Millennials, It's Time To Give The Crop Top Another Chance. 20 Tips To Make It Work With Your Grown-Up Wardrobe
Stop right there, Millennials. We're telling you right now, you can rock a crop top. Let us repeat that. You CAN rock a crop top! We know, we know. You walk into a store and it's full of super-cute crop tops but they're styled in a way that's, well, pretty darn daunting unless you're under the age of 25. But fear no more, because it's time we take back the crop top and prove that it's as much for us as it is for the Gen X-ers.
Though social media is full of early 20-somethings looking totally gorgeous while rocking the mini shirt in their own way, there are actually a bunch of different ways you can wear a crop top that are still stylish, bring some class, and are, well, just that little bit more grown up — all at the same time. Women.com is showing you just a few of our very favorite ways to style the sometimes-dreaded crop top that will still make you feel like the fabulous and super-confident woman you are.
High-waisted pants heighten a crop top's class
One of the best ways to rock a crop top if you don't want to show off too much skin is to pair them with high-waisted pants. By keeping your belly button covered, it'll age your look up a little — so you don't feel like you're seven years old again, heading to the school dance covered in body glitter — and it instantly makes the short top trend easier to pull off. High-waisted pants are super-flattering on many different shapes and sizes, as they bring the attention to your waist, so wearing them with a crop top will really highlight your middle and your gorgeous confidence.
Style it out in a pencil skirt
No doubt one of the classiest ways to sport a crop top is with a cute pencil skirt on your bottom half. As TikToker @gorgeous_anita proved, this pairing can look extremely stylish in any color, though opting for nude with matching heels will add a little extra sophistication to your outfit, which you could wear to the office, on a night out with the girls, or even for date night. There are endless colors and styles you can mix and match in this silhouette, though, meaning you're sure to find something that suits your style.
Style that crop top out with a cardigan
To make a crop top look feel and look a little more grown up, you can also pair it with an open cardigan. There are numerous unique options you can go for here, from cropped knitwear that finishes at the edge of your top to a longer cardigan that stretches all the way down to your legs. Not only will any length of knitwear upgrade your outfit, but it will also help you nail transitional dressing by layering up if you're dressing in between seasons.
A crop top and satin skirt are always a winning combination
A satin skirt is a great way to age up your crop top a little bit. Here, Instagrammer @kaylin.moss proved how stylish a crop top and satin skirt really can look together, as she paired her off-the-shoulder long-sleeved shirt with a long black skirt for a stunning-yet-classy take on the cut-off shirt trend. She also opted to go for a fashion-forward monochromatic look in all black. That's another easy way to feel all grown up in a crop top, as keeping your colors matching and a little more demure takes the guesswork out of what will and won't match.
Opt for sleeves
If showing too much skin isn't your thing, then you may want to consider a crop top with sleeves. By covering your arms and revealing just a sliver of your middle, you're still showing off your fun side and won't look too buttoned up. And you will still get all the benefits of a crop top while feeling more comfortable. Billowy sleeves also add a little extra volume to your look to play against the more formfitting bodice. We'd recommend putting neutral colors together, just like here, where a clay-colored crop top was perfectly paired with cropped black pants for an airy-yet-sophisticated summer look.
Bring in the blazer
Another way to instantly make a crop top feel more grown up is to pair it with a blazer. You can keep that young edge alive by opting for a top that gives a nod to lingerie (something with lace is always a winner!) but by putting a blazer on over the top, or even draping it over your shoulders for a stylish twist, you'll lend it an instantly more modest edge. What color you go for will be totally dependent on your style, with darker colors tending to look a little more mature, while brighter colors and neons bring a little more fun.
Make a crop top and jeans your new go-to
Sometimes, you just can't beat a good crop top and jeans. Pairing a smaller top with classic denim pants is an effortless way to style a tiny top, and the ensemble idea is so versatile it can be dressed up or down. For a more casual look, put a simpler crop top with light blue jeans (or ripped jeans like here) and flat shoes, sneakers, or even sandals. When you're ready to dress it up a little, you can create a look by wearing darker denim with a pair of heels.
Crop a t-shirt
A crop top doesn't necessarily have to mean something super-strappy. There are a number of cropped t-shirts on the market that will give you a little extra sleeve and will be comfortable at the same time, all while allowing you to wear your favorite bra underneath without worrying about the straps showing. Going for something more classic might also make the whole crop top thing feel a little less daunting and easier to style because we all know there are so many different ways to rock a white (or black) t-shirt [**Link to: We're upgrading our humble white & black t-shirt style because staples don't have to be boring" when live**]! Here, a short white t-shirt goes effortlessly with creams pants and chic white sneakers.
Matchy matchy
If you want to keep things nice and easy when it comes to a crop top look, one of the easiest ways to make sure you're staying fashionable without having to worry about what goes with what is to seek out two-piece sets. By choosing a print you already know matches perfectly on both halves of your body, you're taking the guesswork, and therefore the stress, out of your outfit. A slightly darker color will make the look feel more grown up, but this is your time to have a whole lot of fun and select what makes you feel the most comfortable.
