History[edit]
Women[edit]
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]
