A belly fetish (also known as a stomach fetish, or alvinolagnia) [1] is a partialism in which an individual is sexually attracted to the midriff [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] or belly. [11] [12] [13] [14]
The belly is widely considered as an erogenous region, [15] meaning it holds multiple nerve endings that make it sensitive to various sensations. [16] Therefore, having a belly fetish usually coincides with belly-related sexual acts including but not limited to pressing a partner's belly, touching/rubbing the belly region, using sex toys and other objects (e.g., food, candles, ice, feathers, massage oils) to stimulate the belly region, rubbing one's belly against a partner's belly, or licking or sucking the navel. [17] For this reason, belly fetishism (alvinolagnia) often co-exists with navel fetishism (alvinophilia). [18] [19] Overall, the belly fetish is a form of partialism. [16]
Individuals with alvinolagnia tend to enjoy having sexual intercourse in the missionary position given the position's heightened belly-to-belly contact between partners. [20] It is theorized that this sexual desire for belly-to-belly contact is linked to the evolutionary need for ventral-ventral contact when being nursed as an infant [21] [22] or to entice feelings of being nurtured and loved. [23] One participant of a social experiment involving belly-to-belly contact described the act as "a very intimate thing, even when it's not meant to be." [24]
The evolutionary need for ventral-ventral contact may also contribute to sexual arousal during objectively non-sexual belly-to-belly contact which may happen when hugging or cuddling while wearing skin-revealing clothing (e.g., crop top, bikini); [25] taking part in some forms of partnered dance (e.g., bachata (dance)); [26] or participating in sports involving belly-to-belly contact either due to the sports' nature (e.g., wrestling, mixed martial arts) [27] or as a strategy for obtaining rest, breaking-up an opponent's rhythm, heightening camaraderie during play, and/or eliciting post-play celebration. [28] [29]
Some assume that alvinolagnia is a cause of the prevalent western fashion of female midriff exposure. [30] In the Victorian era, a small waist was considered the main trait of a beautiful woman. [31] The advent of bikinis in 1946, [32] the cheerleading fashion of the 1970s [33] and low-rise fashion started in the early 1990s [34] have contributed to widespread fascination of the belly region. Specific breakthroughs of the belly region being featured in American media include Cher in the 1970s "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour", as well as the character Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989 film) . [35] Midriff exposure also became common in the culture of 20th-century music with many famous female pop stars appearing on and offstage and in music videos with their midriff exposed. [36] [37] [38] Some get attracted to women wearing a crop top or bikini. [39]
Despite the prevalence of alvinolagnia, midriff exposure, and sexual belly-to-belly contact throughout Western pop culture, it is rare for belly-to-belly contact to be featured in Western media under a non-sexual tone. Nonetheless, non-sexual belly-to-belly contact in Western media generally represents either the establishment of a non-sexual friendship or the strengthening of an existing bond between two people. [40] For example, the North American sitcom Will & Grace features two characters, Jack and Karen, who initiate and periodically bolster their long-lasting friendship via non-sexual belly-to-belly touch, [41] a quirk so infamous that it appeared on the show's holiday special. [42] More recently, non-sexual belly-to-belly touch became a key characteristic of Bayley and Sasha Banks' The Boss n' Hug Connection, a former women's professional wrestling tag team known for engaging in a post-match celebration involving belly-to-belly hugs. [43]
The eastern art of belly dancing places the female midriff on center stage. [44] [45] The dance movements of the torso are considered to be seductive. [46]
The bare female midriff is considered attractive and erotic in India. [47] Baring the midriff has always been a fashion in Indian women attire. [48] [49] Indian women have traditionally worn saris [50] that bares the midriff, especially South Indian women. [51] [52] The exposure of midriff in a sari is considered to be erotic. [53] The midriff is revealed in other traditional female attires like Ghagra choli. [54] Belly chains known as kamarband in India when worn with low-rise saris and lehengas are considered sensuous. [55] Most Indian women wear belly chains during weddings and other ceremonies as a show of culture and tradition. Nowadays, women have been pairing these chains with western outfits, mostly to draw attention to their figures. [56]
Men are intrigued by the demure floor-length attire and tantalising display of a bare midriff in the back. [57] [58] Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz had commented that there were shots where a big porcelain seashell was thrown on her belly and flowers decorated around her waist during the shoot of her debut film and stated that the belly and navel is supposed to be a mark of a woman's beauty in South Indian films and they believe that the waist line is the most attractive part. [59] [60] [61] [62] Indian singer Chinmayi once tweeted against a fan's request for saris during performances, saying, "Groups of men [...] take photographs of my waist + side of my chest, circle it and upload it on soft porn websites", adding that she "get[s] messages on how they're masturbating to it". [63]
Some Indian men are aroused by pinching a woman on her midriff bared by the sari. [64]
Some people wear accessories like belly chains, navel piercings, tattoos etc., to enhance the appearance of the belly. [65] It can be a delicate thin or heavy thick chain. [56]
Navel piercing [66] and navel tattoos [67] have become more common among young women. The trend of piercing or tattooing the navel became popular in the 1990s. [68] It is popular among middle-aged women. [69] [70] Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; they are called "pierced belly chains". [71] Similar to navel piercings, hip piercings are also popular among women to express a bold personality. [72]
Some get stomach tattoos to attract attention of the onlookers, [73] but these tattoos are more commonly preferred by women. There are many variations in design, from tribal to flowers. [73] [74] Some women even get these tattoos drawn on their lower backs [75] and flaunt them in low-rise jeans, shorts or skirts. [76]
Sometimes, looser clothing such as scarves or skirts around the female waist and curves can be sexually appealing. [77] Scarves wrapped around the waist are common among belly dancers. [76] [78]
The Prince Albert (PA) is a penis piercing which extends from the urethra to the underside of the glans. It is one of the most common male genital piercings. The related reverse Prince Albert piercing enters through the urethra and exits through a hole pierced in the top of the glans.
