Bits and Pieces

Adjustable mirror

Digital bathroom scales, shower CD radios with built-in speakers, fog-free mirrors, electric toothbrushes, foot spas; the modern bathroom is full of mini-technological miracles.

Vanity and tradition mean most men still shave every day. Until about 1905 it was done with a dangerous cut-throat razor, often handed down from father to son. In 1895, Gillette patented their revolutionary disposable safety razor, ending the need to sharpen the blade. The totally disposable, plastic Bic razor was launched in 1975.

Electric shaver

The German electronic firm Braun has always had strong ideas about design – simple and unfussy. The company’s best-known designer, Dieter Rams, designed the electronic razor in 1951. It had a throbbing motor in a simple case and ran on rechargeable batteries. Its design has hardly changed to this day.