The planet is heating up at an alarming rate, and humanity must take responsibility in the battle against climate change. That’s why Kim Kardashian has upgraded the Ultimate bra line with a bold nipple version.
Despite always causing a stir on social media with her antics, there’s no denying the leadership of the most famous Hollywood star in her own business empire – SKIMS. Not only is SKIMS known for the quality of its products, but it also knows how to attract customers and the fashion world with clever, humorous, authentic, entertaining, and highly entertaining marketing tactics. From collaborations with “former” Victoria’s Secret angels, Cardi B, to singer SZA, Kim Kardashian has turned SKIMS into a companion for many women. Existing in the fashion industry since 2019, after four long years, every time a new product is launched, SKIMS quickly captures the spotlight of the fashion world. And most recently, it’s the ad clip for the new version – bold and practical of the famous Ultimate bra.
On October 28th (Vietnam time), SKIMS and Kardashian made the internet community and the fashion world restless with a new product advertisement clip. In the video, Kim Kardashian first appears with a pair of intellectual glasses, along with a monochrome gray look from SKIMS; however, all eyes must have been focused on how the star confidently showcased the “free nipple” appearance. She said, “The Earth’s temperature is rising. Sea levels are rising. Ice caps are melting. And I’m not a scientist, but I believe everyone can use their abilities to address serious environmental issues today. That’s why I’m introducing a completely new bra – the Ultimate Bra version with integrated nipples. I hope no matter how hot it gets, you’ll still look really ‘cool’!”
Kim’s appearance in the promotional clip for SKIMS’s new bra line evokes memories of Samantha Jones wearing fake nipples in scenes from the iconic “Sex and The City” series; or the iconic looks of famous supermodels in the 90s and early 2000s. This is not the first time women’s bare breasts have been “openly” displayed in front of the public, of course, Kim Kardashian is not the first person to wear or sell bras with fake nipples. Cora Harrington, author of “In Intimate Detail,” once shared an advertisement for bras with nipples in the 1970s on Twitter. Dr. Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, a historian studying the relationship between fashion and politics, also shared: “In the 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of the women’s rights and counterculture movements, this ‘natural, bare’ look of women became popular, especially the ‘no-bra look’. Since then, companies/brands of that time also began to launch and promote bras that felt like wearing nothing, serving women who weren’t really confident saying ‘goodbye’ to bras.
From a terrible fashion mistake or a heavy sense of shame for women, not wearing bras or going braless has now become an important and familiar trend for women. Partly thanks to the #freenipple movement in the campaign to reclaim equality for women, as well as the enthusiastic endorsement of famous female celebrities, especially the Kardashian sisters.
Whether it’s Kendall, Kylie Jenner, or Kim Kardashian confidently appearing in front of crowds with a braless look, it has changed the way women love themselves. Going braless isn’t too difficult for women, but why did SKIMS create a bra with nipples? Because for women with large breasts, not wearing a bra will make them uncomfortable. So the problem has been solved! Kim Kardashian and SKIMS have convincingly responded with the introduction of the Ultimate Nipple Bra.
That’s just one small reason for the appearance of that bold bra. Through a humorous advertising clip, scripted by comedian Michelle Wolf, Kim seriously shared that climate change is the main inspiration for her new product. According to information revealed on Kim and SKIMS’s official Instagram page, the ingredients for making the Ultimate Nipple Bra have been added to environmentally friendly materials – a solution to combat global warming. “In addition to investing in promoting carbon removal in production, SKIMS is proud to donate 10% of the revenue from the Ultimate Nipple Bra to @1percentftp – a network helping businesses commit to donating at least 1% of revenue to organizations focused on the environment,” the shapewear brand said via Twitter/X.
However, perhaps consumers today are becoming more demanding. They are not easily trapped by environmental commitments from fashion brands. When SKIMS and Kim released the video advertising the new bra, the online community divided into two different camps. Some were not afraid to express their support and praise for the new invention of the mother of four. They believed that the bra with realistic nipple effects brought great meaning to those who had undergone breast removal surgery or other breast cancer treatments. “I just fought breast cancer and lost my right breast, so this is a genius initiative for me! As a breast cancer survivor, thank you.” … there have been many positive comments like this under SKIMS’ posts. In addition, the Ultimate Nipple Bra also “won the hearts” of women who have had children and are insecure about the changes in their breasts.
Alongside the wings of praise, the Ultimate Nipple Bra also received many harsh criticisms. They argued that it was contradictory for Kim Kardashian to travel on a private jet “Kim Air,” but to produce a bra against the stressful climate change situation. In addition, buying a new product is certainly not the ideal solution to saving the environment, especially when landfills are still “growing like mushrooms” with old clothes.
In fact, this is not the first time SKIMS has deceived consumers with environmentally friendly PR gimmicks. In June 2022, the brand was investigated by the Changing Markets Foundation (CMF) after claiming that product packaging was made from non-plastic materials. SKIMS had put products in transparent bags with the words “I am not plastic”; however, CMF found that they were actually type 4 plastic. Some disagreed with Kim’s use of climate change as a marketing gimmick for fast fashion. Some angrily commented: “This is a painful slap in the face to the current climate crisis we are facing…” And many also questioned: “Is her goal to save the planet or just to create a buzz for a bold product?”
SKIMS’s Ultimate Nipple Bra officially hit the shelves on October 31st with a retail price of $62 (the old version was $58).
