A zip fly is a closure for the front opening of jeans that uses a zip, either metal or plastic toothed, secured at the top with a single button or hook and bar closure at the waistband. It is the more common fly type on modern jeans across most fits and price points.
Compared with a button fly, a zip fly is generally quicker to open and close, which is one reason it became the default on mass produced jeans over the course of the twentieth century. Its main drawback is that a zip can jam on fabric, and the slider or teeth can eventually wear out or break, at which point the whole zip usually needs replacing rather than a single component.
Most jeans marketed as everyday or work oriented use a zip fly for convenience, while some raw and heritage styles still favour a button fly as a traditional detail. If a zip fails, see our jeans repair and patching guide for how it is typically replaced, and buying guide for other construction details worth checking.
