This summer may not have lived up to expectations, but you wouldn’t know it by taking a stroll down a typical UK high street. In addition to the usual summer attire of sandals, sunglasses, and shorts, there’s one fashion trend that stands out above the rest: the midriff.
Showing off the midriff has become a natural choice for young consumers, so much so that this year marks the 10th anniversary of it becoming a mainstream fashion statement. In 2013, designers like Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Roksanda Ilinĉić showcased cropped garments on the catwalk. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and January Jones followed suit, proudly displaying their stomachs. The trend gained even more credibility when Beyoncé graced the cover of British Vogue wearing a high-waisted skirt and cropped T-shirt designed by Jonathan Saunders.
However, despite its longevity, the midriff trend seems to have reached its peak this summer, with various midriff-baring items becoming simultaneously fashionable. From crop tops to low-rise jeans, hip-slung skirts to shrunken baby tees, stomachs are on full display like never before. Fashion resale app Depop has reported a surge in searches for baby tees, crop tops, and low-rise jeans in August. Tagwalk, a fashion show trend search engine, reveals that about 15% of all clothing on the catwalks since 2019 has showcased the midriff.
This month, Fashion Museum Bath announced that its Dress of the Year for 2022 was not a dress at all but a micro-miniskirt and cropped sweater designed by Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu. This ensemble quickly went viral thanks to celebrities like Emma Corrin and Hunter Schafer, as well as DIY tutorials on TikTok.
According to trend watchers, the post-pandemic world is one reason why the midriff trend has become even more prevalent. “Post Covid, there was a tendency to hide the body with oversized womenswear,” says Alexandra Van Houtte, founder of Tagwalk. “However, lately, there has been a boost in women’s attitudes, with powerful bodycon dresses, crop tops, and bold colors.” Additionally, Gen Z plays a crucial role in driving this trend. Although celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow have embraced the midriff-baring look, it is predominantly seen on young people. Aiyana Ishmael, associate editor of Teen Vogue, explains that the “baggy pants-tiny top” method is a go-to formula for Gen Z when getting dressed.
Before this decade, the last time midriffs were in the spotlight was in the early 2000s when stars like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Destiny’s Child regularly flaunted their toned stomachs. This era, often referred to as Y2K, is a source of inspiration for many twentysomethings today. The baby tee trend is a prime example of this era’s revival. Vanna Youngstein launched her baby tee brand in 2016, drawing inspiration from Y2K fashion. Her designs have been worn by celebrities such as Emily Ratajkowski and featured in the hit TV show Euphoria, often selling out. Youngstein attributes the success of the style to its versatility, as it can be paired with any outfit and exudes both a fresh and nostalgic look.
The corset is another popular item that reveals the midriff. Alexia Elkaim’s brand, Miaou, is a favorite among fashion enthusiasts. Elkaim designs corsets that accentuate the midriff by making them shorter on the sides. She herself embraces this style, often pairing baggy trousers with a short corset.
The midriff trend can actually be traced back throughout the 20th century in Western fashion. Shonagh Marshall, a fashion curator, references the significance of belly dancing from the Middle East at Chicago’s World Fair in 1893. “I think people thought it was something a bit daring. It was probably an area that no one apart from you had ever really seen.” Midriff-baring clothing is not exclusive to Western tradition and holds different meanings in other cultures. For example, in India, the cropped blouse has been worn with saris since the 19th century, where showing the midriff was not considered erotic but rather neutral.
The term “midriff” dates back to Old English and gained popularity in the Western world in the early 1940s as fashion trends began to reveal this part of the body. Iconic stars like Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, and Marilyn Monroe embraced the midriff by pairing high-waisted trousers with crop tops. In the 1960s and 70s, stars like Pam Grier and Jane Birkin wore tops that ended just below the breasts, with low-slung bell-bottom pants. The 1980s saw the rise of cropped items as part of the body-beautiful culture, with men like Prince and Keanu Reeves sporting crop tops.
Today, the midriff trend has extended beyond women’s fashion. Inspired by celebrities like Lil Nas X and Troye Sivan, men are also showing off their midriffs once again. While the trend was embraced by all demographics in the 1980s, this revival has been claimed by the LGBTQI+ community. After a New York Times article on male crop tops was published, “Gay Twitter” declared its ownership of the trend.
The pressure for women to have a perfect physique has often been associated with cropped designs. This was especially prevalent during the Y2K era when a size zero body ideal was promoted. However, in 2023, the theory is that stomachs can come in all shapes and sizes. Ed Conway, founder of Fit As fitness studio in Leyton, east London, notes that while men feel pressure to have six-pack abs, many women actively avoid this look. “We’re moving into a better space from a body positivity standpoint,” he explains. “Crop-top fashion is perhaps reflecting this, as many people who wear them might not have what society deems ‘a perfect flat stomach.’ It’s more about empowering individuals to own their bodies and not let their shape dictate what they wear.”
However, embracing body positivity in fashion isn’t always straightforward. Priya Khanchandani, curator of The Off Beat Sari at The Design Museum, has observed changes in body ideals in Bollywood films, with a more prominent focus on flat stomachs influenced by Western standards. Aiyana Ishmael, who is plus-size, admits to only recently allowing herself to wear crop tops. She argues that brands need to provide more inclusive options, but consumers also need to challenge ingrained ideas about who can wear certain styles. Elkaim, for example, aims for her brand to be inclusive of all body types. “I used to hate my midriff,” she admits. “I felt like my stomach was too soft compared to what I saw growing up. Now, I love my midriff and design without fear of showing it off.”
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