Navel
Encyclopedia
The navel is a scar
on the abdomen
caused when the umbilical cord
is removed from a newborn baby. All placental mammal
s have a navel, and it is quite conspicuous in human
s.
In humans, the navel scar can appear as a depression (often referred to colloquially as an innie) or as a protrusion (outie). Although frequently separated into these two categories, navels actually vary quite widely among people in terms of size, shape, depth/length, and overall appearance. As navels are scars, and not defined by genetics
, they can serve as a way of distinguishing between identical twin
s in the absence of other identifiable marks.
The umbilicus is a prominent mark on the abdomen, with its position being relatively consistent amongst humans. The skin around the waist at the level of the umbilicus is supplied by the tenth thoracic spinal nerve
(T10 dermatome). The umbilicus itself typically lies at a vertical level corresponding to the junction between the L3 and L4 vertebrae, with a normal variation among people between the L3 and L5 vertebrae.
The umbilicus is also used to visually separate the abdomen into quadrants. The navel comes in the center of the circle enclosing the spread-eagle
figure in Leonardo da Vinci
's Vitruvian Man
, his famous drawing on human proportions. This illustrates the principle that in the shift between the spread-eagle pose and the straight pose, the apparent center of the figure seems to move, but in reality, the navel of the figure remains motionless. As well as the umbilicus forming a visible depression on the skin of the abdomen, the underlying abdominal muscle layers also present a concavity; thinness at this point contributes to a relative structural weakness, making it susceptible to hernia
. During pregnancy
, the uterus
presses the navel of the pregnant woman outward, however it usually retracts after birth
.
The occurrence of an outie navel is caused by the extra skin left from the umbilical cord or from umbilical hernia
s, although a child with an umbilical hernia will not necessarily develop an outie. Some people have a smooth indentation instead of an innie or outie, usually due to surgery for an umbilical hernia, gastroschisis
, or abdominoplasty
(tummy tuck).
Aki Sinkkonen at the University of Helsinki
in Finland
thinks that the navel may be an indicator of mating potential in fertile women.In his article in the The FASEB Journal, he proposes that the umbilicus, together with the surrounding skin area, is an honest signal of individual vigor.He suggests that the symmetry, shape, and position of umbilicus can be used to estimate the reproductive potential of fertile females, including risks of certain genetically and maternally inherited fetal anomalies.
or gastroschisis
, a condition where the stomach and intestines poke through a hole in the abdominal wall.For example,Czech model Karolína Kurková
doesn't have a navel because of an operation she had as an infant. Only a smooth indentation is found in the place of her navel.And while it is standard practice to clamp, cut, then seal a newborn's umbilical cord to prevent infection, in lotus births - or umbilical non-severance births - the cord
and placenta
are left to drop off naturally. Adults may lose their navels during stomach surgeries or skin grafts while some adults even opt to have their navels surgically enhanced via umbilicoplasty
.
, the navel is an important site in the human body. Nearly 72,000 subtle nerves or nadi
s converge in this area. By the principles of Ayurveda and yoga, the human body is made up of six Chakra
s of which the Manipura
chakra is located at the spine directly behind either the navel or the solar plexus, depending on the system, while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located directly on the navel and represents the element Fire.Vayu
, which is one of the three Dosha
s specified in Ayurveda, is divided into five sub categories. Of these, Samana Vayu (situated in the navel region) is believed to aid in digestion
and to give physical strength to the body.
In Indian traditional medicine, Cyperus rotundus
tuber is made into a paste and applied around the navel to relieve pain caused by roundworms. Pomegranate
plant juice & paste is used for snake bite, the juice is dropped into nostrils, ears & the navel.
In Sri Lanka traditional medicine, a composition of herbs, powdered pepper & water is applied to the navel in the form of a paste as a remedy for stomach aches
. Similarly, during difficulties in delivery, a betel leaf is placed on the woman's navel which is believed to be under a spell.
, a book in the Hebrew Bible
, there are allusions to exotic things in nature, with frequent interweaving of nature with erotic imagery. In Solomon
's lavish praise of his love – the country girl, Sulaimi – the navel is mentioned as follows: "thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor" (7:2).
at times in Western culture
s. The famous Hays code banned the exposure of the navel. During the 1950s, actress Joan Collins
was prohibited from displaying her bare navel for the film Land of the Pharaohs
by the censors
. She was made to wear a navel jewel, a ruby, to meet the censors' guidelines.
