The comprehensive history of how the modern zipper came to be invented, marketed, and brought into popular acceptance through the garment industry. The tale of a tortured and failed inventor who had great concepts but horrible implementation, the device was then picked up by a private company started by two individuals who believed in the invention even at the expense of their own careers. Despite all of this belief and momentum, it still took nearly ten years for the zipper to be functional and accepted by society as a household item. Initial prototypes required removal before washing and complicated instructions, causing a bit of deterrence for potential repeat customers. A common piece of history about an item we all use every day that very few of us actually know anything about.