Nude and improved
Brands, especially in lingerie and beauty, are beginning to cater to women of all colours.
While all nudes are created equal, fashion and beauty have long peddled its milky-beige variation. Some brands are now offering a range of complementary shades, from palest ivory-pink to darkest chocolate brown. Shoe designer Christian Louboutin was an early exponent, and the leg-lengthening effect of matching shoe to skintone became legend. Hermès adopted a similar approach in its recent Spring 2021 show, then combining different nude hues to great effect. Rihanna’s Fenty line of cosmetics and Savage X Fenty lingerie have been game-changers for inclusivity; lingerie labels taking this approach are often more size-inclusive as well, so win-win. Other underwear brands on board include Nude Barre (nudebarre.com), Nubian Skin (nubianskin.com), NuNude (nu-nude.com), Nude Sox (nudesox.com) and, yes, Kim Kardashian’s Skims line of shapewear (skims.com). In beauty, some of the many brands now offering wide-ranging nudes are Nudestix (nudestix.com), Bobbi Brown (bobbibrown.com.au) and Born This Way (mecca.com.au). Nude, but not.