Pasties (singular pasty or pastie)[1] are patches that cover a person's nipples and areolae, typically self-adhesive or affixed with adhesive. They are usually worn in pairs. They originated as part of burlesque shows, allowing dancers to perform fully topless without exposing the nipples in order to provide a commercial form of bare-breasted entertainment. Pasties are also, at times, used while sunbathing, worn by strippers[2] and showgirls,[1] or as a form of protest during women's rights events such as Go Topless Day. In some cases this is to avoid potential prosecution under indecency laws.[3][4]
As well as being used as an undergarment in lieu of a bra, pasties are also worn visibly as a fashion accessory where it is desirable to show the breasts but not the nipples,[5] and are sometimes called nipple stickers.[6] Pasties are sometimes worn by bikini baristas, staff hired to serve coffee from roadside huts while wearing lingerie, thongs, or skimpy swimwear.[7]
- ^ a b Partridge, Eric (2006). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. p. 858. ISBN 9781134963652.
- ^ Smith, Merril D. (2014). Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 184. ISBN 9780759123328.
- ^ Carter, Ruth (22 August 2013). "Go Topless Day 2013". Ruth Carter Law Firm.
- ^ "Go Topless Day Demonstration on Pensacola Beach Sunday". Pensacola News Journal. 23 August 2015.
...some of the women traded bras for pasties to cover their nipples as required by the Escambia County municipal code.
- ^ Bramley, Ellie Violet (1 June 2022). "Breast in show! How nipple pasties went from underwear to outerwear". The Guardian. UK.
- ^ "Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney on Jennifer Aniston's Allure cover: 'I know I'm sexy' at 57". New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2022.
- ^ Rock, Lucy (7 February 2018). "'Bikini baristas' in Washington are told to cover up – is it an issue of free speech?". The Guardian. UK.