I’m usually dressed before my friends, and taking it off has never been any trouble to me. Like I said, “like a sweater”. I don’t usually have much trouble putting on or taking off my sweaters. The bra is no different. It could be just that it’s the only way I’ve done it for the past 15 years. I did once have my arm in a sling, briefly… I just hauled the bra off of one side and slipped over my injured arm with no trouble. In fact, it was easier than taking off my sweater!
I have a set of mighty D’s - perhaps not as spectacular as the amazing DD’s, or even the Amazonian E’s - but they are still a force to be reckoned with, so it’s not like I’m slithering my bra on over a youthful flat chest. Slide bra on, sweater-style, pull down on cups, like it was a sweater (or a smallish tank top, if you will), gently lift right boob, usually it slips right into place in the cup, gently lift left boob, do the same. Done and done. Technically, the boobs are usually already in place, however, the lifting is usually to… er… aim the headlights.
Lemme try this, I’m curious…
Okay. Three seconds to get the bra off, five seconds to put it back on and aim the ladies.* Good to go.
My husband really enjoys the time I spend here at the Straight Dope.
Was taught to hook it in front, never bothered trying it any other way. My breasts (what breasts?) aren’t big enough to get in the way of anything, and I always find it’s easier to do something when I can have it in front of me and look at what I’m doing.
I have always been a back-hooker, and didn’t realize most people aren’t! No one in my family is a swing-arounder, and I’ve never seen any of my girlfriends use this technique either, so I was completely in the dark.
Actually, I didn’t realize other women hoooked them in the back… Seems easier for me to see what I’m hooking and then slipping it around, that’s how women in my family do it.
And it’s not like we’re flat chested, either (Cs and Ds).
To take them off, though, I can reach my back and just snap it out. Oh yea, and take it off without taking my shirt off.
I assume this “getting the girls into the cups” thing is an issue for women with a larger cup size - never had any need to mess with that, myself. No problems with chafing when I twist the bra around, either, though I also suspect that’s due to slimmer straps/a less “cinching” bra.
The only time I don’t twist is when I have a front-close bra - then I just pull the straps on, popping the cups into place.
Nice baggy/stretchy sweaters no - but sometimes don’t those skinny little tops get all runkled up under the arms ? I can imagine stabbing myself with wires or something, just clumsy I guess.
And it was funny when I was younger and with younger guys how they considered it an outrage. All this clumsy fumbling to undo the thing and you just cheat like that!
I’m continually amazed by my wife, who back hooks it. How do you women stretch your arms back that far and then mate the hooks which are small and invisible to you? The flexibility required for that move amazes me.
Pepper Mill leans forward, scoops herself into the cups, then reaches behind her to clasp the bras, then straightens up. That way, apparently, she gets herself properly settled in the cups.
Hook and Twist? Don’t you get Nipple Burn doing that?
If I had to wear a bra, I’d probably clasp it first, then put it on over my head, like a T-shirt.
Hook and Twist? Don’t you get Nipple Burn doing that?
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I hook it and twist it under my breasts, not right where my nipples are. Then I bring it up , slip on the shoulder straps and accomodate.
I slip my arms through the straps, reach around back (I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, so it’s second nature to me) to hook it, then wiggle just a bit to get the girls settled in, and off I go.
I’ve always reached around back to hook it. Never really thought about doing it any other way. That must be how people do it on tv, because no one ever showed me how to do it.
The sweater method seems like it would stretch the bra out. I guess it must not, but it seems like it would.
Huh - didn’t think I’d be in the minority, but I’m also a back-hooker. I used the twist method when I was first learning to hook a bra, but stopped doing that pretty soon after.
It’s just so natural to me I don’t even think about it, I guess. Arms, reach, hook, go.
And to get it off only takes one hand - reach around, unhook, slide off arms.
The bra is no different. It could be just that it’s the only way I’ve done it for the past 15 years. I did once have my arm in a sling, briefly… I just hauled the bra off of one side and slipped over my injured arm with no trouble. In fact, it was easier than taking off my sweater! 
