“The Business Fashionista” is AZ Big Media’s fashion blog for the business-minded. It examines the dos, don’ts and musts of the modern fashionista who wants to stay in step with the latest trends in the workplace.
How long would it take you to find someone wearing a crop top on the street, in the nearest Starbucks or at Target? The answer: a few minutes at most. Straight from the 1980’s, crop tops are invading cities everywhere.
Crop tops are becoming a staple in a lot of women’s wardrobes — from high schoolers to a moms of three. Crop tops have become so popular that there are maybe only a few apparel stores where you can’t buy one.
It’s a versatile piece of clothing. You can wear one to the gym, on a date or underneath overalls. However, that doesn’t mean they’re appropriate for every occasion. So, what about the office?
The answer is yes and no.
When the word crop top pops into someone’s mind, the last thing they associate it with is work attire. It’s true that crop tops were not created for work, but a business fashionista knows the exception. It comes down to knowing what type of crop top to wear so it flatters your figure without revealing too much.
In general, the golden rule is to match the right crop top with the right high-waisted pants, skirt or shorts. If you think that covering your tight black crop top and jeans combo for casual Friday with a blazer or cardigan is genius, you’re wrong.
To be clear, there are various types of crop tops and the skin tight, super short ones you see girls wear to the gym or around a college campus will never be work attire. Other types of crop tops are longer, structured and less fitting. This type of crop top is the kind you can attempt to wear to work.
As a general rule, avoid crop tops in the workplace. Rules are meant to be broken, though, and there may come a time when that gingham crop top is calling your name. In this case, always stick with high-waisted bottoms (no shorts) and you should be okay.
If you find yourself skeptical about the idea of wearing a crop to work, here are some do’s and don’ts.
DO:
- Embrace layering the crop top over a sweater like the one below from Banana Republic.
- Pair box-y crop tops with midi skirts like Keri Russell as seen on InStyle.com.
- Wear other color crop tops beside black (spice it up a bit) similar to this crop top from Francesca’s.
DON’T:
- Channel your inner 16 year-old self
- Wear a crop top if your not comfortable
- Expose midriff
