Celebrity Style
Kim Kardashian's SKIMs Is Releasing A Bra With Built-In Nipples
“Some days are hard, but these nipples are harder.”
Kim Kardashian just freed the nipple — but not in the way you’d expect. The SKIMS founder is showing support for the movement with the latest addition to her shapewear brand’s Ultimate Bra collection: the Ultimate Nipple Bra, which, yes, is made with visible nipples built right in.
Kardashian announced the new product in a skit posted to Instagram in which she plays a sexy scientist. Her part in helping the climate change crisis? Inventing a built-in nipple bra, “so no matter how hot it is, you’ll always look cold.”
“Some days are hard, but these nipples are harder,” she quipped. “And unlike the icebergs, these aren’t going anywhere.”
The Kardashians star is a known proponent of freeing the nipple, proudly showing off hers in sheer looks over the years. She even wrote about the trend in her now-defunct 2016 blog, saying, “I have always loved sheer — I just don’t GAF, LOL.” Now, with SKIMS, she’s doing it in a whole new way.
Meet, The Ultimate Nipple Bra
Kardashian says the bra is made for “perfect fullness, with a built-in, faux nipple for shock factor.” Given the reactions in the Instagram comments, the faux nipple is already doing its job.
The Ultimate Nipple Bra will be available for purchase on Oct. 31, making it the perfect finishing touch for a saucy Halloween look. If you’re on SKIMS’ mailing list, however, you’ll get early access to the new product.
Faux Nips Have Been Trending For Years
Though Kardashian’s innovative underwire is causing a stir, erect nipples have been a fashion favorite for decades. In fact, there are plenty of moments throughout pop culture history in which fake nips have acted as a statement accessory.
The most famous example: When Samantha Jones (coincidentally, played by SKIMS model Kim Cattrall) proudly showed off a pair of fake silicon inserts on Sex and the City. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) later tested them out at a party to rousing success.
"Nipples are huge right now,” Samantha told the girls in a Season 4 episode. “Open any magazine! It's not that cold. Those girls are either tweaking or they're wearing these.”
Another instance: Rachel Green’s nipples became so famous on Friends that some viewers thought Jennifer Aniston was wearing fakes on camera. “I don't know what to tell ya!” she told Vogue in 2017. “And I don't know why I'm supposed to be ashamed of them — it's just the way my breasts are.”
Decades before Samantha or Rachel, Marilyn Monroe was famously wearing nipple-inspired undergarments. One of Kardashian’s idols, she helped make cone-shaped “bullet bras” — which gave the pointed illusion of erect nipples — one of history’s most recognizable bra shapes.
A Historic Influence: “Marilyn Monroe has always been an inspiration for Kim (she infamously wore Marilyn's gown at the Met Gala). So it's no surprise that she created a design similar to the bullet bras Marilyn popularized in the 1950s.” — EJ Briones, Bustle Digital Group’s Executive Fashion Market Editor
Its Uses Go Beyond Aesthetics
While Kardashian may have created the Ultimate Nipple Bra for shock value, it can be used as a valuable tool for breast cancer survivors who have lost their own nipples through mastectomies.
Bustle Digital Group’s Senior Vice President of Fashion, Tiffany Reid, points out that the design could have very real applications for survivors. “This product reaches beyond the SKIMS fans who love it for the sex appeal,” she says.
Like her size-inclusive shapewear collection, this launch targets a new demographic of shoppers.
A Bra With Built-In Confidence: “This is another example of how Kim is using her brand to serve an underserved market. Maybe without her realizing, she is serving women who have had mastectomies and are struggling with the loss of their nipples, which can effect a women’s sense of identity. It’s bringing both confidence and sex appeal to consumers.” — Tiffany Reid
The undergarment also has a separate philanthropic element. Ten percent of the bra’s proceeds will be donated to 1% for the Planet, which tracks thousands of businesses and environmental organizations working toward the goal of bettering the environment.