A fetish model is a model who models fetish clothing or accessories that augment their body in a fetish-like manner or in fetishistic situations. Fetish models do not necessarily work exclusively in that form of modeling.
A navel piercing is a type of piercing that penetrates the skin of the navel. It is most commonly located on the upper fold of skin but can also be affected underneath or around the edges of the navel. Healing usually takes around 6–12 months but varies person-to-person due to differences in physiology.
Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a non-pathological aid to sexual excitement, or as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychosocial distress for the person or has detrimental effects on important areas of their life. Sexual arousal from a particular body part can be further classified as partialism.
The navel is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. All placental mammals have a navel, although it is generally more conspicuous in humans.
A sari is a women's garment from the Indian subcontinent, that consists of an un-stitched stretch of woven fabric arranged over the body as a robe, with one end attached to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a stole (shawl), sometimes baring a part of the midriff. It may vary from 4.1 to 8.2 metres in length, and 60 to 120 centimetres in breadth, and is form of ethnic wear in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. There are various names and styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the Nivi style. The sari is worn with a fitted bodice also called a choli and a petticoat called ghagra, parkar, or ul-pavadai. It remains fashionable in the Indian subcontinent today.
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. Normally, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso.
Clothing in India varies with the different ethnicities, geography, climate, and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Historically, clothing has evolved from simple garments like kaupina, langota, achkan, lungi, sari, to rituals and dance performances. In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all social levels. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colors, and the material of clothing. Sometimes, color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. The clothing in India also encompasses a wide variety of Indian embroidery, prints, handwork, embellishments, and styles of wearing clothes. A wide mix of Indian traditional clothing and western styles can be seen in India.
A nipple piercing is a type of body piercing, centered usually at the base of the nipple. It can be pierced at any angle but is usually done horizontally or, less often, vertically. It is also possible to place multiple piercings on top of one another.
A crop top is a top that reveals and exposes the waist, navel, or abdomen.
In fashion, the midriff is the human abdomen. The midriff is exposed when wearing a crop top or some forms of swimwear or underwear.
Navel fetishism, belly button fetishism, or alvinophilia is a partialism in which an individual is attracted to the human navel.
A belly chain or waist chain is the popular English term for the Indian jewelry called kamarband. The belly chain is a type of body jewelry worn around the waist. Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; these are also called "pierced belly chains". They are often made of silver or gold. Sometimes a thread is used around the waist instead of a chain. The chain may be delicate and thin, or heavy and thick.
Ghagra choli is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh. In Punjab, the lehenga is traditionally worn with a kurti. It is a combination of the gagra or lehenga and the choli (blouse), however in contemporary and modern usage lehenga choli is the more popular and widely accepted term by fashion designers, trend setters, and boutiques in South Asia, since ghagra is synonymous with the half-slip (petticoat) worn as an undergarment below the sari.
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice. It can also, by metonymy, refer to the resulting decoration, or to the decorative jewelry used. Piercing implants alter the body and/or skin profile and appearance. Although the history of body piercing is obscured by popular misinformation and by a lack of scholarly reference, ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by multiple sexes since ancient times throughout the world. Body piercing can be performed on people of all ages, although most minors are only permitted to have earlobe piercings.
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. and can apply to garments worn by males or females. The term can be applied to all garments that cover the wearer's crotch area, including trousers, jeans, shorts, skirts, panties, briefs, bikinis, pantyhose, and tights.
A high-rise or high-waisted garment is one designed to sit high on, or above, the wearer's hips, usually at least 8 centimetres (3 inches) higher than the navel. In western cultures, high-rise jeans were especially common in the 1970s, late 1980s through the late 1990s, derided as mom jeans in the 2000s, and popular again in the mid-to-late 2010s and continues to be popular into the present in competition with low-rise pants.
Cultural views on the midriff and navel vary significantly. In some cultures the navel is seen as sexually and culturally significant, and its exposure has been subject to a variety of cultural norms and taboos, based on concepts of modesty. The views, customs and fashions relating to the midriff and navel change from time to time, and such exposure has become more widely acceptable, as reflected in the designs of clothing.
Fertility was often mentioned in many mythological tales. In mythology, fertility deities exist in different belief systems or religions.
Ethel Granger was one of the most famous main figures in the development of contemporary piercing and body modification in Europe. As world record holder with the narrowest documented waist size, she entered the Guinness Book of Records with a waist circumference of only 13 inches.
Recently we've seen an emphasis in women's clothing on the hips and abdomen—low rise pants, halter tops, and even rings and jewels for the navel.