This summer, the fashion scene has been ablaze with trendy midriff-baring attire, ranging from low-rise jeans and hip-slung skirts to snug baby tees.
These styles have taken center stage, and the Fashion Museum Bath recently crowned the Dress of the Year for 2022, a light brown cotton twill micro-miniskirt paired with a slashed blue cotton shirt and a cropped grey cable knit cashmere sweater, designed by Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu. The outfit is accessorised with a brown leather belt, branded underwear, grey ribbed socks and brown and white leather sling back shoes, and was selected by Elle UK's editor-in-chief, Kenya Hunt.
Some fashion observers attribute this trend to the post-pandemic world, where people are eager to embrace bold and liberated styles.
In a statement accompanying the Dress of the Year, Hunt said: "It was also a defining look of that unique post-pandemic period. As the world was reopening, we were wrapping our heads around the prospect of socialising again and having occasions to dress up for. This incredibly memorable look from Miuccia Prada with its daringly high hemline, low waistband and uber cropped top was strong, dynamic and very sexy - all the things we wanted to be after two years of confinement."
Notable celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, sported the daring Miu Miu outfit, but this trend it's predominantly for the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, who have adopted baggy pants matched with cropped tops. This trend has also transcended gender boundaries, with men getting in on the act, inspired by icons like Lil Nas X (who in turn may have taken inspiration from Prince).
In a way, this is nothing new in the history of fashion: baby tees were fashionable in the '90s, often matched with baggy trousers, while midriffs were prominently featured in fashion during the early 2000s, the era fondly remembered as Y2K. At the time stars like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, often donned looks that highlighted their toned stomachs.
But the midriff as a fashion statement isn't a recent phenomenon; it has roots that stretch back several decades. Its origins can be traced back to the 1940s when Hollywood icons such as Marilyn Monroe embraced midriff-exposing styles with high-waisted trousers. In the '60s and '70s this continued to be a trend, best displayed by Jane Birkin who favored tops that stopped just below the breasts, paired with low-slung bell bottoms.
Back in August 1961, cropped tops were in vogue, often accompanied by what we'd now call low-waisted cowboy pants.
This was a popular look from St. Tropez on the French Riviera to the bustling streets of New York. At the time John Weitz reinterpreted the style in glamorous gold lamé, pairing it with matching Capezio boots.
The '80s continued the tradition of cropped items, emphasizing the cult of body beauty, while at the moment there is actually a resurgence of the cowboy look matched with a cropped top, partly thanks to Margot Robbie's pink Barbie cowboy outfit in the eponymous film... View this photo).
A significant change in today's midriff fashion is the move away from pressuring women to maintain an idea" body. Back in the Y2K era, being a size zero with a perfectly flat stomach was the goal. However, in 2023, things have shifted and the trend is more open to stomachs of all shapes and sizes as the important thing is feeling confident in what you wear and not letting your body shape determine your fashion choices.
So, go ahead, rock that cropped top and those low-cowboy pants if you must; and if you're looking for inspiration, as usual check vintage magazines for that proverbial blast from the past.
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