Nipple shield (jewelry)

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This article is about fashion apparel. For the protective sheath worn by breastfeeding women, see Nipple shield (breastfeeding).

Janet Jackson's nipple shield, displayed on national television during the infamous wardrobe malfunction.

A nipple shield (a term often used interchangeably with 'nipple covers', 'breast petals', 'petal tops', and other variations) is a piece of body jewelry worn on the nipple, partially or fully covering the areola. The shield part of the jewelry encircles the nipple, and can be held in place by various means, such as adhesive, suction, or friction, but is most often held in place by a Nipple piercing. The primary intent of a nipple shield is usually to lift, adorn, and ornament the nipple and the breast, in the same manner as other Body piercing jewelry. A nipple shield can also be worn to smooth the transition between nipple and breast, so as to disguise the protuberant feature and present a smoother clothed profile.

A nipple shield was infamously shown on television in the United States, and other places around the world, as part of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.