What’s A Combination Of Velvet & Crochet ? The History of Ordinary Things
A new type of fastener, VELCRO, was marketed in 1955. It revolutionized the fastening industry. VELCRO is the Brand name of a company, not a general term for all the scratchy fastening systems. After the patent expired, other labels appeared with modifications to the original patent. This is the story of the original VELCRO.
In 1941, Swiss engineer and entrepreneur, George de Mestral, was walking with his dog, Milka, and noticed burdock burrs kept sticking to his dog’s fur. He studied the tiny seed which was covered in hundreds of microscopic ‘hooks’ that catch onto the natural ‘loops’ that cover fur, clothing and hair.
Mestral spent the next decade studying how the burr’s barbed, hook-like seeds engaged with the ‘loops’ on his trousers. He experimented with replicating the mechanism applying for his first patent for the “hook and loop fastener” in 1955. Mestral manufactured his invention under the VELCRO® Brand name.
Mestral expected that his product would have many applications, including in the fashion industry. Initially, the product was not as sticky as needed for petticoats and brassieres and other clothing applications. A 1959 fashion show at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel displayed items from VELCRO diapers to VELCRO golf jackets. The New York Times declared “the end of buttons, toggles, hooks, zippers, snaps and even safety pins”. But when VELCRO finally made it to market, it was a flop.
VELCRO was just too ugly for fashion, but the aerospace industry of the 1960s was intrigued. Apollo astronauts used it to secure pens, food packets and equipment in the capsule. They didn’t want zippers and laces to get in and out of their spacesuits. They also needed a way to keep their personal belongings from floating away in zero gravity. VELCRO became an integral component in spacesuit design.
Mestral evaluated a variety of materials but selected nylon for his VELCRO. Puma in 1968 became the first major shoe company to offer sneakers with VELCRO fasteners. By the time VELCRO’s original patent expired in 1978, companies in Europe, Mexico and Asia were already making cheaper knock-off versions. By the 1980s, Velcro was fastening shoes and athletic equipment. It was replacing screws and glue in car interiors. Velcro appeared on everything from blood pressure gauges to patient gowns. In cars it was under the floor mats, and in the home was used fasteners for slipcovers and drapes. The tape’s aesthetic appeal expanded when multiple colors were offered. Industrial Velcro was introduced, composed of steel wires that create a strong bond at high temperatures.
Today, consumer Velcro is made from polyester and is permeable to moisture and sunlight. The strength or holding power does not degrade. The fastener has a short lifespan of only 3,500+ pulls. The classic nylon hook and loop fastener degrades in heat, moisture, or UV radiation, but under optimal conditions, it has a lifespan of 10,000 openings and closings. From burdock seeds to our daily living, Velcro holds us together!
> Read Full Biography
> More Articles Written By This Writer
- What’s A Combination Of Velvet & Crochet ? The History of Ordinary Things - March 28, 2025
- How Was Roulette Spun Up? : The History of Ordinary Things - February 28, 2025
- Was The Dunce Hat Actually Used? : The History of Ordinary Things - January 31, 2025