Ashley's Trendwatch: Functional Accessories-Zippers

The fashion world as we know it has always adapted to leaner times, and 2009 was no exception. While things are beginning to look up, it's still hard to part with our hard earned dollars when it comes to something indulgent. The remedy? Functional accessories.

Photo copyright Laura Bee Designs

Designers and accessory mavens have taken to this trend by storm, seizing any opportunity to make a basic part of their clothing into a stand-out feature. Zippers have been the most heavily used, a marriage of the hardware-heavy and biker-chic trends of 2009.

Pour la Victoire booties - Photo courtesy of Bloomingdales.com

More avant garde desingers have taken zippers to the extreme:

3.1 Phillip Lim - Photo courtesy of InStyle.com

Others have truly taken into account the emphasis of functionality. Artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz using over 120 zippers to create this dress of endless possibility:

Photo courtesy of boingboing.net

And just because it's functional doesn't mean it has to be black. Laura Bee carries nearly 25 different colors of zippers in stock at all times. While we usually focus on the function of the zipper, matching it to blend with the color of the bag, some customers have chosen to make the zipper on their custom items a stand-out in its own right.

Photo copyright Laura Bee Designs

Try highlighting the beauty of functionality in your own zippered items. Don't worry, there are more teeth than bite in this look.