Bare midriffs & fifties USA

Cropped tops have been popular on and off for the last few seasons but this SS they are very much in and they have definitely gone shorter! 50s style is an obvious influence and cropped tops which look pretty much like bras are now totally acceptable in public. Celebs always love a bit of baring...

But how do we mortals pull that off? Well it's not easy, I'm personally all into bare legs or shoulders and although I may sometimes feel self conscious I can deal with it. Bare midriff though is a whole other league.

I went through many pics of 50s US style which is, well, quite out there and I also looked at a more current take on this trend.

After a lot of thought I decided to follow Vogue's advice and cover up with a sheer cardigan. I'm not sure where I went wrong but instead of a 50s look I ended up looking like a badly dressed 50 year old... I had to start from the beginning and I decided to keep it simpler. A cropped jumper in one color does just that and the rest is 50s inspired but without pushing it too far.

I'm still a bit unsure about a flash of skin in the middle (I wouldn't mind if I was a size 0) but I kept it to a minimum and I think it's bearable.

Skirt & Cropped jumper - H&M

It's in the detail...

Clutch bag - vintage

Heels - LK Bennett

Scarf - vintage

Necklace - a present

Ring - Penneys

Glasses - vintage Sabana

Cover for glasses - Topshop

What do you think of the bare midriff? Will you go for it?