It might just be due to my habit of extreme observation, but I have noticed a pattern in the outfit choices many girls choose for a night out at the bar; the clothing pattern being...no clothing.

I’m not sure if girls think it’s “sexy” or “trendy,” but wearing what looks like a thong stretched over your chest isn’t an outfit.

I understand the thought process behind showing a little extra skin at the bar. You’ve been cooped up in the lib all week sporting your favorite sweats hiding any of the curves you possibly have and want to show off your body a bit on the weekends. Trust me - I understand. However, I advise you to control your desire to show everything off at once; leave a little something to the imagination. I have personally witnessed girls wearing clothing that would barely fit a toddler, out to the bar. I’ve seen girls wear outfits that with one wrong turn their lady parts would be exposed for the entire bar to see. Throwing on a revealing shirt that exposes your rack or a tiny little dress with an excessive amount of cutouts isn’t sexy and certainly isn’t fashionable. If your outfit even somewhat resembles any of the disasters shown below, I suggest changing or just simply staying in for the night.

There are ways to dress sexy and appropriate for the bar without showing off all your “(ass)ets.” You do not need your boobs and booty hanging out to look and feel sexy or dressed up. With that being said, here are a few outfit ideas (and styling tips) to help replace the scraps of fabric many girls consider to be clothing.

Crop Tops

Fitted crop tops are great to wear for a night out, as long as you wear them with the right bottoms. Try not to leave more than 2.5-3 inches between the end of your top and the start of your bottoms, showing a little skin on your midriff is attractive, but having your entire stomach out for the world to see just isn’t flattering. Anything high-waisted is always a safe call. Whether it’s a high-waisted skirt, jeans, shorts or anything that covers your belly button is ideal.

Now if you’re in the situation where you have this awesome pair of low-rise pants you’ve been dying to wear out, try investing in the newly popular crop tops that go down to your belly button, revealing a small amount of skin when paired with low-rise bottoms. Another way to make crop tops sexy while still tasteful is to go with a sleeved top. A crop top with long or short sleeves looks more modest than a sleeveless one, but still shows off your figure and shape.

Open Back

One of my favorite trends in the past few years is clothing with open backs. Open back tops, dresses, and rompers provide the perfect blend of revealing, yet classy; they’re like a mullet for clothing. Open back tops are a foolproof option for any night out because at the end of the day you can’t show off “too much back,” at least I’ve never heard of anyone being arrested for public nudity because their entire back was exposed … When in doubt an open back top with a pair of skinny jeans and heels is an easy way to be casual yet still a little sexy for the bar.

Cleavage vs. Sideboob

Lets discuss the titty trends of this decade...cleavage and sideboob. Both are great options for showing off your sexy side on a night out, but please, please, JUST CHOOSE ONE. Simmer down the boob aggression and go with one or the other. Mathematically speaking, adding revealing cleavage while showing off sideboob equals wearing nothing but pasties out to the bar. Let your boobs breathe, but also keep them contained.

If you’re in the mood to show off some cleavage I suggest one of two options, either low neckline, or something of the sweetheart style with a nice supportive bra underneath. A low neckline shows off your chest without pushing up your boobs (since usually you don’t wear a bra with this style top). It reveals a small amount of cleavage in a V shape showing the perfect amount of skin. A top with a sweetheart neckline is another alternative. Sweetheart tops fit your natural chest shape, making them cover anything that should be covered. Pair it with a supportive bra to give the girls a little perk and you’re good to go, just make sure they aren’t spilling out.

Sideboob is a tricky trend to pull off considering most tops that show off some sideboob require you to go braless. So how does one find the balance between showing off a little skin and keeping everything still pulled together … if you know what I mean. I suggest a high neckline or something with a thicker strap. The high neckline allows you to wear a sticky bra and also keeps the front of you looking modest while the side of you gives off a more playful vibe. Thick straps are ideal for showing off some nice sideboob because they stretch to the outer part of your shoulder hanging straight down covering the perfect amount of your chest. The main trick to sideboob, which is what makes it so hard to pull off, is making sure that from the front, your chest looks fully covered, but when you turn to the side it reveals a little surprise!

Rompers

The creation of the romper is a fashion gift invented by some sort of genius. Rompers provide the formality of a dress while maintaining the comfort of shorts. It is one outfit, you don’t need to worry about matching and it takes on the roll of pants, so when you take a tumble in your five-inch stilettos, all your private parts will still be … well, private.

Rompers are the ideal bar alternative to wearing dresses. Dresses, especially bodycon, can often look trashy. It is rare to find a tasteful bodycon bar appropriate dress these days considering most have obnoxious cutouts up and down the front and sides of it, or they are short enough that a simple bending movement to pick up the dollar you dropped, reveals your entire rear end. Whether you want to show off your curvy figure or your nice long legs, rompers can reveal your favorite assets while protecting you from any wardrobe malfunctions.

UnderWHERE?

I like to call this the “underWhere?” trend. It's the latest look where your outfit reveals the part of your body that should be covered by underwear. Often shown in the form of a high slit, or a side cutout, this trend has been making appearances across bars all over campus. I’ll admit, Kendal Jenner killed this look in her Fausto Puglisi dress (shown below) last year at the MMVA’s.

Although I deem this look appropriate for a long dress on a high fashion red carpet, it is certainly not appropriate for a college bar. I know its common for girls not to wear underwear out to the bars, due to thong lines and what not, but everyone at the bar shouldn’t know whether or not you are wearing underwear … if that makes sense. In regards to undergarments in general, aso try to avoid crop tops that look similar to a bra you bought at hot topic. Like I said earlier, keep a little for the imagination. I’m not saying you have to wear underwear but if you aren’t, the rest of the world doesn’t need to know.

In general just keep it classy ladies. The three main body parts girls like to show off are their boobs, bellies and butts. Pick one and make it look nice. You don’t need to show off all three; and if you do...well then you might as well just go to the bar naked.