Fake the nipple? Two writers go head to head on Kim K’s controversial bra

This weekend, Kim Kardashian just about broke the internet yet again with the debut of SKIMS’ Ultimate Nipple Bra. In a campy, SNL-esque skit, Kimmy pointed [no pun intended] to the rising temperatures caused by climate change, alluding to the fact pointy nips might be a thing of the past: which is where the bra comes in. 

In a series of nude skin colours and featuring little faux nubs designed to peep suggestively through clothes, the style has unsurprisingly proven polarising across social media since its release: some users argue that the bra is a regressive play for the male gaze and scourge on feminism, while others suggest it’s not that deep: a campy, provocative way of changing up your look, or otherwise helpful for people who have undergone a mastectomy, perhaps in the face of breast cancer.

Which camp do you fall into? Here, two writers debate the controversial look.

AGAINST [Emma Louise Rixhon]

I’m all about celebrating bodies, all about championing breasts, truly a radical in freeing the nipple. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been shouted at in the street for the visibility of my nipples on sticky summer nights. Every time, I’ve secretly felt glee. I can appreciate nipples’ magical power, their ability to seize attention. I will never forget the instructions from Head Over Heels (2001) to “turn on the headlights” when entering a room.

But one of the joys of nipples is that they are yours, they are changeable, and their being fully charged is temporary. They react to the temperature, to touch, honestly, they probably react to your mood. The permanence of the Ultimate Nipple Bra takes away the shock that they are promising, and instead establishes the solid nipple as your state for the night. Rather than a cheeky wink to anyone who notices, they are screaming for attention. They are screaming for attention that might only be comfortable on screen, on an Instagram feed, in a TikTok. Even though we all love to be noticed, to be noticed a whole night is exhausting.

Skims’ own Instagram campaign is mistaken and shows that this is not going to be the next big thing. Boasting that this push-up bra with nipple distinction has never been before is simply untrue. Victoria’s Secret. Bombshell Miraculous Nipple Bra. Launched around fifteen years ago, the sales weren’t great, so they’re now hard to find because they couldn’t have lasted much more than one season. They even existed in that gorgeous elusive tan glamorised by Skims but probably still dominated by M&S. 

“Catching a glimpse of an erect nipple that hasn’t been fabricated out of a nylon spandex blend is not only exciting for the glimpser, but also an indication of excitement on the side of the glimpsed”

The style never took off, really, because even though we’ve normalised the artificiality of bodily standards, we’re also learning to get excited about our own bodies. Even with breast reductions, augmentations, or even top surgery, each body is entirely individual. Bras being produced in the thousands all with the same perfectly centred, perfectly circular, perfectly poised nipples take away the deliciousness of the nipples hidden underneath. 

Our nipples come in ranges of different sizes, colours, placements. This is what makes them exciting to get a peek of, the absolute mystique of the peaks themselves. Catching a glimpse of an erect nipple that hasn’t been fabricated out of a nylon spandex blend is not only exciting for the glimpser, but also an indication of excitement on the side of the glimpsed. There’s a truly human delight in seeing another person’s body in a state you know they’re not permanently in, that it’s not an aesthetic decision but their body in response.

Anyone looking for a permanently erect nipple this season, the weather’s about to dip, you can skip out on a few layers to keep those nips hip, or even save the environment and a couple of quid by refusing to turn your heaters on. I’ll never fall out of love with turning the headlights on, but I want there to always be an element of shock that you can’t buy or try on.

FOR [Upasana Das]

“The Earth’s temperature is getting hotter and hotter,” drawled Kim Kardashian in her signature monotone this weekend, as she debuted her latest SKIMS product via an SNL-esque sketch. ICYMI, the Ultimate Nipple Bra comes with a built-in faux nipple for “shock factor” and, presumably, since the planet is heating up at an alarming rate, this might be the only way – at least temperature-wise – our nips stand to attention in the coming years. Almost immediately, social media began to question: is she really serious? 

No, she isn’t, and neither is the product. Despite Kim’s commitment to donate 10 per cent of sales to environmental organisation 1% for the Planet, this campaign is not about climate change. It is about nipples and nipples only. The bra, when originally ideated, was also meant to conceal the nipples and support the breast. Kim takes an everyday product and makes it campy, which – come on – is totally fun. Remember that episode of Sex and the City when Miranda stuffed Samantha’s fake nipples down her top and revelled in the smirks she got from men she passed in the street? Some might say Kim is angling for the male gaze, but it’s us who have the power. 

Female nipples have always been scandalous. The Brooklyn-based Pakistani artist Misha Japanwala continues to face controversy for creating breastplates moulded from actual bodies. Nipples are controlled, and platforms like Instagram flag and remove posts revealing the female nipple. The bra, while offering great support like most Skims products do, is also about taking back control and autonomy, if you want it to be.

“Importantly, there’s also a practical element to the bra which goes beyond purposefully titillating and teasing: soon after it had launched, people congregated in the comment section to discuss how the style might give women who had undergone a mastectomy – perhaps in the face of breast cancer – their confidence back”

However, the question does arise, is it even really my nipple? Am I sexually aroused even when I am wearing them? Can you really tell me that I’m being slutty, as these aren’t actually my flesh and blood? It’s confusing and conversation-making, causing people to do a double take. This is exactly what Kim wants and her campaign imagery shows that, with the drenched models’ nipple bras transforming into a second skin. With censorship of women’s bodies a hot and contentious topic, it’s the ultimate reveal – but then, it’s also not. Are you really going to lose your mind at the sight of a fake nipple, boys? 

Importantly, there’s also a practical element to the bra which goes beyond purposefully titillating and teasing: soon after it had launched, people congregated in the comment section to discuss how the style might give women who had undergone a mastectomy – perhaps in the face of breast cancer – their confidence back. For those who want to flaunt their erect nipples without actually committing to getting the real thing out, the option is there, and for those that don’t: well, Skims has plenty of smooth options they can go for. Playful and silly, and completely under our control, the bra is a bit of a fuck you – you can look closer, but you might not find what you’re looking for. And why yes, my eyes are up here.