Bare nails trend draws criticism over class and racial judgements

Customers at London’s Wumman Spa are asking for manicures that look as though they have had nothing done: nails filed, buffed and trimmed, but left without polish. Alongside that pared-back look, beauty headlines have begun attaching a bigger claim — that bare nails signal status and good taste. [1]

In a report published on 25 September 2026, BBC News highlighted headlines including “Bare Nails Are the New Status Symbol” and “Manicures Are No Longer Classy”. For beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo, that language turns a styling preference into a hierarchy. [1]

Speaking to the BBC, Rodulfo argued that the trend promotes sameness and erases cultural identity important to Black and brown communities. She said descriptions such as elegant or tasteful were often euphemisms perpetuating white supremacist beauty standards, with commentary conflating bareness with class and taste. [1]

Celebrity nail artist Celeste Hampton offered a different account of what decorative nails can mean. She told the BBC that nail art had allowed Black women to express softness, femininity and beauty. Although saddened by trends being weaponised, she defended people’s freedom to choose either polish or bare nails. [1]

A natural look can still take hours

Bare-looking nails are not necessarily nails left alone. Wumman Spa owner Paloma Buddemeier described customers seeking grooming without polish, while some of her clients spend hours having realistic artificial nails built in sheer, glossy neutral colours, the BBC reported. [1]

Fashion journalist and manicure-history author Suzanne E. Shapiro made the same distinction: a natural-looking finish can require substantial grooming and salon services. She also described nail care as having a “for women, by women” ethos. [1]

Other interviewees described decisions driven by preference or affordability rather than status. Londoner Khadija told the BBC she had moved away from elaborate nail art earlier in 2026 because she liked minimalism. Her friend Emmanuella said having her nails done had become too expensive. [1]

Irish television and Radio 2 presenter Angela Scanlon had another reason to stop. After years of fortnightly salon appointments, she said she abandoned the routine to free up time and mental bandwidth. [1]