At first I thought it was some kind of elaborate wind-up when I started reading about the new “trend” for deliberately chipped nail polish yesterday, but no, apparently it’s true, and while I somehow don’t think this has widespread appeal (yet), there are more than a few stories out there about women who are choosing the “week old polish” look on purpose: the image at the top of this page, for instance, shows the nails of Tibi designer Amy Smilovic, who says she spotted the look at New York Fashion Week and decided to give it a go.
Amy says:
“When I was in London this summer, I had drinks with an editor from Vogue. She was of course tremendously chic and amazingly put together—fabulous Chloe shoes, the amazing Celine bag, you get the picture. But her nails were red. And they were chipped. And it just made her so much more approachable somehow. And cooler.”
Now, I must admit that chipped nail polish is one of my “things”. In fact, while I always, always have my toenails painted (I feel undressed without a slick of polish on them), I only paint my fingernails occasionally, purely because I just can’t stand the look of chipped polish: and on me, polish is always chipped. (I type for hours every day, and I seem to hit the keyboard oddly, because I can guarantee that most polishes won’t last beyond the end of the day without some amount of chipping. I know a good topcoat would help avoid this, but to be completely honest, I don’t have the patience, so most of the time I just leave them bare, or stick to clear polish). The idea of doing this deliberately, then, with artfully applied splodges of polish and a clear coat over the top to preserve it that way, is totally alien to me, and while I guess it’s nice to know that when my polish DOES chip, I can try to pass it off as a fashion statement, it’s definitely not a look I’m going to go out of my way to achieve.
What do you think of the chipped nails look?
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It’s one of my ‘things’ as well. No pun intended but it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me. I paint my nails quite regularly and if they chip while I’m out and in no position to touch them up, it makes me twitch for the rest of the day.
Of course this is freakin’ hip now. OF COURSE IT IS. The deliberately ratty hair, ludicrously oversized tank tops, tights as pants, over-smudgy eyes, laddered stockings, jeans with holes. DOES ANYONE BUT ME LIKE LOOKING TIDY?
I’m the same, I do not like chipped nails, which is why I am constantly painting them and deliberately sticking to quality polishes. I don’t really get any of this. Am I a fuddy duddy? Am I fuddy duddying?
Wow, once again I am accidently in fashion by virtue of not really being all that fussed about my appearance most of the time.
…shouldn`t there be a contradiction in that sentence? Isn’t the point of beauty products to look nice?
I wonder if the trend will or secretly have already moved to Poland (which is my present residence). I can not spot it anywhere yet. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so lonely, wandering with almost week-old polish just because I had no time to make an update. But still, a well made manicure or perfectly covered nails are at the top of my list.
Deliberately chipped nails is the sort of thing I would have done as a 12 year old goff kid (except with black polish instead of red) and I would have felt like the bees knees. These days, if my nails end up chipping and I can’t be bothered to repaint them, I just feel lazy and messy. Definitely not something I’d do on purpose any more
I hate chipped nails! Like the occasional chip is unavoidable and you cant always run home to fix your nails, but I can honestly say if a saleswoman, or waitress, or anyone, served me in a shop/cafe/restaurant and her nails looked all chipped and 2 weeks old I would judge her. and judge her unfavourably. Having worked as a waitress for example, I know the state of your hands is kind of important..no one wants someone with jacked up fingernails to serve them their food…plus your always suspicious that a chip of that flakey nail polish might be in your food
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Oh, this “trend” is old in the country I currently live in… it drew my attention that 98% of the women here had chipped nail polish on purpose here… the celebrity picture also shows she doesn’t mind about the way her cuticles look like…
Well, I always had problems to accept chipped nail polish… it’s not for me. That’s why when I travel one of the things people notice and comment is “wow, your hands/nails look so perfect!” (Exaggerated… nice people!) As I said, it’s because where I live now women have chipped nail polish on purpose for years, but it seems the ones who notice my nails don’t like the trend here either… anyway, I respect this cultural aspect here, or trend, but I don’t like it for me.
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It sort of goes against the reason why you would want to wear nail polish. To me personally it looks a bit tacky.
I’ll often have chipped nails, for as a busy student I don’t really have time to do my nails all that often. Lately, though, my nail’s chippy-ness have been bugging me, and I’ve just been keeping a clear coat on.
I really dislike having chipped nails, however, I now know that if I have no time to do my nails, I’m still fashion-forward or whatever. >u>
Honestly?
Well, I don’t object per-say, my nails (when painted) are often chipped because I’m a lazy mare… but what I don’t ‘get’ is painting them to appear chipped…! Why not paint them nicely and let them chip naturally for a more ‘authentic’ look? Plus then you get two looks for the price of one (polished to start, grungy to finish!!).
Chipped nail polish screams at me that the wearer doesn’t take any pride in their appearance. May as well wear deliberately laddered tights while I’m at it!
I used to wear black and silver nail polish and then deliberately chip it.
Bear in mind that I was 13 years old and a goth at the time.
I think it’s perfectly normal to be laid back about your nail polish chipping and not having a little breakdown over it, but to actively distress your nail polish like that seems a bit strange.
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