Oh dear - how do I replace this?

[KnitchyFingers]

BG:  I am a new mom.  I have a co-worker who has been more than generous with me in mentoring the "new-mom-in-our-workplace" relationship.  (We work in a demanding field and it's difficult to balance it all.)  Co-worker and I also happen to be the same clothing size and live near each other and generally have a lot in common.  Co-worker has two children and is not planning to have more.  Her son is 4 years old, my son is 4 months old.  Her son was born in June, mine in July, so our son's clothing sizes/seasons have matched up.  She loaned me maternity clothes and has given me many useful baby things that she's done using.  Summary:  She's been incredibly generous and supportive. 

Issue:  Co-worker recently loaned me two Halloween costumes that were her son's when he was a baby.  They fit my son perfectly.  She specifically asked for them back as her sister is having a baby soon and may want them for her child.  No problem. 

Well, E-Hellions, I'm in a pickle now.  I washed the costumes according to the directions on the tag.  When I took them out this morning, the zipper on one of them was broken.  Not ripped, but the zipper-closer-thing (I have no idea what it's called) had just broken in two and fallen off.  So you can't zip or un-zip the costume.  Shoot.

Co-worker's mother is a seamstress and may be able to fix it, but I am not sure.  Ordinarily, I would run out and replace the costume with a new one.  While it is several years old, replacements can easily be found on the internet.  (If anyone cares, she lent me a Winne the Pooh costume and a Tigger costume.  The Tigger costume broke.)

However, since her children are well beyond the size of the costume, I'm not sure that an exact replacement is appropriate.  I was thinking of perhaps just buying a gift certificate in the amount of a replacement and giving that to her.  Bad idea? 

I would ask her, but I know that if I ask her, she'll just tell me not to worry about it and I am worried about it.

Thoughts?  Replace the costume (even though her children aren't infants anymore) or give her a gift certificate? 

[alkira6]

I would let her know what happened, present the options to her that I am willing to go with, and let her pick. She might even just let it go completely.

[WillyNilly]

I would take it to the local dry cleaners (here they all have tailors) and just replace the zipper. It will probably cost a few bucks (if you buy your zipper elsewhere & bring it, probably even less) and take a day. Voila - same costume, fixed good as new

[Hmmmmm]

Could you take it to a seamstress and see if they could put in a new zipper? 

If not, then I'd let her know about the broken zipper and ask which she'd rather have 1) a replacement of the same costume that she can give to her sister or 2) a gift certificate she can use to buy a costume for her son.

If she says 'just forget about it" say you're not comfortable just forgetting about it because she has been so generous and you know she was looking forward to sharing the items with her sister and you really want to do one or the other as a replacement. 

[AlansGirl]

Echoing WillyNilly - our local dry cleaners replaced a zipper in our futon cover (so a much more major undertaking than a kid's costume) and it wasn't even ten bucks.  Eight, IIRC.

[afbluebelle]

I would take it to the local dry cleaners (here they all have tailors) and just replace the zipper. It will probably cost a few bucks (if you buy your zipper elsewhere & bring it, probably even less) and take a day. Voila - same costume, fixed good as new

I would go with this. Cheaper, and no loss to the sentimental value 

[EmmaJ.]

Are you saying just the handle of the zipper broke off?  That the zipper teeth are ok, the stitching is ok, but the thing you grab and pull is broken off?

If so, I have an easy fix (it's happened to me many times!).  Take a twisty-tie from a bread wrapper and thread it into the place where the zip handle used to be, twist tight and use that to zip and unzip.

[doodlemor]

I would take it to the local dry cleaners (here they all have tailors) and just replace the zipper. It will probably cost a few bucks (if you buy your zipper elsewhere & bring it, probably even less) and take a day. Voila - same costume, fixed good as new

I would go with this. Cheaper, and no loss to the sentimental value 

I think that the gracious thing to do is just to take it and get it fixed before you return it.  She might feel funny about asking for a repair if you give her options, but regret this later on if the thing does indeed have sentimental value.

[KnitchyFingers]

And this is why I come to EHell.  You guys are geniuses!  I guess in my sleep-deprived state, I never even thought of trying to get it repaired.  I'll drop it off at the dry cleaner (who does have a tailor) tomorrow.

Don't know why I didn't think of that.   

[LadyClaire]

Echoing WillyNilly - our local dry cleaners replaced a zipper in our futon cover (so a much more major undertaking than a kid's costume) and it wasn't even ten bucks.  Eight, IIRC.

I need to go to the dry cleaner instead of the tailor. The tailor near my work wanted $30 to replace a broken zipper in a dress I have. The dress is still sitting in my closet with a broken zipper.

[Bijou]

Are you saying just the handle of the zipper broke off?  That the zipper teeth are ok, the stitching is ok, but the thing you grab and pull is broken off?

If so, I have an easy fix (it's happened to me many times!).  Take a twisty-tie from a bread wrapper and thread it into the place where the zip handle used to be, twist tight and use that to zip and unzip.

This is a borrowed item, so I don't think having a twist tie attached would be appreciated.  (I would be concerned about the twist tie on a child's garment, too.)

[Bijou]

I would take it to someone for repair.  (And make sure they know what they are doing, before entrusting it to them).

[camlan]

Take the costume to a dry cleaner and see how much it will cost to replace the zipper. It varies, depending on the construction of the garment--my dry cleaner charges nearly $20 to replace a zipper in a pair of jeans.

If the cost is reasonable, go ahead and get it fixed.

But if they are asking $10 or more, remember that this is a used costume. It might not even be worth $10. At that point, I'd take it to your co-worker and ask what she wants you to do. If it were mine, I would not want someone spending more than it is worth to put a new zipper in.

If it really is just the zipper pull that's broken, you can use a paper clip to replace it instead of the twistie tie.

[Sterling]

Well the other option if not a twist tie is buy a zipper the same color (less than $5) at a fabric shop.  with a set of needle nose pliers you can take the broken pull off and replace it with the one from the new zipper.

[EmmaJ.]

Well the other option if not a twist tie is buy a zipper the same color (less than $5) at a fabric shop.  with a set of needle nose pliers you can take the broken pull off and replace it with the one from the new zipper.

Much better idea than my twist tie!