In the early 1940s, Swiss inventor George de Mestral went on a walk with his dog. Upon returning home, he noticed that his dog's coat and his pants were covered with cockleburrs. His inventor's curiosity led him to study the burrs under a microscope, where he discovered its natural hook-like shape. This was to become the basis for a unique, two-sided fastener: one side with stiff "hooks" like the burrs and the other side with the soft "loops" like the fabric of his pants. The result was VELCRO(r) brand hook and loop fasteners, named for the French words "velour" and "crochet."