This technique of gluing jewels on the navel to cover it and baring the midriff began to be used in many other films featuring belly dance sequences.
During the 1960s,actress Barbara Eden
was not allowed to show her navel on the US TV show I Dream of Jeannie
.During 1970s,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
of CBS
featured TV personality Cher
exposing her navel which was considered a first in television history. But the network censors feared her navel exposure would become a cause célèbre
at CBS.
exploits the navel through low-rise
clothing that leaves the midriff
or lower abdomen bare. These navel displays commenced with the introduction of the bikini
in the 1940s, and have become increasingly popular through sporting styles comprising modified sports bra
s without additional outer garments, sports bikinis, and cheerleading
style fashions developing largely from the styles originating with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
in the early 1970s. The modern trend of exposing the navel has usually been confined to women, apart from a 1980s fashion male belly-button shirt fad, although males have long exposed their navels when going shirtless, such as when swimming.
This low-rise fashion started in the early 1990s when the British magazine The Face
in its March 1993 issue cover featured Kate Moss
in low-rise jeans
. Models like Gisele
have always flashed their midriffs. The display of the navel in women's fashion has partly grown out of the sportswear
and swimwear styles that became popular during the twentieth century, themselves linked to successes of the feminist movement
and developments in clothing technology
.The importance of the navel is very much emphasized that for Czech model Karolina Kurkova
who does not have a navel,the magazine and catalogue art directors routinely airbrush one in for her during post-production.They keep a collection of belly button shots in different positions, and Photoshop them on to her whenever she’s doing a bikini picture.
Due to the current wide acceptance of navel display in Western societies, navel piercing
and navel tattoos have become more common among young women.The trend of piercing or tattooing the navel became popular in the 1990s
.Actress Drew Barrymore
has a butterfly tattoo beneath her navel.The growing popularity of belly dancing
, where navel exposure is a necessity, has also added to the navel exposure trend. Among belly dancing instructors, the innie navel is preferred over the outie.
culture is another reason for popularity of navel exposure.Many famous pop stars such as Madonna
, Britney Spears
, Jennifer Lopez
etc., have flaunted their navels during their performances. During the early 1990s,Canadian country singer Shania Twain
appeared in low jeans baring her midriff and navel in her music videos and performances. It became the most widely discussed body part in country music,which became her own unique trademark. More recently Spin
magazine chose Madonna's navel as its "most incredible" rock star body part for a September 2005 feature.
n women. These women, especially those from Southern India, have traditionally worn sari
s that bare the midriff
.Women from Rajasthan
leave the midriff exposed while wearing Ghagra Cholis
. However, these women often cover their heads with a Dupatta
, and may even cover their faces in front of strangers. This 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. One of the reasons can be that in ancient indian tradition,the navel of the God Vishnu the Protector is considered to be the center of the universe and the source of life. From his navel a new world of the future emerges. This has been depicted in many ancient indian sculptures as a lotus emerging from the navel on which God Brahma the Creator is seated. Due to this the midriff & navel is set to be left bare in a sari.
In ancient India, although women wore saris that bared the midriff, the Dharmasastra
writers stated that women should be dressed such that the navel would never become visible. The trend of exposing the navel was started by women who were dancers, acrobats, or entertainers, and who developed a technique of wearing the sari like a pair of trousers well below the navel to assist in the free movement of the legs. This trend slowly spread to become common among unmarried young women.
Women in this type of attire are very common in many ancient Indian sculptures, and paintings. Technically, a typical women representation in ancient Indian art include an hourglass figure with large waist
, breast
s, buttocks and a deep navel. By the Indian Physiognomy
of a women's body,if the navel of a woman is deep, then she is popular and is loved by her husband. Broad, fleshy and not very deep navel indicates that such a woman is quite lucky. A woman with navel raised on the right side, leads a queen like comfortable life.
sari or low hip sari. Also, due to liberalization
and changing global markets, saris are re-emerging as an erotic wrap, which can expose as much as it conceals. As a result, saris began to be designed in many innovative ways and using different materials. Transparent
and semi-transparent saris made of sheer fabrics like chiffon
are one such example.
