Last week on Sex and the City, the double-barreled Samantha appeared to be firing live ammunition right through her dress. No, it wasn't a chilly night. The protuberances, as Samantha explained, were suction cups inside her bra that simulate proudly, abundantly erect nipples. These faux nipples (called, unfortunately, Bodyperks) are the invention of a Minnesota woman named Lori Barghini. On a weekend in Vegas, one of Barghini's friends tucked a couple of shampoo caps under her brassiere. Countless come-ons and even marriage proposals later, Barghini was persuaded that the world needed fake nipples, so she found a manufacturer and began the hard sell. After unsuccessfully pitching Sarah Jessica Parker and Darren Star, Barghini buttonholed Kristin Davis at the Michael Kors show. "She had a Charlotte reaction," says Barghini. "She blushed. We both agreed it would be perfect for Carrie or Samantha."

But would they work in real life? "Honey, you wear these out," Barghini told me, "and you'll never have to pay for a thing." I debuted my new silhouette at an awards presentation. "God, isn't it cold in here?" said one woman, staring accusingly at my chest. "You look really pretty today," said a neighbor in my elevator. "Did you do something different with your hair?" The street was a world of catcalls and propositions, and I felt, for once, like Samantha -- real sex in the city sometimes requires falsies (which are available for $21 at Patricia Field).

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• Archive: “Gotham: Life in the New City”
• Articles by Christina Valhouli
• Table of Contents: July 9, 2001 issue of New York | Subscribe!