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Business Daily: What Colour is 'Nude'?

Bulletins

What Colour is 'Nude'?

21/11/2018 GMT

BBC World Service - Business Daily, What Colour is 'Nude'?

Why has it taken so long to have clothes and bandages that match your skin tone?

Clothes, shoes and make-up can all be described as "nude”, but too often this has meant a shade of beige catering just for white shoppers.

For generations, if you're not white, it has been difficult to find products that match your skin tone. Clothes, shoes and make-up can all be described as “nude”, but too often, this has only meant a shade of beige catering for white shoppers. What are businesses doing about it and why has it taken so long to see change? 
In the traditional world of ballet, for over 100 years, pointe shoes were only made in light pink. Vivienne Nunis goes on a tour of the factory where dance-wear company Freed of London makes its pointe shoes, including newly-added brown and bronze-coloured shoes. Professional dancer Cira Robinson of Ballet Black tells Vivienne how she was involved in driving this change and how dancers previously used make-up to ensure their pointe shoes matched their skin. 
When she couldn't find a “nude” bra, Ade Hassan launched the underwear company Nubian Skin. She says it's crucial that product developers consider what “nude” means to people with a range of skin tones. Finally, when Toby Meisenheimer's son Kai needed a bandage for a cut on his face, he was inspired to launch a business so his son - and others - could find a better match.

(Picture: Models wearing a range of nude-coloured underwear. Credit: Nubian Skin/Island Boi Photography)

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