Gradually navel exposure gained a permanent role in modern Indian fashion.According to Fashion designer Swapnil Shinde,the Indian fashion scene is just about exploring the show-off navel for the ramp.According to model Candice Pinto,the navel is the sexiest part of the human body but showing off the navel should be a matter of personal choice. These modern saris may be draped in different ways, such as a petticoat
being tied about 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) below the navel, just above the pubic area, and a small blouse ending just below the breast
s with a thin pallu
exposing some part of the blouse
and almost the entire midriff.
This style was popularised by Bollywood
celebrities and other popular regional film industries, such as Tamil cinema
and Telugu cinema.Female dancers of Bollywood have always exposed their navels and cameras have always focused on their navels. For example,in the 1968 Bollywood film Brahmachari, Actress Mumtaz
was seen in a Sharara sari flaunting her navel for a song and dance number "Aaj kal tere mere".Sharara is a long flowing pant like a divided skirt at bottom with a long blouse.The unique feature of the Sharara is the skirt which has less flow than lehenga. It is like a loose pant fitted till the knee, with a big flare from the knee onwards.It later became so popular that till date this type of saris is known to be Mumtaz Saris. Actress Aishwarya Rai showcased her navel in a brocade
choli
and dipped ghagra for the hit song "Kajra Re" in the film Bunty aur Babli
(2005).
Actress Deepika Padukone
had once commented," in showing off cleavage, chances are you might end up looking indecent. But that isn't the case with the navel. It's sexy in a very natural way."
Some even wear navel jewels or navel piercing
s to emphasize and make the navel attractive. In 2009, actress Priyanka Chopra
appeared in a "Mumtaz Sari" and showed off her navel jewellery when she attended the premiere of her film What's Your Raashee at the Toronto International Film Festival
. Very recently in August 2011, South India
n actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu
made a flutter at the audio launch of telugu film Dookudu
exposing her midriff with a navel piercing in a sari. These styles are mainly worn by rich, educated, upper class women who regard navel exposure as a fashion. Sometimes this style is modified, with the navel being covered by the pallu when wearing a low-rise non-transparent sari. In some corporations in India, saris are required to be worn in an elegant manner avoiding navel exposure.
frescoes depict women wearing the cloth gracefully draped as a dhoti
, tied in a knot at the front and pulled down exposing the navel. They wear pleated robes from the waist upwards, save for necklace, armlets, wristlets, ear and hair ornaments and displayed their breasts. The ladies in waiting wear waist clothes, a few ornaments and a firm 'breast bandage' or thanapatiya.
In the Sinhalese poetic work Kaviyasekara, a father advises his married daughter as to proper clothing,
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
on the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
caused when the umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
is removed from a newborn baby. All placental mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s have a navel, and it is quite conspicuous in human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s.
In humans, the navel scar can appear as a depression (often referred to colloquially as an innie) or as a protrusion (outie). Although frequently separated into these two categories, navels actually vary quite widely among people in terms of size, shape, depth/length, and overall appearance. As navels are scars, and not defined by genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, they can serve as a way of distinguishing between identical twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s in the absence of other identifiable marks.
Human anatomy
Spinal nerve
The term spinal nerve generally refers to a mixed spinal nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body...
(T10 dermatome). The umbilicus itself typically lies at a vertical level corresponding to the junction between the L3 and L4 vertebrae, with a normal variation among people between the L3 and L5 vertebrae.
The umbilicus is also used to visually separate the abdomen into quadrants. The navel comes in the center of the circle enclosing the spread-eagle
Spreadeagle (position)
The spread eagle is the position in which a person has his or her arms outstretched and legs apart, figuratively resembling an eagle with wings spread. It is a style that appears commonly in nature and geometry. In human style it is represented by the letter "X".A spreadeagle is a common position...
figure in Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's Vitruvian Man
Vitruvian Man
The Vitruvian Man is a world-renowned drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci circa 1487. It is accompanied by notes based on the work of the famed architect, Vitruvius. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and...
