Today pasties are widely associated with pretty rave girls frolicking festival grounds. Some may associate them with burlesque dancers, but they’ve actually been around a lot longer than that. Pasties have a long history rooted in a British music hall tradition of comedy, song, and satire during the Victorian era. As a part of a repressed society, attractive women would sing and tell tales with sexual implications in costumes that were considered revealing at the time just for the thrills.  

Pasties were later used in burlesque performances as a way to get around laws regarding nudity and censorship. Today, these little nipple stickers are worn with bra-less looks, sheer ensembles, or alone and are a favorite among rave babes. With the explosion of rave culture and dance music, the nipple stickers have become intertwined once again with cultural paradigm shifts and sparked conversations about the limits of sexuality.

Anyway, enough with the history lesson, pasties are a favorite rave staple and now come in all kinds of shapes and designs. From stars and flowers to aliens and pizza, they add flair to any ensemble and do require a bit of confidence to rock. If you’re new to wearing pasties or just want to try some new looks, here are some of our favorite ways to rock pasties!

Neva Nude Geo Madness Reflective Pasties

1. The Deep Plunge

If you’re new to wearing pasties and are a little shy, but want to test the waters, I recommend rocking pasties under a top or bodysuit with a deep plunge. For girls who are blessed and voluptuous, if you’re ever worried about any top being a tad too small to offer full coverage like it would on a girl with a smaller chest, just stick some pasties on and rock that top! You’ll avoid any nip slips and enjoy a lot of extra cleavage. 

This style is a great gateway to pasties for anyone as the top will show just a peek of pasties while still giving you a comfortable amount of coverage and saving you from possible wardrobe malfunctions!

2. The Peek of Pasties

This look is similar to the deep plunge, but serves a different purpose. It’s another great gateway to rocking pasties and can help you with wardrobe malfunctions as well. The popular Savage Wrap Around Top is most commonly worn layered over a rave bra, but for those of you who might want to rock your Savage Wrap alone it’s a clever way to avoid any headlights and add a unique touch to your outfit.

3. The Mesh Top

This is the most common way rave girls like to rock pasties. There are many different kinds of mesh tops including mesh halters, keyhole halters, mesh bikinis, and fishnet tops. This one’s pretty straight forward and though it may take a bit more confidence to rock this style at first, the mesh coverage over the pasties usually makes it a little less intimidating.

4. The Slashed Top

The slashed top is another top that is commonly worn with rave bras, but rave bras can be substituted with pasties almost anytime. If you want to give your girls some freedom from a bra without revealing too much this is a great way to go! This look works especially well for those who are shy about rocking pasties as it offers a lot of coverage with just a tiny peek of pasties underneath. Laurel models the Pastease Glitter Lips Pasties and Slashed Top.

5. The Open Front Top

Open front tops and hoodie tops are worn over a sequin bra, bandeau, or another bra-like top similar in style, but you can rock this look with pasties as well. Open front tops show off your pasties entirely, but offer coverage for your shoulders and back. Hoodie tops offer a bit more coverage than open front tops that put your pasties on full display, but your pasties are still definitely fully visible.

6. Pasties Only!

Another semi-common way girls like to rock pasties is…all by itself! No tops to worry about, though I recommend to always bring a back up pair if you’re going this route.  What we love about this look is that it’s daring, sexy and simple. Our favorite part? You can finally feel like a REAL mermaid! Ariel doesn’t wear a bra…duh.

7. The Custom Pasties Top

I’ve only seen this very few times, but am completely in love with this look! Pasties are normally just stickers made to cover just a small area, but these custom pasties are more like a stick on top. Tayler, pictured above, is rocking a pair from Pixie Dolls Emporium. No need for a mesh top or to worry about showing off too much, these intricate pasties tops are amazing!

8. Bonus: Get Creative!

Pasties don’t have to be worn just as pasties! We love matching colorful, fun shaped pasties with different themed pieces to add to the whole look. There are lots of ways to integrate pasties into your rave outfits, and to even wear body stickers around your body. Check out our collection of pasties to shop lots of shapes, colors and styles for your next rave.