The New Nude

We’re so excited about our new range. You can now order your favourite Y.O.U styles in three new colours. This includes a chestnut skin tone, which is our first step towards broadening our nude range for women. Not only are these undies a beautiful reddish brown, they’re another step on our journey towards truly positive pants!

There’s been a lot of discussion in the fashion industry about the racial exclusivity of the term ‘nude’. Many have argued that it perpetuates the assumption that lighter skin tones are the default. In fashion, nude has often meant beige or a colour that matches light skin tones.

The singular definition of nude is illustrative of a general lack of diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry and has (rightly) been labelled by some as racist. The historic exclusion of women of colour from fashion publications resulted in definitions of ‘nude’ becoming synonymous with a light tan. The problem of this terminology was highlighted in 2010 when Michelle Obama wore a light beige gown described by the designer as a 'sterling-silver sequin, abstract floral, nude strapless gown'. Other commentators came up with a range of ‘flesh-coloured’ descriptions, but next to her skin tone the dress was anything but. The problem was clear: 'nude' should not solely denote beige. Nevertheless, up until 2017 the Oxford English Dictionary still defined the word as a ‘pale, pinkish-beige colour’. 

It’s clear that nude shouldn’t be considered a single colour. This is why we specify different types of nude within our collection. So far we've got 'almond' and 'chestnut' nudes, but there are plans to broaden this range. We’re working to be as inclusive as possible, across all areas from semantics to sizing.