, his famous drawing on human proportions. This illustrates the principle that in the shift between the spread-eagle pose and the straight pose, the apparent center of the figure seems to move, but in reality, the navel of the figure remains motionless. As well as the umbilicus forming a visible depression on the skin of the abdomen, the underlying abdominal muscle layers also present a concavity; thinness at this point contributes to a relative structural weakness, making it susceptible to hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
. During pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, the uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
presses the navel of the pregnant woman outward, however it usually retracts after birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
.
The occurrence of an outie navel is caused by the extra skin left from the umbilical cord or from umbilical hernia
Umbilical hernia
Congenital umbilical hernia is a congenital malformation, common in infants of African descent. Among adults, it is three times more common in women than in men; among children, the ratio is roughly equal...
s, although a child with an umbilical hernia will not necessarily develop an outie. Some people have a smooth indentation instead of an innie or outie, usually due to surgery for an umbilical hernia, gastroschisis
Gastroschisis
Gastroschisis represents a congenital defect characterized by a defect in the anterior abdominal wall through which the abdominal contents freely protrude. There is no overlying sac and the size of the defect is usually less than 4 cm...
, or abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck" is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to make the abdomen more firm. The surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall...
(tummy tuck).
Aki Sinkkonen at the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
thinks that the navel may be an indicator of mating potential in fertile women.In his article in the The FASEB Journal, he proposes that the umbilicus, together with the surrounding skin area, is an honest signal of individual vigor.He suggests that the symmetry, shape, and position of umbilicus can be used to estimate the reproductive potential of fertile females, including risks of certain genetically and maternally inherited fetal anomalies.
Losing the Navel
Some do not have a navel as a result of the surgery needed to correct abdominal problems at birth like an umbilical herniaUmbilical hernia
Congenital umbilical hernia is a congenital malformation, common in infants of African descent. Among adults, it is three times more common in women than in men; among children, the ratio is roughly equal...
or gastroschisis
Gastroschisis
Gastroschisis represents a congenital defect characterized by a defect in the anterior abdominal wall through which the abdominal contents freely protrude. There is no overlying sac and the size of the defect is usually less than 4 cm...
, a condition where the stomach and intestines poke through a hole in the abdominal wall.For example,Czech model Karolína Kurková
Karolína Kurková
Karolína Isela Kurková is a Czech model, best known as a former Victoria's Secret Angel, and an aspiring actress. Mario Testino said of Kurková, "The proportions of her body and her face, as well as her energy level, make her a model who could fit almost into any moment." Vogue editor Anna...
doesn't have a navel because of an operation she had as an infant. Only a smooth indentation is found in the place of her navel.And while it is standard practice to clamp, cut, then seal a newborn's umbilical cord to prevent infection, in lotus births - or umbilical non-severance births - the cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
and placenta
Placenta
The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. "True" placentas are a defining characteristic of eutherian or "placental" mammals, but are also found in some snakes and...
are left to drop off naturally. Adults may lose their navels during stomach surgeries or skin grafts while some adults even opt to have their navels surgically enhanced via umbilicoplasty
Umbilicoplasty
Umbilicoplasty, sometimes referred to as "belly button surgery", is a plastic surgery procedure to modify the appearance of one's navel . It may be performed as part of a tummy tuck or lower body lift operation, or it may be performed alone.An umbilicoplasty procedure may last from 30 minutes to 3...
.
Alternative Medicine
According to AyurvedaAyurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
, the navel is an important site in the human body. Nearly 72,000 subtle nerves or nadi
Nadi (yoga)
' are the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual science, the energies of the subtle body are said to flow. They connect at special points of intensity called chakras...
s converge in this area. By the principles of Ayurveda and yoga, the human body is made up of six Chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
s of which the Manipura
Manipura
Manipura , called "city of jewels", is the third primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Manipura is located at the spine directly behind either the navel or the solar plexus, depending on the system, while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located directly on the navel...
chakra is located at the spine directly behind either the navel or the solar plexus, depending on the system, while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located directly on the navel and represents the element Fire.Vayu
Vayu
Vāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
, which is one of the three Dosha
Dosha
A dosha is one of three bodily humors that make up one's constitution according to Ayurveda. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha system....
s specified in Ayurveda, is divided into five sub categories. Of these, Samana Vayu (situated in the navel region) is believed to aid in digestion
Digestion
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....
and to give physical strength to the body.
