Mid-riff mania is here to stay!

Move over, hot legs or cleavage! A flat stomach and pronounced abs are becoming the hottest trend to sport this season.  With celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Katrina Kaif and Serena Williams all showing off their ripped physique at events, in movies and otherwise, everyone is vying for the perfect washboard abs themselves. The reason behind the return of the ‘statement abs’ could well be the reign of crop tops over the fashion industry. From being a staple on red carpets to trickling down to people on the streets, baring the midriff even in India is no more taboo, but a sign of a chic individual.

Model Teyana Taylor recently had an explosive entrance onto social media with her performance in Kanye West’s music video for Fade. Her prominent abs became the talk of the town with everyone saying they wanted to hit the gym just looking at her buff body! Katrina Kaif also set Twitter abuzz when she performed at the IPL opening ceremony with her toned stomach. Even Taylor Swift’s ‘ab crack’ (a term for the hollow line down your stomach) has been talked about, setting more impossible body standards for women to achieve.

Poorthi Pravin, a model and designer, has noticed a surge in the crop top craze in recent times — but doesn’t believe abs are the only way to achieve the look. She says, “Fitness only adds to the outfits we create. Of course, everybody can’t be thin or fit, but that doesn’t mean people can’t be fashionable! Style can be altered to suit different bodies. What is of more importance to me is the comfort level. Crop tops are all the rage now, and all the models I work with do enjoy wearing them, but the trend might fade soon.”

Sangeetha Gopal, a celebrity fitness trainer, believes this trend has been around for ages. “A flat stomach has always been an obsession. Now that we have all the luxury, we’ve become lazy — but we want to be fashionable and wear crop tops or bandeaus! South Indian women, especially, are pear shaped so if we want to remain fit we must start young — in our 20s — to enjoy a sustained result. Don’t just vie to fit into a top — create a body that will look good in everything For that, one needs to work out and eat right early in life.”

Sahithya Jagannathan, actress and model, says this is a sign for better and fitter times, “I have always wanted to be fit and toned, even before this trend came calling. I am tired of seeing jiggly tummies and flab, even in south  cinema. This will lead to a fitter and stronger positive body image, instead of the skinny standards we have created. It could be because of fashion, but it will result in better health!”

“I got into fitness because I wanted to inspire and motivate people who came to me for counselling. The latest trend is of people getting heavily into fitness, but they are also heading to hospitals to get surgeries for toned stomachs! I always suggest that they head to the gym and work out instead of going under the knife because that may cause complications,” says Sumita Hazarika who worked at Apollo and now has one of the fittest bodies in town. She adds, “I sometimes do get criticised for my body, since people tend to think Indian women shouldn’t be buff and flaunt abs. But I enjoy it and think it’s worth it.”