Flapping fly

October 19, 2007 7:13 PM

How can I get the fly of my jeans to stop folding open and exposing the zipper?

I'm a female that's been purchasing jeans at the Gap for quite some time. I've never had this problem before, but the most recent pair of jeans that I bought has an issue: the flap on the fly won't sit down straight. It folds open and shows the zipper, and this drives me crazy. I don't want to stop wearing these pants and waste them (I buy jeans maybe once a year, and I'm not about to go buy another pair) but ironing didn't help, and neither did weighing down the fly with heavy books after washing. Is the fly sewn improperly; if so, is there something I can do to repair it? I own a sewing machine and I'm pretty handy, but I don't even know if that would help. What should I do?

posted by k8lin to clothing, beauty, & fashion (9 comments total)

A small snap or some velcro?
posted by youngergirl44 at 7:16 PM on October 19, 2007

Try soaking it with some spray starch before ironing. Spray starch is great.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 7:26 PM on October 19, 2007

Maybe try taking it back to Gap for exchange? It could be that this particular pair is problematic.
posted by carmina at 7:33 PM on October 19, 2007

Are they the new jeans that have a horrible not-matching zipper fabric around the zipper? I just bought a pair from Gap and had the same problem until I got fed up and after taking them out of the washer (I never put my jeans in the dryer) I take a clothes pin (or a hair clip) and while still very damp clip the flap over and it typically dries to the point that it will not gap open.
posted by banannafish at 7:35 PM on October 19, 2007

I'd at least try to exchange them. You're either looking at extraordinary maintenance every time you wash them, or just dealing with the zipper problem. In my experience, this can't be fixed permanently. The velcro might help, but that's kind of a pain and can be botched (i.e., the velcro could show if it's not installed carefully).
posted by amtho at 7:43 PM on October 19, 2007

Why do you think they call it The Gap?

I have a pair or two that do that. It's definitely brand-related. Try wetting and ringing out a small towel. Fold it several times and place it under the zipper to give it some padding and dampness, and then dampen the zipper flap. Iron away. The trick is to get the bulk of the zipper to depress into the towel so you can flatten the zipper flap.
posted by The Deej at 8:58 PM on October 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Definitely try zipping and buttoning up the pants before throwing them in the dryer. What may be happening is that the fabric around the zipper is shrinking and becoming warped and shortened, exacerbated by the fact that the metal bits get really hot in the dryer.

The lives of countless hoodies, dresses, and pants have been spared with this special trick.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:41 PM on October 19, 2007

the gap has a VERY lenient return policy. take em back (don't bother bringing a receipt, just say you bought them a few weeks ago) and politely explain the problem, i bet they do an exchange.
posted by twistofrhyme at 12:31 AM on October 20, 2007

I had some pants that did this. I put a small safety pin at the widest point ( on the inside ). The fabric eventually got used to the new position and stayed.
posted by Espoo2 at 11:13 AM on October 20, 2007