About

The Red Nail Theory refers to a widely held belief that's prevalent on TikTok speculating that men are more attracted to women with red-colored nails because it reminds them of the motherly figures of their childhood. It's said to have been theorized by TikToker @GirlBossTown in early 2022. It later trended in videos that showed women testing the theory, many of them using the same Nicki Minaj and Gwen Stefani mashup song, titled "Super Freaky Girl X Luxurious" by xxtristanxo, as their sound.

Origin

On January 20th, 2022, TikToker^[1] girlbosstown posted a video that replied to a user comment which complimented her red nails. She used the opportunity to explain what she called her "Red Nail Theory," which outlined why men find red nails most attractive on women. She reiterated that every time she has red nails, men go out of their way to compliment her on them. She believed it was because men who grew up in the 90s were often surrounded by red-nailed women, like their moms, making it a subconscious, nostalgic signifier. Over the course of eight months, the TikTok video received roughly 904,600 plays and 66,500 likes (shown below).

Spread

Thereafter, female TikTokers started showcasing their own red nails, hinting at how they were "testing" girlbosstown's theory. This trended en masse from mid to late 2022, predominantly starting in late July 2022. For instance, on July 12th, 2022, TikToker^[2] booksaremydrugs referenced The Feminine Urge meme alongside the Red Nails Theory in a video that received roughly 454,400 plays and 74,000 likes in two months (shown below, left). On August 3rd, 2022, TikToker^[3] lemonsandlabels posted a video of her red nails, reiterating that she was testing out the theory. Over the course of one month, the video earned roughly 1.3 million plays and 47,800 likes (shown below, right).

Notable and verified TikTokers added to the trend in late 2022 as well. For instance, on September 10th, 2022, TikToker^[4] Chiara King (@chiaraking) posted a Red Nail Theory TikTok, gaining roughly 1.1 million plays and 59,900 likes in 17 days (shown below, left). On September 15th, 2022, TikToker girlbosstown was featured in a TikTok^[5] posted by Barstool Sports in which she explained the Red Nail Theory, gaining roughly 534,400 plays and 35,300 likes in 12 days (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References