is it just a gimmick?

“Every day I miss my breasts and my nipples and everything that looked like,” Barter says. “(The bra) has the potential to be helpful or empowering for some women who find it a very difficult process to go through, and it is.”

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Interestingly, the usefulness of a bra with fake nipples varies significantly from person to person, says Dr Sophie Lewis, senior lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Sydney School of Health Sciences.

“There are many types of breast forms to suit the different needs of breast cancer survivors, and this bra offers one more option… if they choose to do so,” says Lewis.

“But I think it’s also important to keep in mind that for some, showing the reality of their breast- and nipple-free breasts is important to represent and celebrate the full range of different body types.”

However, if a bra with fake nipples makes someone feel better about themselves, they should be able to wear it without judgment, Barter says. That, in turn, shouldn’t diminish others’ efforts to dismantle societal norms around breasts and nipples — there needs to be room for both, she says.

Regardless of its potential value to people with breast cancer and the fact that it was announced in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the product’s ad campaign does not address cancer at all. Some, like Craig, see it as “accidentally fun and inclusive,” but others are more dubious about its tentative connection.

“Actual awareness around mastectomy would be more appreciated, or the promotion of more permanent solutions such as 3D nipple tattoos or transplants,” says metastatic breast cancer campaigner Katie-Marie Thorpe.

It’s sparked a lot of discussion online, but Kardashian’s nipple bra isn’t the first of its kind. For example, Just Nips, founded by Molly Borman in 2017, sells reusable fake nipple prostheses that are mainly intended for breast cancer patients and survivors.

“Many women who don’t have nipples wear our products… to raise awareness about some of the many side effects of breast cancer that others don’t know about,” says Borman. “Women also wear our products to accentuate the feminine shape. We’ve had women write that they wanted extra confidence on a first date or even a job interview, and they wore our products to feel their best.”

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Lauren Rosewarne, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne who researches gender and feminism, says the “no-bra look” has gone in and out of fashion over the years, dating back to the ’60s and ’60s. 70. It reached a peak in 2012 when the ‘free the nipple’ campaign drew attention to the existing double standard between male and female nipples.

However, Rosewarne rejects any suggestion that the SKIMS nipple bra is part of this type of feminist movement.

“SKIMS is a company that revolves around making money. A nod to feminism works as a means of defining an identity for the company,” she says.

Anyway, both Barter and Craig are curious to try the new perky product.

“A large percentage of women make life-changing and saving decisions every day because they face not only the threat of cancer, but also a risk of cancer,” says Barter. “It changes their body and how they feel about it, and it’s directly connected to our breasts and nipples and our identity.

“If the bra helps people, I think that’s very powerful.”

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