Breast Bling: Is Nipple Jewelry Right For You?

Would you ever wear pasties or other nipple jewelry? You don’t have to be a professional burlesque star to enjoy a pair of sexy tasseled pasties. And no need to visit a body-piercing studio if all you want is to add a little bit of metal to your headlights.

Modern ways to dress naked breasts don’t involve complicated glues or painful piercings. Pasties draw attention to and highlight your breasts by covering up these bits and pieces. Nipple jewelry, worn with or without a bra, doesn't even bother to hide protruding nips. Its purpose is to enhance them. Nipple bling celebrates what is sexy about a woman’s breasts in a different way than a cleavage baring push-up bra.

As bra fashions have changed, so has demand for nipple jewelry. The public was outraged when Janet Jackson had her infamous “wardrobe malfunction” at the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show. But it also ignited demand for the silver sunburst nipple rings she wore under her costume. One Internet start-up, Nipple Charms, had just gone into business the year before. Their original goal was to produce non-piercing body jewelry. Founder Nikki Dante remembers the reaction to Janet Jackson’s televised nip-slip: “That 30 second breast-seen-round-the-world could not have helped us more. We and everyone else scrambled to get stock in what looked like the Janet Jackson ‘suns.’ They are still one of our biggest sellers in non-piercing nipple jewelry.”

Despite society’s obsession with women’s nipples and keeping them covered, they are pretty boring and bland all on their own. You can’t tell a female areola from a hairless male one unless you’re looking at a full frontal wide shot. Its strange how the thought of an exposed lactating nipple (half-covered by a baby’s head) can result in a woman being tossed off an airplane or asked to leave a mall or restaurant. Breastfeeding is the only exception made to state laws that make it illegal for a woman to expose any part of her areola or nipple. Stark naked man boobs aren't covered by similar rules -- except in the “no-shirt, no service” kind of way.

Nipple jewelry dares to say that it’s okay to reclaim your breasts’ sexuality. But no one has to be the wiser. You won’t have to go into a tattoo parlor and worry about healing or permanent nipple holes or potential scarring. Nipple Charms and other decorative non-piercing nipple jewelry make it easy to dress your breasts up in the privacy of your own home. You can indulge in a little boob bling without the added hassle and expense of piercings.

How does the jewelry work? Nipple Charms features how-to videos on jewelry wear (some G rated others NSFW). The non-piercing nipple shields made of alloy or sterling simply slip over one's nipple. Other charms consist of a rubber O-ring covered by hypoallergenic metal or shiny gems. Once stretched, you place the “ring” over your nipple. Release the band and the ring stays into place. Non-piercing rings are also available in a variety of sizes. Other nipple jewelry styles, plus a wide selection of body jewelry products, are available on the Nipple Charms website. Head to their blog to find photos submitted by happy bling-wearing customers (definitely NSFW).

Who wears nipple jewelry? Nikki told me that Nipple Charms' target market is “everyone who wants to add a little spice to their life and have some sexy fun. We have friends in their 20’s to sexy seniors that realize Jack and Jill need a little playtime in today’s rat race.” Nikki added that part of the excitement of running her business is the knowledge that her products enhance others’ sex lives.

Think you might want to try some breast bling for yourself? Head over to The Breast Life Facebook page, give us a “like,” and enter to win your own lovely pair of Nipple Charms. We’ll be giving away a pair of your choice of nipple rings or shields. Hurry. Contest ends May 1st!

What’s your view? Would you dare to wear nipple jewelry?

Copyrighted photos courtesy of NippleCharms.com.