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Open bra: Quick instructions for all bra fasteners

Opening a bra becomes an absolute routine in the lives of many women over time. All it takes is one right hand movement, and the bra is open. For the partner, however, it’s not always easy to open the bra. Especially in those moments when you want to look particularly experienced and casual, the hooks get stuck, or the bra clasps can’t even be found. We explain which bra fasteners there are and how you can open them easily.

by CALIDA

October 25, 2023 • 5 min reading time

Back picture of two ladies wearing white bra from 'Natural Comfort' series

Step by step instructions and tips to open the bra with ease.

Open bra with hook closure in 3 steps

The classic bra fastener is, to the chagrin of many, the hook closure. Getting the little hooks out of the eyelets can be quite a fiddly business – especially if the bra has been worn for some time and the hooks are already slightly bent. Then it’s not always easy even for the wearer to open her own bra.

Step 1: Get familiar with the bra clasp

Bra unclasping can be challenging, especially for men who do not have this garment in front of them on a daily basis. So, before you put yourself in an awkward situation unprepared, it’s helpful to look into a bra clasp in advance.

Open and close the bra a few times in daylight, holding it as you would in a real situation. This means that the cups are probably facing you. Once this is done, you can repeat this dry run with your eyes closed. Remember that you probably won’t see the clasp when you open the bra.

Step 2: Grab both sides of the bra clasp

If you have already dealt with the hook closure in advance, nothing can go wrong. If you want to open the bra behind the back, reach around the back with both hands and feel for the bra clasp, which is usually in the middle of the bra band.

If you cannot feel a fastener, it may be positioned at the front between the cups. In this case, you would have an easy time unclasping the bra because you can see it. However, if the bra clasp is at the back, as in most cases, grasp both side of the clasp and pull them slightly away from your partner’s back. This gives you more room to undo the bra.

Step 3: Loosen the hooks from the eyelets of the bra

To remove the hooks from the eyelets of the bra and finally open it, push both sides of the clasp towards each other in the middle. Now you should notice that the tension on the bra strap is easing. If this is the case, you can free the hooks from the eyelets with a slight twisting movement. If some of the hooks do not come out, repeat this movement. If you notice resistance, you can help a little with your thumb and carefully push the hooks out of the eyelets.

For the pros: Opening the bra with one hand

Opening a bra with both hand is child’s play for you? Then impress your counterpart by using only one hand to open the bra! Hold the side with the eyelets with your thumb and ring fingers. Pull the bra away from the woman’s back and grasp the other side of the bra clasp with your index and middle fingers.

Now pull the hooks out of the eyelets by gently tightening your middle and index fingers while your thumb and ring fingers hold the bra clasp firmly. Again, gentle jerking can help to open stubborn bra clasps.

Open bras without hook closure: These bra types are there

Besides the classic hook-and-eye closure, there are several other bra closures. The good thing is that they are usually much easier to open than the classic bra.

Bra with zipper

The zipper is probably the most common way to open a bra after the hook closure. Often, the zips are on the front of sports or relieve bras. However, there are also normal bras with zippers.

Opening a bra like this is very easy: Just like a zipped jacket, you simply pull the zipper down. If the bra does not open immediately, it helps to gently jerk the zipper and pull one side up to remove the tucked part from the end part of the zipper. Now you can take off the bra by pulling the arms out of the straps.

Bra with bikini fastening

Neckholder bras can often be opened and closed like classic bras with hooks. However, some of them also have a bikini fastening that sits either at the front, at the back or even at the neck. This fastener is simply hooked in from above and below. If you want to open a bra with a bikini fastener, turn it slightly outwards and pull one side downwards out of the fastener.

Problems opening the bra? Just ask!

Is your partner’s bra clasp stuck, or are you simply not made for such a task in terms of fine motor skills? Don’t be ashamed! Just ask the other person to take off the bra themselves or wait and see if they do it on their own.

While some like to expose themselves fully in front of their sex partner, others prefer to show only the pretty lingerie at first and stay a little more covered. In any case, it’s not a bad idea to talk about preferences and desires before taking off the bra without asking.


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