The trick invent a loop that the hook could catch onto , with stiff hooks and soft loops , de Mestral would have the basic components of a fastener that people could use on their clothes . However , it took a long time to perfect his invention . For eight years , he experimented and perfected his invention , which consists of two strips of nylon fabric . One strip contains thousands of small hooks . The other strip contains small loops . These tiny hooks and loops were attached to a strip of nylon when the two strips are pressed together they interlock and form a strong connection . With the help of a weaver from a textile factory in France , he perfected his prototype . The nylon hooks were manufactured and sewn under a special infrared light . In this way , the hooks perfectly matched with the nylon loops