Why are my jean zippers always coming undone?

June 12, 2015 3:13 PM

So whenever I wear jeans, the zipper is always falling down. It does not seem to matter what the jeans are - new, old, too tight, too loose, just right. I know you ostensibly place the tab down to lock it, but this does not help - it just slows it a bit. Hence it's probably something I am doing wrong, or an incorrect fit that I keep buying. What might it be?
posted by solarion to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

This is the very thing Lifehacks was created for
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:18 PM on June 12, 2015 [5 favorites]

I don't know what causes it, but you can fix the problem by attaching a small metal ring to the zipper pull and then hooking that over the button above the zipper when you button your pants. Works like a charm.
posted by alms at 3:19 PM on June 12, 2015 [2 favorites]

Are you buying cheap jeans? Cheap jeans have cheap zippers, and cheap zippers don't work super well. You can lifehack it as said above, but the only way to really fix it is higher quality zippers.
posted by brainmouse at 3:34 PM on June 12, 2015 [2 favorites]

Like brainmouse I have had this experience with cheap clothes, jeans specifically, so if you are buying super cheap jeans that could make a difference. I had better luck with buying jeans up a step up or two, I didn't have to buy $100 jeans to resolve the problem.
posted by dawg-proud at 4:04 PM on June 12, 2015

Response by poster: This ooccurs on a pair of tailored jeans too, although it is a sample size of one there.
posted by solarion at 8:46 PM on June 12, 2015

Maybe consider buying button fly jeans instead?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 10:44 PM on June 12, 2015

Best answer: Consider button fly if you don't ever find yourself explosively needing to get out of your jeans -- I sometimes hold my bladder a bit too long and the button fly becomes brutal, I couldn't hang.

For me the issue is usually cheap jeans or a bad fit where the zipper is under strain or unable to fully close up, but I realize you've gone up and down in tightness/looseness. Do you use a belt?
posted by aydeejones at 11:52 PM on June 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Button fly would be fine with a belt if you can loosen the belt enough to just pull them down without the fly depending on the fit and your gluteal-osity, and if you're a dude you'll just have to hit the urinal toddler-style or hie thee to a stall.
posted by aydeejones at 11:54 PM on June 12, 2015

Are you certain it's falling down? I was convinced that my pants zippers were undoing themselves, until I realized that I had simply become more distracted in life and had just been forgetting to zip them up. I would just button the pants and go on about my day. I had to be more mindful about my fly.

It was embarrassing as hell to realize this and honestly I can't believe I'm sharing it, but make sure you're solving the actual problem. I simply build a ritual into my life where I carefully check my fly every time I might have undone it, even if it's dumb and paranoid and I'm certain that I already zipped it. I almost never forget, but obviously that one time I catch it is worth all the checking.
posted by Tehhund at 4:31 AM on June 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

attaching a small metal ring to the zipper pull and then hooking that over the button above the zipper

I've successfully improvised this with a bent paper clip.
posted by flabdablet at 4:39 AM on June 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Do the zippers appear to lock correctly when you're not wearing them? If so, the only thing I can think of is that something about the way you wear them tends to unlock the zipper. Perhaps the fabric bends enough to pop the tab out when you sit? If so, you might try locking the zipper in a different location, leaving it slightly unzipped, so that it doesn't pop out.
posted by Aleyn at 9:45 PM on June 13, 2015