Every season there’s always something, especially a trend that makes us cringe or simply startles us once we become aware that it’s, um, a “thing.”
To date, we’ve seen several shocking trends pop up, take off then fade away. For women, hot trends buoy from colored denim and color-blocking to boyfriend jeans and cobalt blue. More intimately, small breasts had their heyday, while curves were made famous by several stars. Now, it seems that no matter the size or shape or the outfit you’re in, purposefully baring your breasts is once again becoming one of the boldest statements in fashion.
Remember the days of Madonna‘s wildly nude antics? She loved being the frontrunner of controversy, and being naked in some form or making some religious/political statement was the way to make headline news. However, Madonna was arguably expressing herself artistically and with the utmost taste. Never trashy, always trendsetting. Those to follow in her footsteps, however, might be spinning out of control.
Always one to amp the shock value, Rihanna let it all hang out back in March under a see-through crotchet top in NYC. The act sent waves around the ‘net, but most people expected it from the rebellious bad girl who never utters an apology. She simply went to dinner and the news became a thing of RihRih’s past.
Equally controversial is Lady Gaga. For her own Madonna-like expression, the Mother Monster has exposed her body on many artsy occasions. But unlike Rihanna, she has not been a poster child for full-frontal nudity. Gaga prefers to keep her nipples covered at all times, zany fashion faux pas or not.
The same can’t be said for former Pussycat Dolls songbird Melody Thornton, though. Her daring act to attend ELLE magazine’s Women in Music event naked (as the day she was born!) under a sheer gown was not only a purposeful act but a sad sight to see. There was nothing artful about it. Although a beautiful woman, the message it relayed to onlookers was ill-recieved or lost.
The same goes for Jennifer Lawrence–the star of the cult-producing film The Hunger Games–who played the peek-a-boo game with Rolling Stone readers. The young Hollywood actress posed for the glossy cover and her nipple made a special, sneak appearance. Some hooped and hollered for the peeping preview, while others were baffled by the mag’s choice not to edit it out. The entire thing was a subtle, bold gesture, yet an exposing and semi-distasteful one, nonetheless.
Are women shunning simple cleavage and going gung-ho for nudity in the name of fashion and statement-making? Nowadays, is it not enough to wear a barely-there bra or a plunging neckline?
This rising trend could cause a trendy fire that we just aren’t prepared for. A nipple here, a breasts there and woman will continue to be exploited for the sake of googly-eyed men. Yes, our bodies can be artistically beautiful, but there’s a fine line between priceless art and classless fashion.
What do you think, Vixens?