My turn.
Katy Perry
After a hiatus due to motherhood, Katy needed to get back in the limelight as quickly as possible. Her plan: show as much skin as possible. Bikinis, cropped tops, lowerise pants, open jackets without a shirt underneath. She wore it all. Well played, Katy, well played.
Zendaya
Between her two movies this year (Dune 2 and Challengers), she was doing press tours for most of the first half of the year, and every night was a different bare midriff dress. She’s slowed down to a crawl since then, but still, good on her.
Emily Ratajkowski
Her Instagram is a gold mine, she’s one of the few celebrities who wears cropped tops on a weekly, if not daily basis, and she’s still the best outie in the business. Plus, it’s a tradition that she’s always on my list.
Kiernan Shipka
No less than five movies released this year alone (although not all of them with her outie showing). Still one of the best stomachs there is, and she’s not afraid to show it with her bare midriff dresses.
Lindsay Sterling
The surprise reveal of this year. After years of keeping her tummy fully covered, Lindsay whipped herself into shape this year and her Instagram became a small gold mine afterwards. Not to mention the music video for “Inner Gold”, which not only has her in a bare midriff outfit throughout, but even has scenes of her with gold paint oozing all over her tight tummy.
Cameron Brink
It was a breakout year for the WNBA, and one of its newest stars is Cameron, who looks like a younger, taller Cameron Diaz. She has an Uma Thurman like flattie, too. And her Instagram and TikTok are gold mines of bikinis, cropped tops, and other bare midriff dresses.
Jade Cargill
Yes, I know, I have a type. Tall, black, six pack abs, outie bellybutton; she might as well be one of my characters from my Alvinophilia Comics. Now in the WWE, her fame has risen, and my fandom of her has been justified.
Millie Bobby Brown
I like to joke that she learned “sex sells” in a marketing course and she took it to heart. She models all her own clothing and she makes sure that her tummy is always in view. Yes, outies are my favorite, but if you’re a fan of t-shaped innie, she’s got the most perfect one. And if you like curvier tummies, she’s also your hookup.
Rachel Zelger
She posts one bikini photo or one cropped top photo every other month. Her stomach is as flat as a plate, and that upper is just screaming to be played with. Plus, gotta show some love to the Jersey Girl.
Dafne Keen
What a difference seven years makes. She has had one of the best glow ups in Hollywood, she loves her bikini wearing and her cropped tops. Again, if you like curvy tummies, she’s your hookup. Not a big fan of slit innies, but that’s why she’s on the bottom of the list.
Honorable mentions:
Olivia Ponton, Livvy Dunne, Lily Chee, and Charley Jordan: For having perfect tummies and shamelessly showing them off on social media and in public. It was impossible to choose just one of them for the list.
Martina Stoessel and Coi LeRay, for always showing off their outies…but I’m getting tired of all their random tattoos.
Daniela Melchior, for her many vacation photos and her bare midriff in Roadhouse.
Anya Taylor Joy and Freya Allan: For wearing bare midriff dresses during the press tours of Furiosa and Planet of the Apes.
Charlie XCX and Rita Ora: For living in cropped tops and bikinis. Rita looks amazing with her ab crack and v-lines back, and Charlie is good for that curvier look.
And various bare midriff dresses worn throughout the year: Brie Larson (SAG Awards), Emily Blunt (SXSW), Demi Moore and Heidi Klum (The Oscars), Lake Bell (Oscars after party), Celeste O’Connor (Ghostbusters 4 premiere), Halsey (MaXXXine premiere), Meagan Good (Divorce in the Black premiere), Maika Monroe (Long legs premiere), Maisie Williams (As Cher for her birthday), and Camila Mendes (SXSW and her Vogue Mexico spread).
For being in their 50s, yet still showing off their tummies in cropped tops and bikinis like they’re still in their 20s or 30s: Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Kate Beckinsale Vanessa Angel, and Charlotte Ross.
For being beautiful and sexy, but THE RING!: Dua Lipa and Tyla.
Zelina Vega and Dakota Kai, for talking about bellybuttons on their podcast (even if Zelina hates her own).
Kim Petras, for her homage to the sizzling belly scene from Hot Shots
Margaret Qualley, for the best bellybutton scene in a movie since forever.
And lastly, Victoria Justice, but no, you’ve won this award enough times.
