Trend Report (Rant): Exposed Zippers

OK, I know I'm a little late to comment on this trend that started taking off in Spring 2009; I was hoping it would have come and GONE already.

I. Hate. Exposed. Zippers.

Well, maybe I don't hate ALL exposed zippers. Some exposed zippers, like the one on this Jason Wu dress:

Jason Wu for TSE Structured Dress (note off-center exposed zipper)

are creative and very original.  The (somewhat) exposed zipper is definitely integral to the garment design.

But then there are butt-ugly interpretations such as this:

Jay Godfrey Zippered Tank Dress (front view)

(BTW, this dress retails for over $250 .)

The ones that really set my teeth on edge are those having the zipper TAPE completely exposed (not just the zipper TEETH), particularly if it's a heavy duty (wide tape) zipper, in a weird, contrasting color sewn onto a lightweight fabric. When I was learning to sew, it was drilled into me that a high-quality garment had a nearly invisible zipper, or at the very least, an unobtrusive one.  Now it is "trendy" to have your clothes look like you have them on inside out.  (Remember when exposed serged seams were everywhere?  I never understood that one, either.)