Don’t know if you have noticed or not but flaunting the midriff is back in fashion and this time around it is way more inclusive. Let’s think of the early 2000s the bare midriff look was everything, all the big stars in Hollywood were sporting it- starting from Jeniffer Aniston to Kiera Knightly.
Pop icons like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus almost turned it into a cult.
Closer home, Kareena Kapoor was all about the midriff. Right from ‘You are my Soniya’ to ‘Chaliya Chaliya’, Bebo knew nobody could flaunt it like her and so she used it to the T, but hey, we are not complaining!
It is not surprising though how all these women were of a certain body type and we were constantly being fed with the fact that nobody except for those who could flaunt their abs was allowed to show off their mid-section in public.
And while a lot of fashion historians trace back the trend to the early 40s and 50s in the USA when women were actively taking part in sports, celebrity stylist and proprietor of the brand Nextiles, Suchismita Dasgupta has a different take on it.
She says, “In India showing off the mid-riff has been a trend for centuries because of the type of clothes women wore- However, during the Victorian era and even though the Bramho women and Parsees were the flag bearer of independent styling and fashion; clothes were more conservatively wore which meant not showing any provocative part in your body.”
“Later, since the 1920s showing off the mid-riff was considered provocative and seductive in fashion and one needed to have a flat tummy in order to do it and it remained so till about a few years back,” Suchismita added.
However, post-pandemic we saw a lot of fashion trends from the 2000s striking back into action but the one thing common in most of these fashion trends was the desire to flaunt their skin.
Over the pandemic, people realised how fragile life is and that it was necessary to celebrate oneself and their body. People understood that it was okay enough to be healthy and not have, what society propagated as the “perfect body”.
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And, more than flaunting their skins people just learned to be comfortable in their own bodies and completely own their shapes and sizes.
Aashna Bhagwani, a social media influencer who promotes “size-inclusive fashion” believes-
“A belly doesn’t always have to be flat. It’s high time this unrealistic pressure needs to be taken off. Some have six-pack abs and some have belly fat and there’s nothing wrong with it. I am grateful for my body which lets me do what I need to do. Women have curves, cellulite and tick thighs, stretch marks and cellulite and we need to own that!”
“Clothes or rather fashion is a form of expression. The fact that flaunting of the midriff is back in fashion and women of all shapes, as well as different age groups, are participating in this means now they are not only embracing themselves the way they are, they are owning it. It’s liberating,” says Chitrangada Satarupa, an actor and the owner of Candy’d Closet which is a sustainable fashion store.
She further said, “I personally feel very happy to see this transition that we have witnessed as a generation.”
Celebrities across the world have been making the most out of this y2k fashion trend and we are oh-so rooting for it. Here are a few more looks that prove this is every celeb’s go-to style-
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Well, all the rumours about Samantha trying to experiment more with her looks are true after all. Cheering for this Sam who is way more confident and does not give a damn about what the world thinks about her. She is owning every bit of her look.
Kendall Jenner
Our girl Kenny J loves to flaunt her midsection may that be on the runway or on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians and mind you, she always nails it.
Nusrat Jahan
A perfect outfit for a summer’s day, this casual fit is something we all got our eyes on and Nusrat seems to be having fun wearing this ensemble.
Lizzo
Nobody does it like Lizzo. Look at the singer-songwriter dishing out this absolutely cray lewk!
Mindy Kaling
The other best thing about the trend this time around is the fact that it is age inclusive as well. Look at Mindy Kaling looking her most amazing self. There are chances that she was channelling her inner Kelly Kapoor.
This trend is definitely here to stay and yes people are going to stare so make it worth their while. Remember it will take people years to come out of the social conditioning of accepting a certain body kind but you do not have to wait for anyone to be fine with the way you dress- You do You!
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