Velcro for clothes: what would we do without it?

All of us had to spend a lot of time and often unsuccessfully messing around with a disobedient button or a deformed buckle button on the jacket. These embarrassing moments spoil the mood, take precious minutes, which is especially unpleasant when you have to rush to work, to school or just on business. In many respects this problem was solved when the textile tape Velcro was invented. In everyday life, it has a different name, namely - velcro for clothes. However, the use of "Velcro" does not end solely with clothing - it also found itself as an element of shoes, bags, tourist and sports equipment, curtains and even furniture.

What it is?

It is difficult to meet a person living in the modern world, who would never have had to deal with such an invention as a tape-sticker. What is this element habitual for many of us?

Velcro tape is a textile strip, which can be of different color and width, it consists of two parts that are mated to each other due to the special structure of their surface. One of the halves is a rigid ribbon, covered with tenacious miniature hooks, they can have different shapes and structures. Their ending resembles fishing hooks, they are as diverse as tackles, because they consist of one, two or even four twisted tips.

The other half of the set, on the contrary, is a soft strip consisting of loops, thanks to which the Velcro for the clothes reliably secures what needs to be connected. Even the minimal contact of the two halves of the "Velcro" provides a grip, sometimes so reliable that it is rather difficult to break the "stuck together" parts.

Velcro is useful everywhere and for everyone

Of course, the broadest area in which Velcro is used is for clothes. Most often these are jackets, down jackets, windbreakers, sports suits. Using the tape, the width of the cuffs and trousers is fixed, pockets, valves and clothing are closed (it acts as an additional clasp).

It is fully justified that Velcro is an integral part of everyday, sports and children's clothing. The fact is that its base is a rigid nylon tape. The velcro is sewn on the inside, on the outside it will look rather rough, besides it is unsuitable for thin fabrics due to the fact that it will wrinkle and form inaccurate folds.

In shoes, it has become an excellent alternative to laces, which is especially important for children. In the furniture industry, Velcro is used to create sofas and armchairs, it fixes pillows, armrests or even upholstery. Recently, the Velcro tape has been actively replacing the inconvenient hooks and loops for fastening curtains and tulle to the cornices.

How to choose a ribbon?

When making your choice, the buyer should clearly know for what purpose he buys a velcro. Tape-Velcro textile, presented in stores of garments and accessories, can be different. First of all, its color is different. You can easily find white, black, gray, blue, red velcro. Slightly less sellers sell a khaki band , as are pink, light green or blue velcro.

Another important factor is the size of the Velcro. Manufacturers supply rolls of 25 m to retail chains, and those in turn sell tapes for the yardage, the price is set for 1 meter linear, and it directly depends on its width. So, the wide Velcro is a five-centimeter tape, the narrower version is 2 and 1 cm. Of course, the Velcro can be cut into pieces, because its base is a non-friable synthetic material, but during production its edges are processed by a narrow edge along which the tape is sewn to Product. The creators do not recommend to lay a line directly on the hooks and loops, as this deforms them and helps to reduce their adhesion. There are also already cut-to-fit Velcro - circles, squares and rectangles. The principle of their work is exactly the same as that of the tape, but they can be fastened with rivets or glue.

Installation method

The last but very important difference that characterizes the Velcro textile tape is how it is attached to the products. Velcro for clothes is often simply sewn, that is, it does not contain a sticky base. There are also samples that are processed with special hot melt on the back side, they activate their action after heating. Such a tape can be fastened not only to fabrics, but also to metal, plastic, wood, glass.

The thermo tape is fixed to the surfaces very reliably, it withstands washing and a wide range of temperatures (from -10 to +60 degrees Celsius). Especially important are such characteristics for clothes and footwear of special purpose (tourist, military, industrial, sports).

Care, replacement and precautions

A great advantage of a sticky tape is that it does not require particularly trepidation. Shoes and clothes with Velcro can be washed, even the harshest weather conditions are not frightening to her, that is, she will faithfully serve both winter and summer.

The only nuance is that sometimes the Velcro is damaged purely mechanically. Its soft side is stretched, the loops do not cling to the hooks because of stretching or tearing. The hard side can be clogged with dust, threads and nap. You can try to clean the tape of debris, but it will be more reasonable to replace it with a new, simply repaired worn part and sewing on the old place a working, not damaged velcro.