Classy or Classist? The Bare Nails Trend and Its Implications
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How the Bare Nails Trend Became a Class Issue
By Tiffanie Turnbull and Simran Sohal
In recent months, Paloma Buddemeier has noticed an intriguing shift at her nail salon in London. Customers are walking in with a specific request: they want their nails filed, buffed, and trimmed but not painted.
"It's crazy," Buddemeier shares. "You still do the cuticle, you soak and hydrate everything, but no polish."
This trend is driven by a viral craze for bare-looking nails, with glossy, naked nails gracing social media feeds, fashion runways, and red carpets. Some view it as the latest symbol of "quiet luxury."
However, critics argue that this trend speaks more about class, the relentless pursuit of beauty standards, and who gets to dictate what is considered elegant or tasteful.
Historical Roots and Cultural Significance
Nail art's historical and creative roots are deeply intertwined with black, Latino, and Asian communities. The suggestion that bare nails signify high status could marginalize bold manicures and stigmatize these cultural expressions.
"This trend really promotes blankness and sameness," beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo tells the BBC. "They often call it elegant or tasteful, which are euphemisms for perpetuating white supremacist standards of beauty."
Reasons Behind the Shift
For some, the move to bare nails is less about a distaste for bold nail art and more about simplifying routines. Some women ditch polish as a form of rebellion against traditional female beauty standards or to save time and money. Others simply find the look appealing.
Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon, for example, recently decided to stop getting regular manicures after years of adhering to what she felt was an unnecessary uniform.
"I heard myself saying: 'Ugh, my god, I have to go and get my nails done,'" Scanlon recalls. "And I thought, 'I probably don't need to do this anymore.'"
Scanlon's decision resonated with many, as evidenced by the popularity of her Substack and Instagram posts on the topic earlier this year.
The Fashion World Weighs In
Simple nails were in the spotlight at New York Fashion Week in February, with Marc Jacobs sending models down the runway without polish. While some argue that this isn't a new trend, beauty magazines have declared, "All The Cool Girls Are Quietly Quitting Manicures."