In Indian traditional medicine, Cyperus rotundus
Cyperus rotundus
Cyperus rotundus is a species of sedge native to Africa, southern and central Europe , and southern Asia. The word cyperus derives from the Greek "κύπερος" and rotundus is from Latin, meaning "round"...
tuber is made into a paste and applied around the navel to relieve pain caused by roundworms. Pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
plant juice & paste is used for snake bite, the juice is dropped into nostrils, ears & the navel.
In Sri Lanka traditional medicine, a composition of herbs, powdered pepper & water is applied to the navel in the form of a paste as a remedy for stomach aches
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
. Similarly, during difficulties in delivery, a betel leaf is placed on the woman's navel which is believed to be under a spell.
Erogenous zone
The navel is one of the many erogenous zones that has heightened sensitivity.The navel and the region below when touched by the finger or the tip of the tongue result in the production of erotic sensations. This is because the navel and the genitals have a common tissue origin, and in some people this connection still exists so that stimulation of the navel will elicit a distinct tickle in the genitals.In the Song of SolomonSong of Solomon
The Song of Songs of Solomon, commonly referred to as Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible—one of the megillot —found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim...
, a book in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, there are allusions to exotic things in nature, with frequent interweaving of nature with erotic imagery. In Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
's lavish praise of his love – the country girl, Sulaimi – the navel is mentioned as follows: "thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor" (7:2).
Navel exposure in culture
Western culture
Hays Code
Displaying a bare navel has been a tabooTaboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
at times in Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
s. The famous Hays code banned the exposure of the navel. During the 1950s, actress Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
was prohibited from displaying her bare navel for the film Land of the Pharaohs
Land of the Pharaohs
Land of the Pharaohs is a 1955 CinemaScope epic film made by the Continental Company, Ltd and presented by Warner Bros. It was directed and produced by Howard Hawks from a screenplay by Harold Jack Bloom, Harry Kurnitz, and the novelist William Faulkner...
by the censors
Censorship in the United States
In general, censorship in the United States, which involves the suppression of speech or other public communication, raises issues of freedom of speech, which is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution....
. She was made to wear a navel jewel, a ruby, to meet the censors' guidelines.
This technique of gluing jewels on the navel to cover it and baring the midriff began to be used in many other films featuring belly dance sequences.
During the 1960s,actress Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
was not allowed to show her navel on the US TV show I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
.During 1970s,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
featured TV personality Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
exposing her navel which was considered a first in television history. But the network censors feared her navel exposure would become a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
at CBS.
Fashion
However, FashionFashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
exploits the navel through low-rise
Low-rise (fashion)
Low-rise is a style of clothing, designed to sit low on, or below, the hips. The style can also be called lowcut, hipster, or hip-hugger. A normal Low-rise sits at least 2 to 3 inches [5–8 cms] below the navel...
clothing that leaves the midriff
Midriff
Midriff is a particular term to denominate the section of the human body between the thorax/chest and the pelvis/hips. It is used as a genteel avoidance of synonymous belly ; as a synonym for waist; and as a name for the area around the diaphragm Midriff is a particular term to denominate the...
or lower abdomen bare. These navel displays commenced with the introduction of the bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
in the 1940s, and have become increasingly popular through sporting styles comprising modified sports bra
Sports bra
A sports bra is a bra that provides additional support to female breasts during physical exercise. Sturdier than typical bras, they minimize breast movement, alleviate discomfort, and reduce potential damage to chest ligaments. Many women wear sports bras to reduce pain, and physical discomfort...
s without additional outer garments, sports bikinis, and cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
style fashions developing largely from the styles originating with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys.- 1960s :The original cheerleading squad was a made up of a male-female group called the CowBelles & Beaux. The group made its sidelines debut in 1960 during the Cowboys' inaugural...
in the early 1970s. The modern trend of exposing the navel has usually been confined to women, apart from a 1980s fashion male belly-button shirt fad, although males have long exposed their navels when going shirtless, such as when swimming.
