Iconic British retailer Marks and Spencer has attracted criticism after taking the decision to sell a bra that can be worn no longer than eight hours.

The stick-on strapless bra, which retails for £20, is marketed as being ideal for backless and strapless dresses or tops, and comes complete with a manufacturer’s tag that states the bra should not be worn any more than the eight hour period.

The warning is thanks to the bra’s high silicone content. While this helps the strapless number stick to the skin, it can also lead to irritation among some users. According to the Marks and Spencer website, the bra is in fact 100% polyester, with the only silicone being a small trim edging. The website also praises the bra for its ability to look invisible under clothes, its ability to provide support and for its smoothly moulded cups.

Further advice on the site confirmed that eight hours was the maximum recommended wear time, though this has been met with a less than favourable reaction by some. Customers have laughed off the suggestion that after eight hours the bra should be removed, with many women pointing to a 12 hour day on the run as over-riding the maker’s label. There was also the notion of a great strip down at the end of the eight hours, though most customers are usually in the workplace, school or supermarket at this time, none the most suitable for undressing.

A stand-off has taken place at the Anaheim headquarters of the iconic theme park Disneyland.

A Muslim restaurant hostess, who has worked at Disneyland for over two years, has rejected what was termed a ‘compromise’ offer from her employer over a dispute involving her wearing of the traditional hijab.

Imane Boudlal, who has been aggrieved after being told that she would not be allowed to wear the hijab at work, said she has rejected management’s solution of wearing a hat which covers a makeshift head covering. Boudlal has filed a formal complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Disney, saying the compromise offer was offensive.

Boudlal has worked for the company at their Grand Californian hotel’s Storytellers restaurant since 2008, and said through a statement by the Local 11 union Unite Here that the latest dispute was the seventh time in the past two years that she was ordered to leave the workplace and return home due to her refusal to remove her hijab. Boudlal called the directive ridiculous, claiming that the alterations made by Disney not only made her look silly but made a mockery of her as an individual and of her religion.

Officials at Disney say they had met with Boudlal and talked through several options as a way of reaching a compromise. They argue that it was Boudlal who requested the costume, which is reminiscent of the Wild West, and this was done in line with the group’s costuming guidelines and in such a way that her religious beliefs were accommodated. Boudlal said she would be happy to wear a simple headscarf with a Disney logo.