Mean Reds: Crop Tops at Work

I’m standing in Cath’s teeny little kitchen (isn’t it so cute?). She’s painting her (also teeny) dining room and living space this week, so there will be more sneak-peaks of her apartment in the not too distant future. All of these photos were shot with Cath’s new Evo: fancy phone, not so fancy photos.


Top and skirt are AA, shoes are from Payless.

I used to despise crop-tops. I’m not sure why. I don’t hate bare stomachs of any shape or size (outside of the work place and in really warm climates). Just something about them irks me – usually. But I bought this American Apparel crop-top a while back because I thought “Holly Golightly would wear this.” I’m not sure if she actually would, but we won’t let Truman Capote know (hell, he wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly and not Audrey- what does he know about his own characters). Anyways, who wouldn’t like this? It’s got zips on the shoulders (the shoulders!) and is more structured than your average crop top – it’s made with a heavier gauged jersey.

While I was at work, I had the skirt hiked up so high you couldn’t see any skin, but it affords just the right amount of ventilation for our Hotlanta humidity- without resorting to anything too scandalous. For the photos, I slid the skirt down just a tad (to my waist instead of my rib cage) just so you could see that the top and the bottom are separate pieces.

I can’t find the zip crop top online, but a looser crop top would work in more informal offices. Would you wear the crop top/high-waisted pencil skirt combo to work?

If crop tops still make you gag (apologies!), here is some distraction: these guys (above) live on Cath’s teeny stove. They are salt and pepper shaker beefeaters we picked up on our first trip to London many moons ago, but we’ve been told they look more like radioactive snowmen. They don’t wear crop tops. Neon green collars, yes. Crop tops, never.

28 thoughts on “Mean Reds: Crop Tops at Work”

  1. ooo love this! what a great idea! i never would have thought of wearing a cropped top to work! thanks for the inspiration:) cath’s kitchen is too cute! can’t wait to see the rest of the apartment::)

    TheOwlsCloset.blogspot.com

  2. I Love Cath’s kitchen ! I see on the bottom red shelf a fashion plate. I bought those last year from Heliotrope thanks to you girls ! You look Fab ! I love the zippers on the sleeves and the pencil shirt is to die for !

  3. I’ve never been able to wear a skirt higher than it’s meant to be — or lower. It seems to always migrate to the same place. Yours didn’t shift around all day?

  4. !!!! so many cute things going on in these pictures!!!! that red shelf thing and the fact that the utensils are in really cute mugs on the shelves and not shoved away in drawer , those beefeaters, and the chessboard floor!! I have always dreamed of having chessboard flooring ever since I was little! and of course Ms. Lauren and the crop top/pencil skirt put-together.

  5. I love it! And I love that kitchen, I’m a sucker for checkerboard floors. I’m a fan of crop tops, I’ve got a few though so far have been too chicken to wear them. One is a 90’s bra top in green and the other is a fitted cap sleeved red and white striped one, got any thoughts? I was thinking about doing a crop top post, I’ll certainly be referencing yours.

  6. Looks absolutely marvelous on you, Laur! Can’t say I’m a huge fan for myself, as my body doesn’t look it’s best with boxy, cropped shapes.

  7. 1. Cath’s kitchen is so freakin fantastic, I want it. I love the exposed storage. It’s more design-y.

    2. I feel you on despising crops. I’m not a fan. I was in the 90’s but not now. Mostly, because the people who shouldn’t wear them, do.

    3. I like skin more covered in terms of mid-section. Call me old-fashioned.

    XX.
    Mae Lu, thereafterish.

  8. OH my gosh I was actually thinking how much I would LOVE to wear a crop top to work but I couldn’t think of a good/appropriate way to wear one. Fantastic idea! Definitely gonna try that combo soon!

  9. I am NOT a fan of crop tops but it really does look fab with that skirt. And WHAT a skirt, such a perfect red colour.

    PS Pair the crop top with high-waisted capris and ballet flats and there’s ya Audrey look!

  10. Okay usually the exposed midriff is a pet peeve of mine, but this one is actually okay! It’s just a tiny sliver of skin and no belly button, and matched with the structured skirt, I am a fan! And I am in desperate need of office appropriate attire that also won’t kill me of heat stroke as I walk from Marta.

  11. I hate belly tops because they remind me of being a teenager and having 6 inches of exposed flesh and ass crack between the top and the low-rider jeans. BUT like this? Yes please.

  12. I 100% agree with crop tops for the weather here! They’re designed for maximum ventilation in the crazy heat here. I love that this is both edgy but work appropriate. I might have to try this soon.

  13. im not a big fan. but i love crop tops when the bare midriff isnt showing. or only showing a tiny tiny bit. the outfit loos lovely on you darling. you really workin’ it!
    xxxxxxxxx

  14. Oh man I thought you had a case of the mean reds. Funnily enough, whenever I wear a crop top and pencil skirt to work they tend to send me home.

  15. Your picture inspired me to wear a crop top to work on dress down Friday. I wore one just short enough to show my belly button off.

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