How To Wear Crop Tops

Long ago when this blog was just a little baby, I wrote a post on crop tops when they were breaking into our wardrobes for the first time since the 90s. Now they come in different shapes and sizes and there are styles out there for you to rock the trend this summer.




First things first, when wearing a crop top, I always pair it with high waisters. It balances out the proportions better and stops you looking liking a 90s back up dancer from Steps (unless that's the style you want to go for-that's cool too). It is the cut of the crop top that you have to be aware of and where you waist line is. My waist is quite high so if the crop top covers it, I lose that curve. I suggest trying on the various styles to find what suits your waist and torso, everyone's different and only you know you.

Pear shapes (I'm very resistant to refer to our bodies as forms of fruit and objects but it's just for styling purposes so bear with me...or pear with me) are the most common shapes in the UK. This is when you carry most of your weight round the hips and thighs but you can really show off your waist with the crop tops and high waisted skirts or trousers. I'd opt for the bottom half to have some form of structure just to give you that sharp silhouette (all about the bass, amma right?) as you highlight your neckline and shoulders. This balances out your smaller top half, especially with a bardot neckline.  

Apple figures often have a high waistline which is known as the empire line and my raising the cut of clothes just under the bust can highlight this. This can be a bit tricky to do with crop tops, you could wear a small-bra like one as the trend has exploded, the styles for small brallettes have too. Here I have teamed a pretty lace crop top with a sheer black shirt. It's a great way to show off a pretty crop top if you're not comfortable with flashing the skin but keeps cool in the summer. Also, the trend I absolutely love, is wearing a deep V neck-lined blazer over the top. This wont show too much skin the the V shape is so flattering as it draws the eye down the body and shows off the crop top. 

 Up 'N' Down figures have been called so many different things over the internet from athletic to 'Banana' (what is with the fruits?!) but I'll just say it how it is. I think this can be quite a difficult body shape to have, I didn't have much shape a few years ago and I really wanted to have that hourglass shape, because we can't ever be happy with what we have can we? Anyway the small crop tops and the longer ones suit this shape very well. the shape of the pink one I have picked out here naturally goes in and so will create a nice waistline for you. Whereas the frill on the black bardot style crop with the A line skirt with produce the hour glass shape as well as showing off a bit of skin.

Hourglass figures and crop tops go hand in hand as long as you chose the length of the top in consideration of your own waistline. Your waistline can be the star with this trend and I think that a pencil skirt and crop top combo is perfect and classic. It takes a classic staple item and adds a contemporary spin to it, imagine Mad Men's Joan (Christina Hendricks) meets 2016. She would look fabulous in that. If the waistline of the jeans or skirt shows off your waistline then you can opt for a shorter, a couple of inches, top.

Are you still loving the crop top trend? I prefer pairing crop tops with something over it myself but the 90's trend is still very much there and I'm still as much of a fan of the crop tops as I was two years ago.