# Why do women dress to expose their Belly Buttons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2001, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483 "2001-08-01T15:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/21 "2001-08-01T21:37:34Z")
According to my co-worker, who I hope has been cured of his little crush, it’s the “sexiest part of a woman”. :rolleyes: That after I wore my new shirt for casual day-it’s not an obvious exposure, or even purposeful, but I’m never wearing it to work again. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/22 "2001-08-01T22:03:00Z")
I can’t say I have direct experience with the question, but under the assumption th the boys are doing it for the same reason the girls are, the answer would have to be to turn the boys who are after them into ravenous maniacs. Works on me. Especially if there’s a piercing involved. ---
**Author:** ![Totoro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Totoro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totoro)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/23 "2001-08-01T22:24:47Z")
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the belly button is the sexiest part of the body. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/24 "2001-08-01T22:42:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Well, I have been known to flash a glimpse of shapely ankle as I climb aboard the trolley. How the Sidewalk Shieks on 23rd Street love it! \*\* “Mister Silas! This woman is displaying her privates!” [/Simpsons] ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/25 "2001-08-01T23:44:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Totoro \* > \*\*I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the belly button is the sexiest part of the body. \*\* Totoro, do you work with Lsura? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/26 "2001-08-02T02:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Totoro \* > \*\*I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the belly button is the sexiest part of the body. \*\* Not if it’s an outie:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/27 "2001-08-02T12:55:38Z")
So the members of my horde know where to stick their thumbs when we hoist them lassies over our shoulders and run off with 'em. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/28 "2001-08-02T13:16:17Z")
I think I’ll just second **manhattan** (“Because God is good.”) and **Jonathan Chance** (“I don’t care why they do it. I just appreciate it. I’m kinda uncomplicated that way.”), because they’ve summed up my attitude quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/29 "2001-08-02T13:58:51Z")
Read in the Wall Street Journal a year ago that in Japan vertically oriented navels are popular. Women there are/were having plastic surgery to get vertical belly buttons. Now what do you suppose a vertical navel might resemble, hmmm? The same story told of s here in the U.S. having their navels **removed**. Too weird for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/30 "2001-08-02T14:03:35Z")
After having two kids my tummy’s not as tight as it used to be. ☹ I’m working on it though. Maybe after another million crunches I’ll be able to get a belly button ring like I’ve always wanted. I think they’re really sexy but only on tight flat tummies… not wiggley tummies. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/31 "2001-08-02T14:12:00Z")
I have to say that a woman with a nice stomach who exposes her bellybutton can be very sexy. On the other hand, I find bellybutton rings to be a turn-off, not a turn-on. I’m kind of a no-frills kind of guy. Jman ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/32 "2001-08-02T14:41:39Z")
“Read in the Wall Street Journal a year ago that in Japan vertically oriented navels are popular. Women there are/were having plastic surgery to get vertical belly buttons. Now what do you suppose a vertical navel might resemble, hmmm?” Yes, a long time ago women could not expose them because they were thought to symbolize a vagina. Times change though. A vertical button would be cool though, kinda dangerous don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![Danimal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Danimal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danimal)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/33 "2001-08-02T14:49:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jman \* > \*\*I have to say that a woman with a nice stomach who exposes her bellybutton can be very sexy. On the other hand, I find bellybutton rings to be a turn-off, not a turn-on. I’m kind of a no-frills kind of guy. > > Jman \*\* Second you on both thoughts. Rings are a case of painting the lily if ever I saw one. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/34 "2001-08-02T14:50:54Z")
Why, to show of my FABULOUS new belly button ring of course. Its blue. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/35 "2001-08-02T14:57:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Barbarian \* > \*\*So the members of my horde know where to stick their thumbs when we hoist them lassies over our shoulders and run off with 'em. \*\* Excpet for the ones who wear miniskirts without undergarments. THEY get thumbed in a different place. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/36 "2001-08-02T15:56:18Z")
My coworker wears a short shirt to avoid it rubbing against her new navel piercing. And also because she can more conveniently soak her piercing in saline…which gives her a strange ring around her navel. Or, she could be making it all up, and actually got the belly button ring implanted to scare away persistent remoras. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/37 "2001-08-02T19:05:49Z")
My mother has no bellybutton. She had surgery a few years ago, and they sewed that lil sucker up when they stitched her up, too. I didn’t know until about a year ago, when she showed me. Freaky. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/38 "2001-08-02T19:14:42Z")
Her name wouldn’t happen to be “Eve” [sub]not our Eve[/sub], would it? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/39 "2001-08-02T19:22:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BunnyGirl \* > \*\*Her name wouldn’t happen to be “Eve” [sub]not our Eve[/sub], would it? \*\* Hey, now. She’s not _THAT_ old. Old as in the original Eve, not ours. [sub]Okay, Kev, let’s pull that foot out of your mouth.[/sub] So, miss smarty-pants, to answer your question, no. Her name’s Barbara. Or so she says. She DID lie about the whole Santa Claus thing, so all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483/40 "2001-08-02T20:18:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Duality \* > \*\*Read in the Wall Street Journal a year ago that in Japan vertically oriented navels are popular. Women there are/were having plastic surgery to get vertical belly buttons. Now what do you suppose a vertical navel might resemble, hmmm? > > \*\* Hey wow, I have a vertical belly-button! I’m a guy though, so maybe it’s not as sexy on me. I think it looks good anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-dress-to-expose-their-belly-buttons/74483.md?page=3)