Too Old to Show a Belly Button?

Remember a few years ago when we complained about belly shirts and the fact that young teens wanted to wear them? Well, now the kids may need to start complaining about us.

It seems the latest age group to show its belly is the over-40 set. From people you might expect to show their bellies — like model Carol Alt — to people you wouldn't  — like actress Fran Drescher —  women of a certain age are letting their belly buttons show.

In all fairness, these aren't the cropped-right-under-the-bust looks of years past, but rather a sneak peek of the belly button. It's not in-your-face belly-baring, but more of a subtle look. But it's still a belly button visible on a midlifer, and it's definitely something new to adjust to even if our generation's trailblazer – Cher – bared hers for the first time on TV more than 35 years ago.

I asked the resident expert on what moms should and should not wear – my 8-year-old daughter — what she thought. Her reply (accompanied by a horrified look): "It's gross." (In all fairness, she also thinks hats on grown-ups are gross.)

I definitely don't think belly buttons showing on women over 40 are gross, because most of the examples of women I've seen (at least the celebrities) have great bodies. If I had the taut, stretch-mark-free tummy that these women do, I'd be baring my stomach, too.

And maybe, for middle-aged women, the tummy is the most natural thing to show.  Unlike excessive cleavage or super-tight clothes which are overtly sexual, a flash of the belly is playful and sort of says: "I still feel young inside."

Alas, that flash of belly isn't going to be for many of us (myself included) because unlike cleavage which can be enhanced with the right bra, a flat bare tummy is impossible to fake.

But I'm cheering on my sisters who can carry it off. And hoping for the day when a flash of Spanx is considered trendy, too.

What do you think about women our age showing their belly buttons and would you do it?