When Did Bare Nails Become a Status Symbol?

From a “Love Story” plotline to runways and street wear, minimal or nude nails are everywhere.

In the opening scene of FX’s “Love Story,” Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is getting her nails done. Paparazzi press against the window, camera flashes reflecting off her trademark blonde hair and freshly painted nails: a cherry polish that hums with defiance. It is the manicure of a woman who, not long ago, was an independent Calvin Klein publicist living on her own terms.

But for this event, a Kennedy family wedding, she changes her mind — she looks down at her hands with a defeated expression and asks the nail technician to start over: Switch it to a neutral.

Though the show, which was released this year, is set in the 1990s, the nude or minimal nail aesthetic has made it to runways and street wear in 2026. Nail salons and polish brands have reported growing preferences for nude and pink polish, while some people are skipping polish altogether. For some, the trend has become a rallying cry against complex beauty rituals — but for others, it’s a way for the privileged few to show their wealth (in “Love Story,” the nude nails were seen as a better fit for a Kennedy function).

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