This low-rise fashion started in the early 1990s when the British magazine The Face
The Face (magazine)
The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
in its March 1993 issue cover featured Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
in low-rise jeans
Low-rise jeans
Low-rise jeans, worn by both men and women, are jeans intended to sit low on, or below, the hips. They are also called lowcut jeans, hipsters, hip-huggers and lowriders. Usually they sit at least 8 centimetres lower than the belly button...
. Models like Gisele
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
have always flashed their midriffs. The display of the navel in women's fashion has partly grown out of the sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
and swimwear styles that became popular during the twentieth century, themselves linked to successes of the feminist movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
and developments in clothing technology
Clothing technology
Clothing technology involves the manufacturing, materials, and design innovations that have been developed and used. The timeline of clothing and textiles technology includes major changes in the manufacture and distribution of clothing....
.The importance of the navel is very much emphasized that for Czech model Karolina Kurkova
Karolína Kurková
Karolína Isela Kurková is a Czech model, best known as a former Victoria's Secret Angel, and an aspiring actress. Mario Testino said of Kurková, "The proportions of her body and her face, as well as her energy level, make her a model who could fit almost into any moment." Vogue editor Anna...
who does not have a navel,the magazine and catalogue art directors routinely airbrush one in for her during post-production.They keep a collection of belly button shots in different positions, and Photoshop them on to her whenever she’s doing a bikini picture.
Due to the current wide acceptance of navel display in Western societies, navel piercing
Navel piercing
A navel piercing is a type of body piercing. It may heal very quickly and with no problems, like an ear piercing, or may heal more like a surface piercing with the associated extended healing time. Healing usually takes less than six months, and as long as it is cleaned, it will heal nicely...
and navel tattoos have become more common among young women.The trend of piercing or tattooing the navel became popular in the 1990s
.Actress Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
has a butterfly tattoo beneath her navel.The growing popularity of belly dancing
Belly dance
Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
, where navel exposure is a necessity, has also added to the navel exposure trend. Among belly dancing instructors, the innie navel is preferred over the outie.
20th Century Music
Besides fashion, 20th century music20th century music
20th century music is defined by the sudden emergence of advanced technology for recording and distributing music as well as dramatic innovations in musical forms and styles...
culture is another reason for popularity of navel exposure.Many famous pop stars such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
etc., have flaunted their navels during their performances. During the early 1990s,Canadian country singer Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
appeared in low jeans baring her midriff and navel in her music videos and performances. It became the most widely discussed body part in country music,which became her own unique trademark. More recently Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine chose Madonna's navel as its "most incredible" rock star body part for a September 2005 feature.
Ancient times
While the West was relatively resistant to midriff-baring clothing until the 1980s, it has long been a fashion with IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n women. These women, especially those from Southern India, have traditionally worn sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
s that bare the midriff
Midriff
Midriff is a particular term to denominate the section of the human body between the thorax/chest and the pelvis/hips. It is used as a genteel avoidance of synonymous belly ; as a synonym for waist; and as a name for the area around the diaphragm Midriff is a particular term to denominate the...
.Women from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
leave the midriff exposed while wearing Ghagra Cholis
Gagra choli
Gagra choli or Ghagra choli, which is also known as Lehenga choli, is the traditional clothing of women in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Chaniya choli is another term commonly used to refer it.It is a combination outfit of a Lehenga, tight Choli and a Dupatta.-Lehenga:Lehenga or Ghagra is a form of...
. However, these women often cover their heads with a Dupatta
Dupatta
Dupatta Dupatta(Urdu: دوپٹا, Hindi: दुपट्टा, Bengali: ওড়না, Sindhi: پوتي, Tamil:துப்பட்ட) Dupatta(Urdu: دوپٹا, Hindi: दुपट्टा, Bengali: ওড়না, Sindhi: پوتي, Tamil:துப்பட்ட) (alternative names include chadar (in Pakistan), orni/odhni, chunri, chunni, orna, and pacheri, is a long,...
, and may even cover their faces in front of strangers. This 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. One of the reasons can be that in ancient indian tradition,the navel of the God Vishnu the Protector is considered to be the center of the universe and the source of life. From his navel a new world of the future emerges. This has been depicted in many ancient indian sculptures as a lotus emerging from the navel on which God Brahma the Creator is seated. Due to this the midriff & navel is set to be left bare in a sari.
