Cream Of The Crop

Whether tight or loose, casual or dressy, long or short, we can't deny that crop tops are so hot right now. You can wear them so many ways: dress them up or down; matchy-matchy or mis-matched; with skirts or pants or shorts.

I love Lauren Conrad's January 2014 Cosmo cover outfit, because the top and skirt are so mismatched and busy that you actually feel like they do match and are meant to be worn together. This is a much shorter version of a crop top (more of a bustier), but still looks perfect with the skirt. In the editorial inside Lauren wears another cropped look, but this time keeps it much simpler. I love the pop of orange with the studded white skirt.

This trend of crop tops is great because you can wear it to the office or make it more professional by wearing it with a suit. I love the way Zara styled this look on their website. It takes something that can typically be boring like a women's suit, and adds pattern and a twist on the long sleeve top to spice it up. This top is longer than the one Lauren is wearing above, so it's more versatile and appropriate for certain occasions.

I love this matched top and shorts combo. Just the use of colour and pattern make it so perfect for spring. I definitely need to get myself a matching top and bottom set!

If you're looking for something to wear in cooler weather, but still want to follow the cropped trend, you can find a cropped jacket almost anywhere right now. Cropped, boxy jackets were so hot on the spring/summer 2014 runways, and denim jackets never go out of style.

Will you be following the cropped trend this season?