Nail ME
The Culture of Stiletto Nails:
The next time you are out, take a closer look. You are bound to find at least one female rocking these bold and perhaps extreme pointy nails, other wise known as stiletto nails.
In the past couple of years they have become a sensation and people all over the world are becoming obsessed. Celebrities, stylist, and the general public have all been spotted with these claw-resembling nails.
They first received major hype when style icons such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga featured them on music videos and were spotted with them on while out and about. After that, they took off. Now celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Rita Ora, and Zendaya have been sporting them as well.
(Left to Right: Lady Gaga and Rihanna)
Now a days nail technicians are becoming more intricate with the method in which they create stiletto nails. They are coming up with extravagant designs, combining nail art (like glitter and gems), and even crafting 3-D effects to enhance the appearance of the nails.
Although much craze has surrounded these nails in the recent years they actually have been around since ancient times. Egyptian women used to wear them as a symbol of high status in their society. The wealthy women would use materials such as bones, ivory, and gold to create extremely long simulated nails. The working class women couldn’t afford to do this and to keep them up because of the manual labor they were exposed to.
However, the actual acrylic nail process was created centuries later by mere chance. In the 1950s, dentist Frederick Slack broke his nail and experimented with different chemicals and materials, in which he ended up creating an artificial nail to go over the broken one.
Years later, in the 1970s, Dr. Stuart Nordstrom created the professional liquid and powder used when creating acrylic nails today. He is now the founder of Creative Nail Design Inc. (CND), which is a company that generates products and services for the nail industry.
Now that you know a little about the stiletto nail mania, it’s time for you to go to try it for yourself. In San Francisco you can find nail salons in every block or neighborhood like you can find a Walgreens. However, two of the best places to check out are Tootsie Toes on Polk Street and Center Nails on 24th street in the Mission.
