China’s unusual belly button sticker trend creates illusion of longer legs

A rising beauty trend in China is causing a stir online as women flock to purchase temporary tattoo stickers designed to resemble belly buttons. This unusual belly button sticker trend aims to create an illusion of a shorter torso and longer legs, with an increasing number of women reported to be adopting this practice.

The beauty trend, which has taken China by storm, sees women spend between 5 to 10 yuan (25-50 baht) on temporary tattoos designed to look like belly buttons.

Typically, the sticker is placed about 2 to 3 centimetres above the actual belly button and then concealed with a skirt or trousers, creating an illusion of a shorter torso and longer legs. While the idea may seem strange to some, manufacturers of these belly button stickers are struggling to keep up with demand, and social media platforms are filled with tutorials on how to use the temporary tattoos and clips showcasing the effects on the wearer.

These temporary fake belly button tattoos are reportedly more visually appealing than natural belly buttons. This could explain their immense popularity.

Some individuals believe that round, protruding or outward belly buttons are not beautiful enough, hence prefer to cover them up and use these stickers to show off a more natural-looking result. One user said…

“The result looks quite natural, and I think it looks better than my own belly button. It makes my legs look longer.”

Some Chinese news outlets credit the unexpected popularity of the belly button stickers to traditional Chinese medicine, which stipulates that the lower abdomen must be kept warm for overall body health.

The exposure of a fake belly button encourages many women to wear high-waisted trousers to cover their stomachs. Although some social media users criticise these belly button stickers for setting unrealistic beauty standards in Chinese society, those who use the stickers in their everyday lives seem to enjoy them.

“These stickers are not easy to remove and are waterproof.”

“I would call this sticker the most successful invention of 2023!”

“This is not just a fake belly button sticker, it’s a cheating device to say goodbye to my 50-50 body proportion.”

This trend highlights the ever-evolving nature of beauty standards and the lengths some people will go to conform to these societal expectations.

As the demand for these belly button stickers continues to rise, it remains to be seen if this trend will catch on elsewhere or remain a quirky fashion fad unique to China.

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