Short, unvarnished nails were everywhere at Copenhagen Fashion Week, marking a sharp shift from the long, bright and glossy manicures that have recently dominated beauty standards. From catwalk models to show-goers and passersby, fingers and toes featured a bare or barely-there look.
A Minimalist Danish Approach
Saffron Goddard, a manicurist who works with fashion brands including Burberry and Mango, says the goal is now “healthy-looking, well-groomed nails rather than a noticeable manicure”. Isabella Rose Davey, COO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, describes the minimalist look as “very Danish”. Davey, who quit her monthly mani/pedi habit when she moved to the city from London seven years ago, compares it to the Danes’ preference for “no-makeup makeup”. “You never see anyone with a smokey eye or red lip here,” Davey says. “They take the same approach to nails. Everything is about function here. We keep our nails short and simple because we are riding our bikes or swimming or in a sauna.”
Recession Indicator or Environmental Choice?
The trend extends beyond the Danish capital, with some claiming it is a recession indicator. With the average cost of a manicure in the UK ranging from £15 to £55, many can no longer justify monthly appointments. More often the nail isn’t actually naked; instead it features a clear, sheer or barely-there pink polish. According to Google Trends, searches for “naked nails” are up 85% since May, while “milky nails” are up 22%.
Some fans cite environmental concerns as a driving factor: every step of a manicure contributes to waste, including single-use gloves and nail files. Resin gel nails and acrylics are both non-biodegradable and shed microplastic. A 2022 study found that nail salons have some of the worst indoor microplastic air pollution. Add worries over UV light exposure and allergic reactions, and services such as medical mani/pedis are becoming more mainstream.
Cultural and Racial Implications
Online, the “naked” look is credited as part of wider trends, including the “clean girl aesthetic” synonymous with slicked-back hair and dewy skin. Dominated by wealthy, white women, it has been criticized for co-opting Black and brown beauty habits. Ranking “naked” nails as more desirable than statement styles, especially when nails and nail art are rooted in race, further taps into this, with some critics considering it a form of erasure.
Irene Shelley, editor of Black Beauty and Hair magazine, says the “trend itself isn’t the problem: minimalism is a valid choice for anyone”. However, she says a problem arises when “a bare aesthetic gets coded as more sophisticated or more professional than a fuller, more expressive one that’s historically been coded as Black or working-class. Nails should be allowed to be a form of self-expression without a hierarchy attached to them.”
Ateh Jewel, a beauty journalist and broadcaster, compares it to Coco Chanel making tanned skin desirable among the white upper class in the 1920s. “Beauty is just another way to see how culture reflects power, status and racial prejudices,” she says. For Jewel, who has “always loved a ‘naked’ nail as well as colourful fun nail art”, her own personal preference is now colour. “I only wore black and had naked nails before the BLM movement. Now I’m leaning into nail art and wearing pink as I don’t adhere to old social structures any more.”
Expert Advice on the Trend
For those tempted to fake the “naked” look, Goddard says the most important factor is to choose “a reputable salon where they’re applied and removed correctly.” She also suggests avoiding at-home gel kits as “improper removal can cause damage”. As for ditching polish to let nails “breathe”, Goddard says that is a myth. “You don’t need to take breaks,” she says. “Nails are made of dead cells. As long as your nails are healthy and your manicures are applied and removed properly, there’s no reason you have to go without polish unless you want to.”
