A crop top (also half shirt, midriff top or cutoff shirt) is a
top that reveals and exposes the
waist,
navel, or
abdomen.[1]
History
Women
The early history of the crop top intersects with cultural views towards the
midriff, starting with the performance of
Little Egypt at the
1893 Chicago World's Fair.[2] Although the crop top first gained prominence in the fashion industry during the 1930s[3] and 1940s[2][4][5][6]—the latter in particular due to fabric rationing in
World War II[7]—it was largely confined to women's underwear at the time. It was not until the
sexual revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s that it achieved widespread acceptance,[3][2] worn by celebrities such as
Barbara Eden (star of NBC's I Dream of Jeannie)[8] and
Jane Birkin.[9][10] A variant style, the tied-up top or knotted shirt,[2] also appeared in 1940s fashion[11] and spread in popularity during the 1960s.
In the 1980s, cut-off crop tops became more common as part of the
aerobics craze and as a result of the popularity of the movie Flashdance. Singer
Madonna wore a
mesh crop top in her
music video for the song "
Lucky Star".[12] In the 2010s, the crop top experienced a revival due to the popularity of
1990s fashion and they still remain popular in the 2020s.[13][14][15]
The
protective gear of
American football with no shirt resembles a crop top. Eventually cropped
jerseys became available which carried over to several 1980s broadcasts. Men also started to wear crop tops regardless of
sport. Acceptance for men wearing no shirt could be seen to eliminate the need for a crop top. Various crop tops have been worn by
rappers as well as American football athletes. However, in 2015 the
National Collegiate Athletic Association[19][20] increased restrictions on men wearing crop tops,[21][22][23][24] which also includes rolling up longer jerseys, giving no reason for the change.[25][26][27][28]