From Prada to Pucci, crop tops made a huge return on the catwalks as one of this season’s biggest trends. While the Natasha Polys and Rooney Maras of the world continue to impel enviousness from faithful fashion devotees, street style superstars are showing us that, if worn correctly, you don’t need a six-figure budget or even a six-pack to wear the trend. And lucky for you, I’m about to share the unspoken tips you should keep in mind when opting for a shrunken shirt. So alas, here it is: four easy-as-pie ways to wear the crop top without looking cheap:
image source: Frassy
1. Go high-waisted
This isn’t a Britney Spears redux over here. The key is to expose only a flash of skin, and keep the bellybutton under wraps with higher cuts – if, of course, you chose to keep your bellybutton under wraps. If not, then read on.
2. Layer
This isn’t an ‘80s music video either. Yes, this trend will inherently veer on the side of flirtatious, but the point is to keep it tasteful. A tailored blazer, equally cropped denim jacket, or even a distressed leather on top will adopt a modern touch. Also, do keep in mind that layering is especially forgiving to belly-baring cuts.
3. Layer some more
Don’t be afraid of layering under your crop top as well. Your look will instantly pack a sporty punch. A relaxed tee peaking out from underneath lends a stylish mien to the crop top, for a new dimension of sexiness.
4. Don’t stress over proportions
Just because the shirt is short, doesn’t mean your choice of bottoms can’t be short too. You won’t ever see Karlie Kloss sweatin’ it.
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I don’t believe there should be any rules in fashion, so I won’t say much more apart from, expect to turn heads – no pressure. While the crop top is no longer reserved for outdoor music festivals or clubbers exclusively, if not worn correctly, you run the risk of committing one of two fashion faux pas:
The Kelly Kapowski:
Though I’m not entirely convinced this is a bad thing. She was the fantasy of every male-going-through-puberty-in-the-‘90s, and I like to think it was because she pioneered the crop top. She wore them slouchy and paired with mom jeans, so I suppose the only downside to channeling this look is the total hipster status that follows (but this is to your own discretion).
The Antithesis:
Second to Kelly is the thought of morphing into the antithesis, ie: your mother’s idea of what you will become whilst wearing a crop top. Imagine, poorly-spray tanned girls in low-rise jeans, luring equally poorly-spray tanned boys into taking body shots off their pierced and blinged-out bellybuttons, with nothing more than the sight of their bare midriffs. (Is the image disturbing enough for you yet? What kind of childhood did I have?)
