Wind Guard
Construction — one of 70 in the glossary
A strip of fabric behind or over a zip or snap closure, sewn in to stop wind and water getting through the gap the closure itself cannot close. A zip is a row of interlocking teeth with air spaces between them and a channel behind, so even a closed zip leaks; the guard is the flap that covers it.
A zip is not a seal
Zip teeth interlock but do not meet airtight, and there is a channel of fabric-free space along the zip line. Wind goes straight through it and so does driven rain.
A wind guard — also called a storm flap or draught flap — is a strip of fabric behind the zip that blocks that path.
An external storm flap does the same job on the outside, sometimes with its own snaps or a hook-and-loop closure, and is common on rainwear where the zip itself is not waterproof.
The chin guard
At the top of the zip a small fabric tab often folds over the slider. That is a chin guard, and its job is comfort rather than weather: it stops metal touching the neck.
It is a small detail that people notice immediately when it is missing, because a cold zip against the throat is unpleasant.
Better jackets line it with something soft.
For a decorator
A wind guard adds a layer of fabric behind the zip, so the front of the garment is not a single thickness.
Anything pressed near the centre front bears on different thicknesses across the design, which gives uneven results.
Left-chest placement clear of the zip line is the standard answer, as it is on most outerwear.
Common questions
- What is a wind guard on a jacket?
- A strip of fabric behind or over the zip that blocks the wind and water a closed zip still lets through. Also called a storm flap or draught flap.
- Why does wind come through a closed zip?
- Because zip teeth interlock without sealing, and there is a fabric-free channel along the zip line. The guard is the flap that covers that path.
- What is a chin guard?
- A small fabric tab that folds over the top of the zip slider so metal does not touch the neck. It is a comfort detail rather than a weather one.
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