Optical illusion: China women embrace fake belly button trend for leggier legs

Trends can be fickle, falling in and out of fashion, and spark intrigue and criticism from the general public.

In China, the latest sensation sweeping the nation's beauty scene does just that. 

Lo and behold, the fake belly button. Yes, you read that correctly. 

In the vein of temporary tattoos, these inconspicuous stickers are designed to mimic the appearance of a belly button. Often waterproof and non-reflective, these fake belly button stickers are placed a few inches above the navel, creating the illusion of longer legs, and are all the rage among Chinese women.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, the leading vendor on Pinduoduo, a prominent Chinese online retail platform, has gained significant traction. You can get two sets of 32 navel stickers at an affordable price of just 4 yuan (S$0.75). 

As a testament to the popularity of the beauty enhancing stickers, the vendor has already taken 4,400 orders. 

On the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, the tag for the trend has garnered over 39,000,000 views at the time of writing, including step-by-step guides on how to apply the navel sticker.

Yay or nay? 

The consensus among Chinese netizens surrounding this quirky trend remains divided. For instance, one influencer raved about the fake belly button trend, mentioning how it gives the appearance of having long legs. 

However, in the comments section, dissenting netizens point out that it perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards. 

In another online exchange, a user endorsed the belly button sticker, yet the comments revealed others' bafflement and skepticism.

One user remarked, "Why can't we embrace our natural legs?"

While another expressed shock at the existence of such a thing.

Echoing these concerns, a WeChat blogger also penned a think piece on this new trend.

The post noted how the world of beauty enhancement has reached new heights and how these trends have gone beyond the realm of onscreen special effects to become accessible to ordinary people. 

ALSO READ: Beauty over brains? Woman in China quits university to lose weight, sheds more than 20kg in a year

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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