The internet has witnessed its fair share of crazy moments, but nothing could have prepared us for the latest Skims drop by Kim Kardashian: the “faux hair thong.“ Yes, you read that right — Faux. Hair. Thong. Legit … what?
Earlier this month, the reality TV star and entrepreneur debuted her brand’s latest piece of underwear — soft, micro-string thongs covered with patches of fake skin and abnormal shades of fake pubic hair. Of course, true to the Kardashian brand, it came with a shiny campaign and a controversy that shines even brighter.
The Drop Heard ’Round the Internet
The drop featured the “bush thong,” a $32 novelty item that Skims called a playful way to celebrate “real bodies and natural beauty.” The video promotes absurdity, depicting a game show inspired by the ’70s in which contestants determine who is wearing the “biggest bush.”
It was both parody and performance art. The internet wasn’t sure to laugh, scream, or hit “add to cart.” Within hours, memes were taking over TikTok, and fans were claiming it was everything from the end of civilization to marketing genius.
Shock Marketing or Clever Branding?
On the surface, this appears to be just old-fashioned shock marketing. Kardashian has built an entire empire on controversy, starting with her crying face memes, all the way to her shapewear rebranding of female nudity. But in this case, it’s not just about attention.
The Skims faux hair collection is not just simply underwear; it’s a conversation starter about beauty standards. Love her or hate her, people talk when Kardashian is involved. She took body hair — the subject of shame for women for decades — and turned it into a luxury. It’s the kind of frenzy that only a Kardashian brand could monetize.
And honestly? It worked. Skims sold out in a matter of hours because, even if no one is actually wearing those thongs to brunch or out in public, everyone wants to say they could.
The Big Bush Revival
Some have dubbed this section of “the big bush revival.” In a time when body positivity has expanded to include things like stretch marks, cellulite, and natural texture, it was only a matter of time before body hair returned.
Don’t get me wrong — the move wasn’t without backlash. Some felt it was ironic that a billionaire who made her fame on laser-smooth perfection was now selling fake body hair to “empower” women. Others, particularly from queer communities who have long embraced natural body hair as a rejection of beauty norms, felt it was especially insensitive. When Kim branded it as sexy, for-profit, it hit very differently than if queer folks had initiated the movement. It’s that fine Kardashian line between empowerment and exploitation.
The Conversation We Didn’t Expect to Have
Aside from the laughter, there is a real conversation about what the trend means for our views around women’s bodies. Women have been told for decades to remove every piece of hair to be viewed as clean or sexy. Now, Kardashian has simply put that pubic hair (or the idea of it) on clothing.
Is it fair? Is it absurd? Definitely, but that is what makes it so interesting.
Kim’s INNER Genius (or Maybe Madness)
The wild part is that Kardashian might be in on the joke. She’s long recognized that controversy equals clicks, and clicks equals cash. Clickbait works every time, and every piece of backlash builds the brand.
Just think about it: the woman turned a crying meme into an emoji pack, a reality show into a brand, and now, pubic hair into a business strategy. That’s not a scandal if you ask me; that’s good marketing.
So … Would You Wear It?
Perhaps the faux hair thong doesn’t have as much to do with actually wearing it as with what it represents.
In the end, the drop is both ridiculous and brilliant. It is the type of thing that could only exist in a world where marketing and meme culture have come together. And honestly, regardless of whether you think it’s a form of empowerment or shame, Kardashian has already won.
While the internet argues the morality of her launch, she’s laughing all the way to the bank — with hair or not.
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