That’s Fashion Sweetie

Out with the bra! – kind of

SKIMS’ new nipple bra is turning heads for all of the right reasons.

By HADYN PHILLIPS
(Megan Dang / Daily Trojan)

Happy post-Halloweekend! Stay hydrated, take a hot shower and let yourself recover. I’ve seen a lot of costumes over the past few days, and my number one costume award goes to a dog in New York dressed up as big-suit David Byrne from his “Stop Making Sense” concert.

Unfortunately, I fell sick and missed out on Halloween for the third year in a row — I seem to be cursed since freshman year — but I had my costumes all set in my head: Gisele Bündchen’s chic librarian look from Devil Wears Prada, one of the girls in Sasha December’s paintings, a fallen angel (inspired by my mom’s vintage La Perla dress and Alexander McQueen’s rainy and thorn-adorned finale for his 2004 show) and Devon Aoki’s hauntingly beautiful transformed mini dress for Thierry Mugler in 1995.


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Regardless, while resting up at home (and re-bingeing “Emily in Paris”) I’ve been chronically online. Rotting in my bed and scrolling on my phone, I came across the newest SKIMS ad. In the simple and classic SKIMS style — minimal music, mainly talking in an almost ASMR-like fashion — Kim Kardashian wore a monochrome outfit that matched the office setting around her. Playing on classic lines about global warming, her final few lines were killer: “Some days are hard, but these nipples are harder. And unlike the icebergs, these aren’t going anywhere.”

Before anyone asks why global warming was the topic of choice, it’s actually because a portion of the sales will be donated to 1% for the Planet, an international organization that works with businesses in a model that is “accessible to businesses, credible for consumers and impactful for people and the planet.”

On one hand, Kardashian using global warming as a marketing and shock-factor tactic to push a product feels a little out of touch, especially when she alone could do so much for the environment with her resources and influence. On the other hand, I have to agree that despite this, her ironic ad came across as campy and was, therefore, well-received by a majority of the public.

So, then, why is she saying nipple? Because the new SKIMS bra, which dropped Tuesday, is called “The Ultimate Nipple Bra.” A pushup bra with intentional nipples added to the padding, I fell in love immediately. I sent it around to get opinions on it, but I found it incredibly chic.

It reminded me of a conversation I had about a year ago with one of my most fabulous friends, Devyn, on going braless in public. I recall saying it’s always a battle for me, as I tend to get self-conscious and end up going back for a sweater, and yet, there’s something incredibly liberating about the nipple as an accessory.

Perhaps the discomfort comes from paranoia of unwanted attention and the dangers of being a woman, or maybe it comes from a history of censorship around a woman’s body.

We all remember the backlash that ensued when Instagram and Facebook revealed that breasts were banned, birthing the viral hashtag: #freethenipple. But the policing of women’s bodies and clothing can be traced back arguably to the beginnings of when gender roles were assigned and promiscuity was introduced and marketed as a vice and a superpower to exploit another’s weakness.

In those old-timey movies, cleavage or a low-cut back was pushing the idea of suggestive to literal, and even in “Sex and the City 2” (2010), Samantha Jones simply exposes her leg to get a taxi in Abu Dhabi. Now, our style culture on screen, in person and in stores has grown — or rather, shrunk — to include micro crops, mini skirts and bodycon galore.

So what is so harmful about hinting at the shape of a nipple? It’s not like Kim Kardashian cut circles out of tops like Regina George in “Mean Girls” (2004) to expose the full nipple itself. Besides adding a playful twist to outfits with the physical feeling of safety from the literal bra, the campaign also is an incredible way to be inclusive — a topic SKIMS has been passionate about since day one. Many have commented it gives a boost of confidence for those who have battled breast cancer and gone through with a mastectomy or double mastectomy. It can also be incredibly gender-affirming to nonbinary individuals and transgender women who want to have fuller breasts or the illusion of nipples.

I believe the narrative especially with breasts alone is one that is incredibly complex among women. The embarrassment and excitement of training bras and padded tank tops are memories I won’t ever forget, but the teasing, self-consciousness and feelings of comparison feel just as fresh in my head.

The fact of the matter is that women’s bodies are always in circulation in one way or another. However, it feels refreshing to finally have a take on celebrating bodies by a woman, not by a department or business that is trying to emulate a woman, her touch, her empathy and her spirit.

So, I think the bra is an absolute knockout in terms of creativity and fun(ctionality). But what do you think? Let me know: my ears are all perked up.

Hadyn Phillips is a junior writing about fashion in the 21st century, specifically spotlighting new trends and popular controversy. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” runs every Wednesday.

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