Why Did Craig Conover From ‘Southern Charm’ Have a Blue Fingernail?

Every Southern Charm fan knows Craig Conover marches to the beat of a different drummer. The lawyer turned textile entrepreneur told The Cheat Sheet about how his passion drove him to follow his dream. Today he’s the successful business owner of Sewing Down South.

So when he appeared on the season premiere with a blue fingernail, viewers knew something was up. The blue painted nail wasn’t identified or even referenced during the first episode. However, the bright blue nail was certainly flashed a few times on camera.

Did Conover forget to scrub some paint off (one random) fingernail? Or is there a deeper meaning behind the blue?

He acknowledges the blue nail in his Instagram story

Conover shot video during the first episode, which he shared to his Instagram story. He reiterated that viewers should try to follow their dreams even though he acknowledged that real life may make reaching some dreams seem challenging.

Conover also stumped for his pals too. He wore a t-shirt from pal Shep Rose’s collection. Plus he sipped one of Austen Kroll’s craft beers. Conover remarked how he still needed to procure a piece of Kathryn Dennis’ furniture to complete the deal too.

Toward the end of his story, he acknowledged the blue nail. Which he flashed in front of the camera. He said the blue nail was painted in support of an organization called the Polished Man.

What is the Polished Man?

The organization is dedicated to ending childhood abuse, according to the Polished Man website. “One child dies every 5 minutes as a result of violence,” the organization asserts.

The company challenges people, especially men, to paint their fingernails blue during the month of October as a way to raise awareness for their mission.

Why men? “88 percent of sexual violence is perpetrated by men, but the Polished Man movement is not about pointing the finger,” according to the site. “It’s about asking men to unite and lead by example, channeling the collective strength of masculinity to protect society’s most vulnerable citizens and our future leaders.”

But what does a blue nail have to do with it?

The founder, Elliot Costello shares a poignant and impactful story about how painting one nail became the symbol for the company. After a visit to Hagar International in Cambodia, Costello met a child named Thea. The girl painted all of Costello’s nails blue and drew a heart on his palm.

Later Costello discovered the reason Thea was in the care of Hagar was that she was physically and sexually abused for years by the director of her orphanage. Going forward Costello painted one nail blue to remind him of her suffering.

Conover’s blue nail just started a conversation, which is one of the organization’s goals. Participants can sign up, create teams, polish nails and donate to reduce violence against children.

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