crop top

File:Woman in a White Crop Top.jpg

A crop top (also half shirt, midriff top, belly shirt or cutoff shirt) is a top that reveals and exposes the waist, navel, or abdomen.{{cite encyclopaedia |title=crop top |publisher=MSN Encarta |url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561503251/crop_top.html |access-date=2 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326001922/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561503251/crop_top.html |archive-date=Mar 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

History

=Women=

The origins of the clothing are unknown, but midriff tops go back to at least the Bronze Age, demonstrated by the discovery of Egtved Girl in Denmark.

The early history of the modern form of crop top intersects with cultural views towards the midriff, starting with the performance of Little Egypt at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.{{cite web |last=Bucci |first=Jessica |date=7 November 2015 |title=Fashion Archives: A Look at the History of the Crop Top |url=https://startupfashion.com/fashion-archives-history-crop-top/ |publisher=Startup Fashion}} Although the crop top first gained prominence in the fashion industry during the 1930s{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arQy0v_PBx4C&pg=PA434 |title=Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780313084447 |editor1=Mitchell |editor-first=Claudia |page=434 |editor2=Reid-Walsh |editor-first2=Jacqueline}} and 1940s{{cite web |date=May 1946 |title=Woman on right wears black crop top and shorts while holding a striped skirt. Wedges shoes. May 1946 P017636 |url=http://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/woman-on-right-wears-black-crop-top-and-shorts-while-news-photo/599305784#woman-on-right-wears-black-crop-top-and-shorts-while-holding-a-skirt-picture-id599305784 |publisher=Getty Images}}{{cite web|url=https://le3no.com/blogs/magazine/14685105-crop-tops-through-the-ages|title=Crop Tops Through the Ages|date=25 June 2014|publisher=LE3NO}}{{cite web |date=January 6, 2021 |title=This is what women used to wear in the 1940s and it was pretty damn stylish |url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/1940s-fashion-the-decade-captured-in-40-incredible-pictures-108160 |publisher=Marie Claire}}—the latter in particular due to fabric rationing in World War II{{cite web |author=Mok |first=Jennifer |date=23 October 2013 |title=History of the Crop Top |url=https://www.hercampus.com/school/bucknell/history-crop-top |publisher=Her Campus}}—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, worn by celebrities such as Barbara Eden (star of NBC's I Dream of Jeannie){{cite web |last=Miller |first=Randy |date=15 April 2014 |title=Great Moments in Crop Top History: I Dream of Jeanie |url=https://www.popsugar.com.au/fashion/photo-gallery/34583242/video/34583239/I-Dream-Jeanie-1965 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007170248/https://www.popsugar.com.au/fashion/photo-gallery/34583242/video/34583239/I-Dream-Jeanie-1965 |archive-date=7 October 2017 |access-date=7 October 2017 |publisher=Popsugar}} and Jane Birkin.{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.co.nz/event/jane-birkin-185762069#french-singer-actor-and-director-serge-gainsbourg-photographs-english-picture-id98568312|title=French singer, actor and director Serge Gainsbourg (1928 - 1991) photographs English actress Jane Birkin at the Cannes Film Festival, 19th May 1969.|date=19 May 1969|publisher=Getty Images}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cashandrocket.com/white-shirt/|title=White shirt campaign|date=7 April 2016|publisher=Cash & Rocket|access-date=7 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007170311/http://www.cashandrocket.com/white-shirt/|archive-date=7 October 2017|url-status=dead}} A variant style, the tied-up top or knotted shirt, also appeared in 1940s fashion{{cite web |date=20 February 2014 |title=1940s Blouses, Shirts, Knit Tops Styles – Fashion History |url=https://vintagedancer.com/1940s/1940s-blouses-shirts-tops/ |publisher=Vintage Dancer}} 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".{{cite web |author=Shire |first=Emily |date=15 June 2015 |title=Do You Dare to Bare in a Crop Top? |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/do-you-dare-to-bare-in-a-crop-top |publisher=The Daily Beast}} In the 2010s, the crop top experienced a revival due to the popularity of 1990s fashion and they still remain popular in the 2020s.{{cite web |last=Zephyr |date=June 8, 2009 |title=Would You Wear… a Crop Top? |url=http://www.collegefashion.net/would-you-wear/would-you-wear-a-crop-top/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530131155/http://www.collegefashion.net/would-you-wear/would-you-wear-a-crop-top/ |archive-date=30 May 2012 |access-date=15 March 2012 |publisher=College Fashion}}{{cite web |last=Shih |first=Candice |date=January 7, 2010 |title=Crop tops are back? |url=http://stylebinge.ocregister.com/2010/01/07/crop-tops-are-back/15115/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715044411/http://stylebinge.ocregister.com/2010/01/07/crop-tops-are-back/15115/ |archive-date=15 July 2012 |access-date=15 March 2012 |publisher=Lovelyish}}{{cite news |last=Shih |first=Candice |date=7 January 2010 |title=Crop tops are back? |newspaper=The Orange County Register |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2010/01/07/crop-tops-are-back-2/ |access-date=10 March 2019}}

File:Hüfthose.jpg|Woman wearing a white crop top

File:160618 플레디스걸즈 콘서트 정은우 직찍 1.jpg|Pristin's Eunwoo wearing a crop top

File:Woman with tied shirt.jpg|Woman in tied shirt

File:Sofie Dossi (Stokes Twins 2023) 01 (cropped).png|Sofie Dossi wearing a crop top that bares her outie navel

