Snap-off bra is a magnet for men

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 06/29/2002 | Charles Bremner

[Pokey78]

AFTER eight decades of fumbling with hooks on brassieres, French women are being offered a technical breakthrough — a soutien-gorge that fastens with magnets and undoes with a twist.

The gesture is so easy that it should transform the lives of the 80 per cent of women who put their bras on back to front and then pull them around, the makers say.

The makers, Bolero, also see advantages for the Gallic male: no more struggling with le crochet récalcitrant. “Men have always found the fastening system to be barbaric,” a spokeswoman said.

Georges Chetochine, a behavioural consultant who advised Bolero, said that Frenchmen felt a loss of virility if they stumbled while performing l’art du decrochage. “Our study showed that the bra fastener posed a problem. It takes time,” he said. “The man gets annoyed and embarrassed. Then the women gets irritated too, so she takes it off herself. The man is no longer the conquering male.”

The small magnets, which form a flat gold rectangle, have been tested to ensure that they posed no threat to health or mobile telephones.

The flimsy black construction, which will cost about £35 when it reaches the shops in the autumn, elicited mixed reactions from men and women when road-tested in the Place de l’Opéra, near The Times’s office. “This is wonderful for women. It’s incredibly easy compared to hooks and I’m going to start putting my bra on the right way round,” Sophie, 27, a secretary, said.

But 22-year-old Frédérique said she feared that magnets would take away the charm for men. “There will no longer be the desire that comes with patience. The gift wrapping is too easily undone.”

Sandrine, a sales assistant, said: “Sometimes it’s fun to see a man panic over a bra.”

[Drew68]

Google let me down. You got a URL?

Hell, I'll just post the pic from her site. (Yeah, it's crappy. I know.)

She's also got a .wav file if one is so inclined to hear her voice.

[hobbes1]

She purposely wore a bra that clasped between the cups!

Those f*ng things should be outlawed. I can Undo the backsnap in a millisecond, the front clasps....grrr.

[Aggie Mama]

Well, most girls know how to disrobe from their bra with other garments on due to gym classes. Everyone I knew was extremely modest (including myself), so you managed to change like that out of necessity.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Don't have one, thanks.

[LibertyGirl77]

My favorite technique is actually when my man uses two hands. I get to feel his embrace, while he gets to look smooth (and I don't have to wonder how many women's bras he undid before getting that one-fingered thing just right). Men who are too good at this make me think they've removed a few too many bras in their lifetimes. A little innocent fumbling is charming. (After 30 seconds, though, please give it up and use two hands, or let her do it. It's painful to watch the fumble become a struggle--it kills the moment.)

[The KG9 Kid]

I can pretend to fumble if it makes you feel any better.

[dangermouse]

Color fazer is here

[Drew68]

Color fazer is here

Bitchin!

[Drew68]

Color fazer is here

Thanks!

[Drew68]

bada bing bada bump

[weegee]

“Men have always found the fastening system to be barbaric,” a spokeswoman said.

No worse than getting the wrapper off a CD...

[weegee]

LOL!!!