Stay chic and sheer
For those looking to age up the crop top look, why not throw a mesh top over the top? By sporting something sheer over your crop top, it instantly makes it a bit more modest but you're still getting all the benefits of showing a little skin ... without actually having to bare it all. For an elegant silhouette, we'd recommend tucking the bottom of the sheer top into high-waisted bottoms or a high-waisted skirt.
Go high
Opting for a high-neck crop top will instantly deliver a touch more maturity to your style. Here, Instagrammer @khalisabjones stayed chic with a light denim jacket over her shoulders and opted for a high-waisted skirt on her bottom half for a fun yet sophisticated everyday outfit. You could even age this up another notch with something like a skort on your bottom half if you don't want to go too short. Further, going with block colors instead of mixing various prints will keep the whole look a little simpler.
Bring some color to your crop top
Who said color can't be grown up and fun? We adore this super-colorful ensemble from Instagram influencer @thedivadoll, which proves that injecting color into your outfit isn't just for Gen Xers. What ages up this look is the way the orange crop top was paired with the baggier bright pink pants to offset the form-fitting nature of the crop top. She also opted to go high-waisted, which keeps the skin-baring to a minimum and makes a bold statement.
Make the most of an oversized shirt
We know there are countless ways to style an oversized shirt, and over a crop top is just one of them. A white crop top with blue jeans and a white, unbuttoned oversized shirt that works as a jacket form a great combination and will make you look effortlessly chic no matter what you're doing that day. This outfit is ideal with a pair of sneakers or flats for when Millennial life comes knocking and you've got errands to run!
Pick a pantsuit
What's more grown up than a pantsuit? Exactly. Pretty much nothing. That's why it's an ideal look to frame a crop top. We'd recommend rocking matching pants and a jacket (in whatever color or print you like!) and then keeping the jacket open to reveal your crop top underneath. That way you'll be able to show off your style but keep the crop top look elevated. Seeking something simpler? You could even go full-on monochrome, like this look, and match every piece together — or you could match your pants and jacket with a different color top peeking through for some color blocking.
Crop and crochet
How adorable is this look? TikToker @knitcroaddict_wan showed us how crochet can be oh-so-cool, as she wore a cropped crochet top over a basic crop top. This will give you more coverage, as well as make your outfit entirely unique. If you're handy when it comes to crochet, consider creating your very own crocheted crop top in your favorite colors to match whatever outfit you like! Stylish and double the crop? Count us in! A simple denim skirt on the bottom half will also go with almost any crochet look you assemble.
Beige pants make an instant outfit
Beige pants can be an instant way to upgrade your crop top look as they come with a certain elegance and they're a neutral, which means they're super-easy to style because they can go with so many other colors. Wearing wider-legged neutral pants like these will also give your look a more elegant silhouette because more formfitting pants paired with an equally formfitting top can age down your look.
Dress that crop top up
You may think that the only thing that you can pair with a crop top are a skirt, pants, or shorts ... but that's just not true. For a more modest twist on the teeny top, you can actually put it on over a dress. Really. This style is an ideal way to wear a crop top in the evening, as TikToker @farahrajax proved. She put a sparkly long-sleeved crop top over a satin dress in the same color, with the two looking seamlessly glamorous together. For a more everyday look, put a basic block-color crop top over something like a daytime floral dress.
Double up on tops
Who doesn't have a white shirt in their wardrobe? A unique way to upgrade your simple button-up is to put a crop top over the top (yep, over not under) to bring a whole lot of fun to it. For a more everyday style, we recommend rocking this look with jeans and flats. If you want to dress it up, TikTok influencer @luvsstyle0 showed us how black pants and glam heels can perfectly match almost any color crop top.
Dig out those leather pants
Get ready, because we're bringing back the leather look pants! A good way to put a fun twist on a crop top look is to rock it with the shiny pants most people either love or hate. We love them, by the way. TikTok influencer @madinamova showed us how you can put the (high-waisted) bottoms with a neutral top to balance out the shiny texture, while the high neck and long sleeves also work to balance out exposing your middle and the body contouring nature of the pants. Throw on a cropped faux fur jacket, and you're good to go!
Bring in the tulle
A tulle skirt adds some texture and bulk to your silhouette, which makes it a perfect addition to a crop top outfit. As these kinds of tops tend to be more formfitting on the top half, by putting a big, tulle skirt with it (we'd recommend one that's high-waisted and around calf-length for an elegant look), you're bringing some extra texture to your look. This outfit is ideal for wearing a crop top in the evening, as you can easily sparkle it up with a glitzy top. Another tip we love? Go for monochrome and pair a colored tulle skirt with a cropped shirt in the same shade.