Climate change has had some serious consequences – higher sea levels, shrunken ice sheets and the most concerning of them all: soft nipples (according to Kim Kardashian, that is). On October 31st, SKIMS released the groundbreaking “Ultimate Nipple Bra.” Surprisingly enough, the product is exactly what the name implies: a bra, with nipples.
This bold sartorial quest confidently defies all expectations. But, even more shocking than the bra itself, is the campaign the creative team rolled out. The Kar-Jenner sister starred in an ingeniously satirical promotional video.
The SKIMS founder is seen wearing glasses, nerdishly typing away at a boxy desktop computer, the way your old pops might have in the 90s. She expresses feeling a social responsibility to take action in light of global warming, and pulls out a pointer to present a diagram on the new “Ultimate Nipple Bra.” STEM girls listen up, Professor Kimmy is giving a lecture that puts TED to shame. The bra is meant to fight the effects of climate change by ensuring that “no matter how hot it is, you’ll always look cold.” The businesswoman goes on to say, “Some days are hard, but these nipples are harder. And unlike the icebergs, these aren’t going anywhere” before comedically flipping her hair in the gust of what sounds like a leafblower.
Sure, the pro-nip undergarment is a bit jarring at first. But honestly, it’s the most feminist invention I’ve seen in a while. SKIMS states, “Our goal is to consistently innovate on the past and advance our industry for the future,” and this new launch has done just that. Kim K is a mastermind, fighting for climate care and feminism at the same time. In fact, 10% of sales will be donated to One Percent For The Planet, an international organization dedicated to helping environmental causes. So, optimistically, users can someday ditch the bra and revel in the natural perkiness of cold weather again.
Of course, in the zany world of online chatter, a bra with built-in nipples is controversy gold. And the internet did NOT shy away from mining at it. Many believed this innovation in intimate apparel to be pointless (pun intended). Why not just go braless if you want the look of nipples poking through? Why pay an extra $62 on what is otherwise free? Supporters were quick to justify. Multiple women mentioned being mothers who had experienced “sagging” after years of breastfeeding. Others had lost firmness with age. The bra provides a lift that compliments the nipple outline and gives a youthful overall appearance. But the positive influence doesn’t end there, as this bra has been particularly popular among breast cancer survivors. Mastectomies often emotionally strip women of the feeling of femininity, and this product is powerful in restoring this by providing a feminine silhouette. Ah, the beauty of shapewear.
Despite this impact, there are digital debates over the appropriateness of such a fashion trend given its “distracting” quality. To that I say, don’t all great inventions make the public double-take at first? I mean, this one surely will. We might as well be turning heads in the name of femme empowerment.
In fact, my first thought when hearing about this audacious launch was, how is this going to affect school dress codes?
Most K-12 schools require that undergarments be entirely hidden. This is why spaghetti-strapped tops are often prohibited, they aren’t thick enough to cover bra straps. A bra designed to draw attention to the outline of protruding nipples isn’t exactly written into dress code books just yet. After all, it’s a pretty unprecedented idea. So while it’s not technically a rule-breaker, it’s certainly a boundary-pusher. And I can’t imagine educators will be thrilled about this work-around. As such, the undergarment has major social implications and could be the catalyst for some big changes in schools and workplaces.
Administrators and bosses don’t want the edges of intimates to show, got it. But, can human shapes be worn? Can our bodies look like bodies? Or will there be new rules requiring we airbrush the human shape out from underneath our clothing too?
Regardless of what the future holds, there’s just no refuting it: the latest SKIMS release is revolutionary— for breast cancer survivors, mothers, women experiencing aging, feminists and anyone else who wants to rep the beauty of female anatomy. And oh yeah, for climate change too.