees six small amounts accepts them; a customer who sees one larger stitching charge asks why the shop down the road is cheaper, and you have no answer because the difference is invisible.
This also settles the customer-supplied-cloth case cleanly. She brought the cloth, so stitching is your labour and everything you supplied is a separate line. Nobody argues with that arrangement when it is on the bill from the start.
Three habits make it stick. Price the hardware when the order is taken, not at delivery. Charge the concealed zip more than the ordinary one, because it takes twice as long to fit. And when you fit the better zip on an expensive garment, say so — it is a reason your price is what it is.
What to Keep on the Shelf
Hardware runs out quietly. Nobody orders it, and then a bridal blouse is on the table on a Saturday and there is no hook in the shop.
A working minimum for a general ladies’ shop: 3mm nylon zips in two or three lengths and the half-dozen colours you actually use, a card of concealed zips, hooks and eyes in two sizes, press studs, woven elastic in two widths, and a box of plain buttons. Count it once a week and order before it is finished rather than after.
Buy zips by the card and hooks by the box rather than in tens — the price per piece is a fraction, and none of it goes stale. It is the same discipline as counting cloth, and it fails for the same reason: nobody is responsible for it until the Saturday it matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which zip is best for a saree blouse?
A 3mm nylon coil zip for ordinary work, and a concealed zip where the line of the garment matters. Nylon is light, flexible and survives pressing. Metal zips are wrong on blouse cloth and will mark it under the iron.
Should a tailoring shop charge separately for zips and buttons?
Yes, as individual lines on the bill. Buried in the stitching charge they are invisible, and on a lined blouse they can be a fifth of the real cost. Customers accept six small amounts and question one large one.
Why do hooks pull out of blouses?
Because they were stitched to a single layer of cloth. A hook needs a double layer or interfacing behind it and four stitches per loop. Stitched to single cloth it pulls through and takes a hole with it.
Woven or braided elastic for a waistband?
Woven. It keeps its width when stretched. Braided is cheaper but narrows under tension, so it twists inside the casing and digs in — the usual complaint about a petticoat waistband.
Where Juvee Helps
Zips, hooks, buttons and elastic are stock, and they run out on the day they matter. Juvee counts them alongside the cloth so a shortage shows up on a Monday instead of a Saturday — see fabric and materials. The Basic plan is free with no time limit, and paid plans start at ₹10,190 a year including GST; see the pricing page. For needles, thread and interfacing, read needles and thread.