Welcome to the 90s. Crop tops are back. No need to worry, not the crop tops Britney Spears was partial to. Not the tops that gave so many American mothers grief. How dare a mother let her sweet girl walk out of the house with her belly button greeting the world? Surely this would lead to eventually walking out of the house in a bikini and attract unwanted eyes.

First, the 90s gave us crop tops and then the horrible “booty short.” However, times have changed and the crop top I’m talking about is a much more tasteful and modest version of the throw-back trend. Crop tops dominated the New York Fashion Week for spring 2014 collections. Designers such as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and BCBGMAXAZRIA clothed their models in midriff baring tops. If Louis Vuitton is classy enough for a crop top, then so are we.

 The key to pulling off this look, successfully, is what you pair it with. In order to say “bye bye bye” to Britney and avoid wearing a two-piece swimsuit in public, variety is necessary. Many designers choose to couple the tops with high waisted maxi skirts. This is probably one my favorite ways. It’s boho-chic and covers up just enough so that it is mother approved. Another way I have seen the classy crop top worn is by pairing it with high waisted shorts or pants so that a substantial amount of the midriff is covered and reveals very little. For a fancier look, a high waisted long pant with a crop top and blazer proves to be edgy, yet sophisticated. For a more free-spirited, hippy look pair a crop top with high waisted distressed denim shorts.

Another way to ensure you are keeping it “crop top classy,” is to vary the tightness and lengths of the separate clothing items. A sure path to “oops, you did it again” is a tight crop top with a tight pant. Not only does this look far from tasteful but dang, girl, don’t you need to breathe a little? Make sure the bottom piece is loose and flowing if your chosen crop is a second skin. If your crop top is pretty short, wear a high waisted bottom. It’s all a balancing act. A little bit of stomach should entail covering up more than you normally would.

I love this trend. I think it’s so fun and there are so many different ways to change the look up. However, if you pair the shirt with the wrong outfit, this trend can head downhill fast. Make sure you mix it up, maybe even throw on a cardigan to class it up if you’re feeling the outfit is too risky. Wear it with pastels for the spring or denim in the summer. Maybe even invest in a crimson colored top for game days in the fall. 

The combinations are endless. Everything old is new again and I just love it.