Look at the above pictures. These shades of color are classified as the color "nude". You'll find this category of color in everything from lady's undergarments to makeup.
Now take a look at the pictures again. Notice anything yet? What does the shade remind you of...or should I say what skin color does it remind you of?
I'm not one to sweat the small stuff or make a mountain out of a mole-hill. However, what bothers me is how the universal shade of "nude" for the most part resembles the shade of white people in general. The implication is that the shade and skin color of white people is the default and ONLY definition of "nude", if that makes sense. And that doesn't sit well with me.
I don't know about you, but as a black woman, the above examples aren't considered "nude" to me, or rather, "nude" is relative and the shade should change with the person in question. For example, "nude" for me would be more of a brown shade. But instead I have to look at the above shades and deem that as universally "nude". Simply put, there shouldn't be one single standard and shade of the color "nude" when the color would mean something different for many groups of women. Once again, anything Caucasian related is held either as the standard or default.
To me, there really shouldn't be a shade titled "nude" in the first place. Instead, "nude" should be a theme, as whenever a woman, no matter her skin color or ethinicity, wears something close to her skin tone such as in the mentioned examples above.
Now maybe I'm looking too much into this and misunderstood the meaning behind the color nude.
And yes, I know women of ethinicities like Japanese and Chinese have skin colors that match some of the shades of nude. However, I was looking at this topic through the context of whiteness being held as some sort of standard when it comes to beauty and appearance.
Originally posted Aug 12, 2010
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