=Men=

Crop tops have been worn by men{{Cite news |last=Payne |first=Marissa |date=August 29, 2015 |title=Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott wants to trademark 'hero in a half-shirt' |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/08/29/ohio-states-ezekiel-elliott-wants-to-trademark-hero-in-a-half-shirt/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 August 2015}} since the 1970s.{{Cite news |last=Zarley |first=B. David |date=November 7, 2014 |title=Crop Tops In Football: An Investigation |language=en-US |work=VICE Sports |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/crop-tops-in-football-an-investigation/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211125813/https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/crop-tops-in-football-an-investigation |archive-date=11 December 2015}} The early Rocky films have Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers wearing crop tops while working out.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-23 |title=6 Types Of Crop Tops That Every Fashionista Should Own |url=https://alyandval.com/2023/10/23/types-of-crop-tops-with-names/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=alyandval |language=en-US}}

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{{cite web |author=Van Buskirk |first=Emily |date=19 August 2015 |title=The NCAA Bans Belly Buttons, Prompting Players To Cry Foul |url=http://www.thesportsfanjournal.com/sports/football/ncaa-bans-crop-top-jerseys-belly-buttons-ezekiel-elliott-myles-jack-daniel-lasco/ |publisher=The Sports Fan Journal}}{{cite news |author=Greif |first=Andrew |date=9 March 2015 |title=So long, college football 'crop-tops': NCAA bans jerseys with too little and facemasks with too much in 2015 rules changes |publisher=sportsmanias.com |agency=The Oregonian |url=http://www.sportsmanias.com/news/oregon-ducks/so-long-ncaa-crop-tops-ncaa-bans-jerseys-with-too-little-and-facemasks-with-too/54fe04e5f7ed2f09140000b7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014912/http://www.sportsmanias.com/news/oregon-ducks/so-long-ncaa-crop-tops-ncaa-bans-jerseys-with-too-little-and-facemasks-with-too/54fe04e5f7ed2f09140000b7 |archive-date=Nov 17, 2015}} increased restrictions on men wearing crop tops,{{cite news |title=Crop-Top Jerseys Banned |date=11 March 2015 |publisher=College Spots Business News |url=http://collegesportsbusinessnews.com/issue/february-2015/article/crop-top-jerseys-banned |access-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204215508/http://collegesportsbusinessnews.com/issue/february-2015/article/crop-top-jerseys-banned |archive-date=4 February 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author=Watkins |first=Jasmine |date=8 March 2015 |title=NCAA bans football players from wearing rolled-up jerseys |publisher=SportingNews |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football-news/4637960-ncaa-crop-top-rolled-up-jersey-ohio-state-ezekiel-elliott |url-status=dead |access-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305142607/http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football-news/4637960-ncaa-crop-top-rolled-up-jersey-ohio-state-ezekiel-elliott |archive-date=5 March 2016}}{{cite news |author=Stone |first=Avery |date=2 April 2015 |title=Ezekiel Elliott says NCAA rule banning crop tops is 'silly' |newspaper=USA Today |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/ezekiel-elliott-says-ncaa-rule-banning-crop-tops-is-silly}}{{cite news |agency=SI Wire |date=9 March 2015 |title=NCAA bans players from showing abs in games |publisher=SI.com |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2015/03/09/ncaa-bans-players-showing-abs-games}} which also includes rolling up longer jerseys, giving no reason for the change.{{cite web |author=Johnson |first=Greg |date=6 March 2015 |title=Proposed ineligible downfield rule tabled by PROP |url=https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/proposed-ineligible-downfield-rule-tabled-prop |publisher=NCAA}}{{cite news |author=Ward |first=Austin |date=2 April 2015 |title=Ezekiel Elliott scoffs at jersey rule |publisher=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/12605826/ezekiel-elliott-ohio-state-buckeyes-says-crop-top-jersey-rule-silly}}{{cite news |author=Watson |first=Graham |date=9 March 2015 |title=NCAA rule bans players from wearing cropped jerseys in games |publisher=Yahoo Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/ncaa-rule-bans-players-from-wearing-cropped-jerseys-during-games-162014010.html}}{{cite news |author=Erby |first=Glenn |date=8 March 2015 |title=NCAA Bans Ezekiel Elliott Style Tucked Under Jerseys |publisher=Black Sports Online |url=http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2015/03/ncaa-bans-ezekiel-elliott-style-tucked-under-jerseys/}}

Since the mid-2010s, the male crop top has seen a major resurgence in popularity,{{cite web |last=Ktena |first=Natalie |date=28 August 2018 |title=We talked to a 'crop top historian' about the comeback of the male crop top |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/a8a41390-c35c-44be-b868-c7947211ea2e |access-date=30 January 2019 |newspaper=BBC}} including prominent celebrity figures such as football player Ezekiel Elliott,{{Cite web |last=Conroy |first=Juan |title=Ezekiel Elliot Crop Top - Not Just For the Field |url=https://footballcroptop.com/crop-top-news/ezekiel-elliot-crop-top-not-just-for-the-field/ |access-date=25 September 2018 |website=footballcroptop.com}} rapper Kid Cudi,{{Cite news |last=Sharkey |first=Linda |date=20 August 2014 |title=Men in crop tops seem to be trending thanks to Kid Cudi, the social media and the catwalk |website=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/men-s-crop-top-seem-to-be-trending-thanks-to-kid-cudi-the-social-media-and-the-catwalk-9678555.html |access-date=30 January 2019}} rock star Josh Kiszka, and actors Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron.{{Cite web |author=Rodulfo |first=Kristina |date=29 April 2016 |title=A Tribute to Men in Crop Tops |url=https://www.elle.com/fashion/celebrity-style/news/g28188/men-in-crop-tops/ |access-date=30 January 2019 |website=Elle}}

File:Bologna Pride, 2012 (cropped).jpg|A man wearing an improvised crop top

File:SagatinLaZombietest.jpg|Gay porn star François Sagat man wearing a cropped vest