Black Haired Girl On The Chair With A Navel Tattoo

Fashion sometimes exploits the navel through clothing that leaves part of the lower abdomen (i.e. the midriff) bare, a usage that is much more common for women than for men. Displaying a bare navel has been a taboo in certain Western cultures: for example, in the 1960s, Barbara Eden was not allowed to show her navel on the TV show I Dream of Jeannie. It is now generally considered acceptable in Western culture.
The modern trend of exposing the navel has usually been confined to women, aside from a male belly-button shirt fad in 1980s fashion. While the West was more resistant to midriff-baring dresses until the 1980s, it has always been a fashion in Indian women's attire. Indian women and especially those from Southern India have traditionally worn saris that bare the midriff and the navel. In Indian culture, exposure of the navel is not considered a taboo and has, in fact, long been accepted as a graceful identifying mark of a woman. A dimpled navel is considered a special asset of any prospective bride especially amongst South Indian women and an important quality of any budding Bollywood actress. Other Indian communities that accept navel exposure include the Rajasthanis and Gujaratis, whose women leave the midriff exposed while wearing short cholis with traditional gypsy skirts. However, these women cover their heads with a 'chador' and even cover their faces in front of strangers, which lends credence to the belief that navel-baring in India has a symbolic, almost mystical, association with birth and life and that the display is meant to emphasize the centrality of nature in the nurture role. Along with the acceptance of navel display in Western societies, navel piercing is becoming more common among young women. Shorter garments that expose navels may also be worn to expose stomach/navel tattoos.