Shabiha Nur Khatoon
Navel piercing is a trend that caught on really fast after a clutch of celluloid icons sported it with élan. Youngsters striking a bold note in crop tops or embellished lehengas don’t mind flaunting eyeball-grabbing midriffs
When the discussion turns to navel piercing the image that instantly pops up in mind is that of Priyanka Chopra’s in the blazing ‘Desi Girl’ number. She was the sizzling siren in the sari in the ‘Ramleela’ song from the Sanjay Bhansali movie. Apart from her sculpted abs, PC’s pieced navel added to her oomph.
Navel piercing is a type of body piercing around the navel known as belly button piercing. It has now become a trend and looks classy on people donning short tops.
Navel piercing has become quite a rage among youngsters. Ladies who have got their navels pierced have derived inspiration from tinseltown beauties.
“It is the boldest and hippest thing I’ve done. I am a die-hard fan of Priyanka. When it comes to following a trend, I believe she is the one who carries off every style with ease and can turn an odd style into a fashion statement. I saw her in Dostana sporting the navel ring and I was hooked. I wanted to flaunt it too but was worried about what people would say because in a city like Bhubaneswar showing off one’s navel is considered objectionably bold. Finally, last year I decided to go for it and today I can say proudly it looks fab on me,” says Ananya, an aspiring model.
Tattoo artiste Rocky Ranjan Bishoyi says compared to other metropolitan cities the craze for navel piercing is less in the state capital. “It is the general mentality which needs to change. If an actress dons a particular style it becomes a fashion statement but if the same style catches on people tend to become judgemental. The best time to go for navel piercing is winter as the sun is not harsh and there is minor risk of skin infection,” says Rocky.
“Body parts for piercing change from year to year and it’s not that girls only prefer navel piercing. There are men too who sport this fashion. People in the age group of 25 to 35 go for it. It is a hurtful procedure and it takes around three months for the pierced navel to heal. A lot of care is required as there every chance of infection,” says Tony.
Software professional Rupali’s inspiration is Kim Sharma. “Kim is the one actress who got her navel pierced at a time when people hardly knew about it. Many people might not remember the Mohabbatein actress as she never managed to grab a meaty role in Hindi films but she was ahead of her times as far as fashion went. I had a tough time convincing my parents to consent to my decision to get my navel pierced. In fact, it took one full year. The experience was painful as it hurt a lot but I love to flaunt my navel in a crop top and denim,” says Rupali.
Belly button jewels
Basic navel jewellery pieces are barbells and rings. And…
Curved barbell: The most common initial choice is a curved barbell, sometimes known as a ‘banana bell’ because of its shape.
J-bar: It’s a modified form of the curved barbell. J-bars are used almost exclusively for navel piercings. Some piercers feel that they heal better than the standard curved barbell, and some think they look more attractive.