In ancient India, although women wore saris that bared the midriff, the Dharmasastra
Dharmasastra
Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
writers stated that women should be dressed such that the navel would never become visible. The trend of exposing the navel was started by women who were dancers, acrobats, or entertainers, and who developed a technique of wearing the sari like a pair of trousers well below the navel to assist in the free movement of the legs. This trend slowly spread to become common among unmarried young women.
Women in this type of attire are very common in many ancient Indian sculptures, and paintings. Technically, a typical women representation in ancient Indian art include an hourglass figure with large waist
Waist
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
, breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s, buttocks and a deep navel. By the Indian Physiognomy
Physiognomy
Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face...
of a women's body,if the navel of a woman is deep, then she is popular and is loved by her husband. Broad, fleshy and not very deep navel indicates that such a woman is quite lucky. A woman with navel raised on the right side, leads a queen like comfortable life.
Recent times
With their migration to different countries, many Indian women began to wear the normal sari below the waistline exposing the navel, which is known as a low-riseLow-rise (fashion)
Low-rise is a style of clothing, designed to sit low on, or below, the hips. The style can also be called lowcut, hipster, or hip-hugger. A normal Low-rise sits at least 2 to 3 inches [5–8 cms] below the navel...
sari or low hip sari. Also, due to liberalization
Liberalization
In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation...
and changing global markets, saris are re-emerging as an erotic wrap, which can expose as much as it conceals. As a result, saris began to be designed in many innovative ways and using different materials. Transparent
Transparency and translucency
In the field of optics, transparency is the physical property of allowing light to pass through a material; translucency only allows light to pass through diffusely. The opposite property is opacity...
and semi-transparent saris made of sheer fabrics like chiffon
Chiffon (fabric)
Chiffon, , from the French word for a cloth or rag, is a lightweight, balanced plain-woven sheer fabric woven of alternate S- and Z-twist crepe yarns. The twist in the crepe yarns puckers the fabric slightly in both directions after weaving, giving it some stretch and a slightly rough...
are one such example.
Gradually navel exposure gained a permanent role in modern Indian fashion.According to Fashion designer Swapnil Shinde,the Indian fashion scene is just about exploring the show-off navel for the ramp.According to model Candice Pinto,the navel is the sexiest part of the human body but showing off the navel should be a matter of personal choice. These modern saris may be draped in different ways, such as a petticoat
Petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist ....
being tied about 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) below the navel, just above the pubic area, and a small blouse ending just below the breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s with a thin pallu
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
exposing some part of the blouse
Blouse
A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children. It is typically gathered at the waist so that it hangs loosely over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt but can also refer to a man's shirt if...
and almost the entire midriff.
This style was popularised by Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
celebrities and other popular regional film industries, such as Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
and Telugu cinema.Female dancers of Bollywood have always exposed their navels and cameras have always focused on their navels. For example,in the 1968 Bollywood film Brahmachari, Actress Mumtaz
Mumtaz (actress)
Mumtaz , fondly called Mumu, is a famous Bollywood actress, best remembered for her roles in Tere Mere Sapne and Khilona . Her performance in Khilona got her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, while the film itself won the Filmfare Best Movie Award...
was seen in a Sharara sari flaunting her navel for a song and dance number "Aaj kal tere mere".Sharara is a long flowing pant like a divided skirt at bottom with a long blouse.The unique feature of the Sharara is the skirt which has less flow than lehenga. It is like a loose pant fitted till the knee, with a big flare from the knee onwards.It later became so popular that till date this type of saris is known to be Mumtaz Saris. Actress Aishwarya Rai showcased her navel in a brocade
Brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli," comes from Italian broccato meaning "embossed cloth," originally past participle of the verb broccare...
choli
Choli
A choli , is a midriff-baring blouse shell garment in the Indian sari costume worn in India, southern Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other countries where the sari is worn. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck...
and dipped ghagra for the hit song "Kajra Re" in the film Bunty aur Babli
Bunty Aur Babli
Bunty Aur Babli , released in 2005, is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Shaad Ali and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. It was the first film to feature both Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, and featured guest appearances by Aishwarya Rai and Tania...
(2005).
