Cream of the Crop

Lucky for me, I am a child of the 80's (and lucky for me, the hair straightener was invented right around the time I reached high school in the 90's - SCORE). Also lucky for me, this means my survival depended on "Growing Pains," a young Jonathan Brandis to pine after & a frizzy-haired Sarah Jessica Parker to look up to. You see, before she was Carrie Bradshaw, she was Janey Glenn in the greatest move of all time "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (tied with "Adventures in Babysitting" of course).
In the movie, SJP's style starts off as "Catholic-school girl" and morphs into "DanceTV badass" as noted in the photo above (MAN, I wish you could see the white lace-up ankle boots she has on under those jumpin' legs...CLASSIC). The cropped tee not only highlighted her rockin' abs, but it also helped convince the audience that she was a rebel indeed! Inspiring? I think so! But first things first.
JUST SAY NO to anything too cropped. Home girl looks like she lost half of her top on the way to the photo shoot. Keep the length G rated, adding a loose tank underneath if you're feeling overexposed.
(L to R: Alternative Apparel Molly Crop Burnout Rolled Sleeve Tee, $42; Urban Outfitters Nom de Plume YaYa Crop Top, $29.99; C&C California Twist Crop Striped Tee, $54)

Get the looks above, and you're automatically lookin' casually cool. But don't let your top influence your bottom, if you know what I mean. Keep the hem lines longer down there by wearing some skinny jeans or a just-above-the-knee length pencil skirt.

Furthermore, I think the crop top is perfect concert-wear. I'd rock the following outfit (for under $100 combined!) to the My Morning Jacket show in Chastain Park April 23! Click to enlarge!
I'd pair my Blank Denim straight leg jeans, similar to these Forever21 Neon Stitch Straight Jeans ($29.80) with this cropped Forever21 Ditsy Floral Silk Tank ($22.80 and LOVING the zipper)! These Ecote Macrame Slingback Sandals from Urban Outfitters ($28) are strangely similar to some I have by Seychelles, and I'll accessorize by mixing prints and popping some color with this Third Rose from the Sun Scarf from ModCloth. At $15.99, that rounds out or outfit at $96.50. Just enough for a PBR from the concessions stand!

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