A trend here to stay for long….
Fashion in 2021 is highly driven by nostalgia. With the return of retro, crop tops have experienced a major comeback and we totally love this trend. Crop tops are comfortable, edgy and the best thing that could happen to a T-shirt. But you’ll be surprised to know how long it took for evolution to take place. So here, we’ve laid out a quick timeline mapping the evolution of the funkiest t-shirt style that we call ‘crop tops’ today.
Crop tops are a big part of modern fashion, however, you’d be surprised to know that they’ve been around for much longer than the 90s. To ascertain the origin of crop tops would be a task, the reason being, crop tops have been a part of Eastern fashion, mainly due to the warm weather conditions of the region. It would not be wrong to say that the concept of crop tops originated from the East, referring to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago where a group of belly dancers performed wearing bedlahs, a two-piece costume that showed off the midriff for the purpose of dance, hence, giving birth to the basic concept of crop tops. However, it took quite some time for the West to accept crop tops as it was ‘immodest’ and almost ‘too exotic’ to show off the midriff.
Socioeconomic, cultural, and other conditions took a sharp turn in 1940s, as World War II led to the scarcity of fabric in general. Crop tops came in as a solution being both stylish and practical at that moment. That version of the crop top was paired with a high waist skirt, creating the illusion of an hourglass figure. This new look was edgy and effortless, perfect for a summery beach day.
The 1960s brought along the hippie culture and along with that, diversification of crop tops. Now, these shortened tops were worn in peasant-style tops or front knot shirts with bright floral patterns. This trend was taken forward to the 1970’s disco age. Cher gets all the credits here for not only popularizing crop tops but also introducing the trend of pairing them with low-rise skirts and pants. With time, these tops became shorter and shorter, giving birth to a sub-category of crop tops aka bra tops (bralettes).
The 1980s were a whole new decade for crop tops where this garment was now a part of Aerobic Fashion, featuring in movies like Dirty Dancing and Flash Dance. Fashion icons and pop sensations like Madonna and Britney Spears made crop tops a part of their signature look. This trend continued in 1990s with television shows like Saved by the Bell and Clueless featuring crop tops.
As amusing as it may sound, crop tops were a symbol of masculinity in 1980s with male athletes deliberately chopping down their shirts to show off their abs and toned bodies. This trend was further continued by celebrities like Johnny Depp and Will Smith slaying the crop top look in the ’90s.
The crop top trend saw a decline in the early 2000s and gradually disappeared in the mid 2000s. Nevertheless, this trend is back and we’re super excited to see how this journey continues. What are your thoughts on this fashion trend, we’d love to know — do leave us comments to share your views.