Actress Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress and a former model. She appears mostly in Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada language films. Born to Badminton player Prakash Padukone, she chose to become an actress and not pursue a career in sports.Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film...
had once commented," in showing off cleavage, chances are you might end up looking indecent. But that isn't the case with the navel. It's sexy in a very natural way."
Some even wear navel jewels or navel piercing
Navel piercing
A navel piercing is a type of body piercing. It may heal very quickly and with no problems, like an ear piercing, or may heal more like a surface piercing with the associated extended healing time. Healing usually takes less than six months, and as long as it is cleaned, it will heal nicely...
s to emphasize and make the navel attractive. In 2009, actress Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
appeared in a "Mumtaz Sari" and showed off her navel jewellery when she attended the premiere of her film What's Your Raashee at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. Very recently in August 2011, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian film actress and model who appears in Telugu and Tamil films. Born to Malayali and Telugu parents, Samantha was brought up in Chennai and pursued a career in modeling during her late teens...
made a flutter at the audio launch of telugu film Dookudu
Dookudu
Dookudu is a 2011 Telugu action comedy romantic film directed by Sreenu Vaitla and distributed by 14 Reels Entertainment. The ensemble cast, stars Mahesh Babu and Samantha. The film was released on September 23, 2011, with the largest worldwide opening for a Telugu film...
exposing her midriff with a navel piercing in a sari. These styles are mainly worn by rich, educated, upper class women who regard navel exposure as a fashion. Sometimes this style is modified, with the navel being covered by the pallu when wearing a low-rise non-transparent sari. In some corporations in India, saris are required to be worn in an elegant manner avoiding navel exposure.
Sri Lankan culture
The royal ladies in the SigiriyaSigiriya
Sigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures...
frescoes depict women wearing the cloth gracefully draped as a dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
, tied in a knot at the front and pulled down exposing the navel. They wear pleated robes from the waist upwards, save for necklace, armlets, wristlets, ear and hair ornaments and displayed their breasts. The ladies in waiting wear waist clothes, a few ornaments and a firm 'breast bandage' or thanapatiya.
In the Sinhalese poetic work Kaviyasekara, a father advises his married daughter as to proper clothing,
- Sinhalese: "Pekaniya nodakva Salu e(n)da bolata dakva Nopava tana sakva Sina nomasen dasan dakva."
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: "Dress your garment above your navel,without exposing the fair bosom, and expose not your teeth in laughing."
See also
- Abdominal hairAbdominal hairThe term abdominal hair refers to the hair that grows on the abdomen of humans and non-human mammals, in the region between the pubic area and the thorax . The growth of abdominal hair follows the same pattern on nearly all mammals, vertically from the pubic area upwards and from the thorax...
- GranulomaGranulomaGranuloma is a medical term for a tiny collection of immune cells known as macrophages. Granulomas form when the immune system attempts to wall off substances that it perceives as foreign but is unable to eliminate. Such substances include infectious organisms such as bacteria and fungi as well as...
- Navel fetishismNavel fetishismNavel fetishism or Navel fetish is a sexual fetish in which an individual is attracted to the human navel. Also referred as Belly Button fetish.-Stimuli:...
- Navel lintNavel lintNavel lint is an accumulation of fluffy fibers in the navel cavity....
- OmphalomancyOmphalomancyOmphalomancy is a method of divination meant to determine how many children a mother may have during her lifetime, based on the belief that the shape of the navel can reveal this information.Alternatively known as Omphilomancy...
- OmphalosOmphalosAn omphalos is an ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus. In Greek, the word omphalos means "navel" . According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out two eagles to fly across the world to meet at its center, the "navel" of the world...
- OmphaloskepsisOmphaloskepsisOmphaloskepsis is contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation.The word comes from Greek omphalos + skepsis...
- Umbilical herniaUmbilical herniaCongenital umbilical hernia is a congenital malformation, common in infants of African descent. Among adults, it is three times more common in women than in men; among children, the ratio is roughly equal...
- UmbilicoplastyUmbilicoplastyUmbilicoplasty, sometimes referred to as "belly button surgery", is a plastic surgery procedure to modify the appearance of one's navel . It may be performed as part of a tummy tuck or lower body lift operation, or it may be performed alone.An umbilicoplasty procedure may last from 30 minutes to 3...