Womens vintage cropped tops

Womens vintage cropped tops fall squarely into the category of “all things 90s” – a category that is growing on me daily.

You get a few different versions of womens vintage cropped tops – all the way from those that have sleeves, are very loose, and are relatively long – to just above the belly button, say, to a tiny top that’s more like a running bra.

Womens vintage cropped tops in the 50s, 80s & 90s

The shapes of womens vintage cropped tops vary wildly too – you’ll find faux mini corsets with sweetheart necklines and wide straps, laced at the front, bandeaux tops and high-necked, backless halterneck handkerchief tops.

The difference between the way that you wear your cropped top today and before is that in the 1990s, it was fashionable to wear the top as high as you dared and then to wear your jeans as low as you dared, revealing acres of midriff.

Celebrities now wear their skirts and trousers firmly on the natural waist, so they’re not even showing their belly buttons, just a little strip of their toned abs. For a total 90s look, festoon yourself with cute accessories, little bags and backpacks, and fun fur coats.

90s Cropped Tops

Looking to 90s celebrities who wore cropped tops, there’s only really one answer – The Spice Girls.

Sporty Spice was never out of hers, Posh Spice wore one quite often, and Scary Spice just reduced hers down to a leopard print bra most of the time. Ginger Spice wore one too, but I can’t recall Baby Spice having them – she just wore a mini skirt instead. Anyway, there’s your style inspiration right there.

Another style icon is The 90s Raver. They probably took to the crop tops like naturals because they’re so airy.

But be warned – a true raver also wears a dummy, and an awful lot of colourful children’s beads. I quite like the photos of people in cropped tops from this time, because people wore them even if they didn’t have a six-pack.

They weren’t working out seven days a week and dieting – a soft belly was ok and this applied to celebrities too. With one exception.

 Cropped tops and Madonna

Madonna has always had the most toned body in existence, and probably because of this she’s been wearing crop tops since the eighties.

The eighties style of crop tops were loose with layers, sometimes of net, lace, or see though parts. The neckline was usually so wide it could slide off your shoulders, and be worn as a kind of casual one shouldered look.

Womens vintage cropped tops from the 50s

50s rockabilly Womens vintage cropped tops pattern

Womens vintage cropped tops were also popular back in the 50s, not just for the teenage rockabilly look but for a more elegant effect too.

Marilyn Monroe was especially fond of a crop top, and she and other celebrities also often knotted a shirt at the front for a cropped effect as well.

You can also get cropped 50s shirts in great prints, cropped at the waist with tails ready to knot, usually sleeveless. I can recommend these for keeping cool on a hot day, but ensuring your back and neck stay protected from sunburn!

Shop Tops & Blouses

Womens vintage 50s cropped tops

Today’s celebrity crop top wearers

Supermodels in cropped jumpers

The Spice Girls of the Nineties

colourful 90s ravers

Happy raver

madonna, 1984

Audrey Hepburn in an elegant cropped top