A broken zip is not the end of a skirt, dress or pair of trousers, and replacing one is less daunting than you might think. Before you start unpicking, check whether it can be saved: a stuck slider or a zip that splits open can often be sorted in minutes (see our guide to fixing a zip). If zip teeth are missing or the stopper has come away, it's time for a new one.
This guide covers both sewing by hand and by machine. Sewing by hand takes longer but gives you more control and a near-invisible finish. A machine is quicker and copes better with heavier fabrics.
Choose the right replacement zip
Match the new zip to the old one on three points.
- Length: measure the old zip from top stop to bottom stop, not the full length of the tape.
- Type: a standard zip for most trousers and bags, an invisible (concealed) zip for most dresses and skirts, and an open-ended zip for coats and jackets.
- Weight: metal or chunky plastic teeth for denim and outerwear, a lightweight nylon coil for dresses and blouses.
If you are unsure, take the old zip to a haberdashery and ask them to match it.
Remove the old zip
Unpick the stitching with a seam ripper or small scissors. Before you pull the zip away, take note of how it was set in: how far the teeth sat from the fold, where the top stops finished and how the waistband or facing was closed. A quick photo on your phone saves you guessing when you come to repair.
How to replace a zip by hand
What you'll need
- Replacement zip
- Hand-sewing needle
- Thread in a bright, contrasting colour for tacking, plus thread to match your fabric
- Pins and scissors
- Thimble and iron (optional)
Step by step
- Fold back the seam allowance on both sides of the opening and press, so you have two neat, folded edges. Pressing now makes the rest of the process easier.
- With the zip closed, pin it to the wrong side of the fabric with the teeth centred between the folds. Leave a gap of 1 to 2mm between the teeth and each fold so the fabric doesn't catch in the slider.
- Thread your needle with the contrasting thread and tack (baste) down each side of the zip with long running stitches, then remove the pins. Neatness doesn't matter, as these stitches come out later.
- Open the zip. Rethread the needle with doubled thread that matches your fabric: a fine needle for blouses and shirts, a sturdier one for heavier fabric.
- Starting at the top of one side, about 5mm from the fold, sew a prick stitch. Bring the needle up to the right side, take it back down just a few fabric threads behind where it emerged, then bring it up again a stitch length ahead. You should see tiny stitches on the front and longer ones on the back.
- Work down to the bottom of the zip, stitch across below the stopper and continue up the other side.
- Close the zip so it isn't under strain, knot the thread securely on the wrong side and unpick the tacking.
Why the prick stitch holds. Each stitch steps back over itself, so the thread is locked at every point along the seam rather than running freely. That is what lets a hand-sewn zip cope with being pulled open and shut every day, where a simple running stitch would gradually work loose.
How to replace a zip with a sewing machine
What you'll need
- Sewing machine with a zipper foot
- Replacement zip and matching thread
- Pins, seam ripper and tailor's chalk
Step by step
- Fit the zipper foot. It is narrower than a standard presser foot, so the needle can stitch close to the teeth without riding over them.
- If the opening has come apart, tack it closed along the seam line and press the seam allowances open.
- Lay the zip face down on the wrong side, teeth centred along the seam, and pin. Hand-tack through all layers of fabric and zip tape, as pins alone let the zip drift under the machine.
- Mark where the bottom stopper sits with chalk. Stitching over that metal stop will break your needle.
- From the right side, stitch down one side close to the teeth, not on them, until you pass the stopper mark.
- With the needle down, lift the foot and pivot the fabric. Sew three or four stitches across the bottom, pivot again with the needle down, and stitch up the other side.
- Unpick the tacking, including the tacked seam, to reveal the zip.
The same method works for open-ended zips on jackets: set each half separately, taking care to line both up at the top and bottom so the fronts sit level when closed.
When to call in help
Fly zips on jeans, zips set into linings and long coat zips are fiddly to replace at home. If you need a professional, our directory of UK repair services lists tailors and menders across the country.