Men, do you like to experiment with fashion? Follow this style guide to rock the crop top trend.

In Shantanu Maheshwari’s recent web series, the actor is seen in a newer and newer GenZer avatar with crop tops. Here’s a style guide for men to replicate this gender-inclusive trend.

Moment from the web series trailer. Photos courtesy/Instagram

Actor and dancer Shantanu Maheshwari is back with a dance web series, which is also currently one of the most watched series on the free OTT platform Amazon Mini TV. What really got this writer hooked on the college romance series was GenZ’s bold, experimental, and colorful wardrobe. While some characters sport oversized styles with elements borrowed from streetwear culture, others showcase a unique take on the equally dominant cute and chic Korean fashion. For this writer, the winner is the sleeveless hooded crop top that Maheshwari wears throughout the web series.

Harry Styles wears a crop top in the music video; (Right) Lil Nas X wears a bejeweled one-sleeve crop top at the Grammy Awards.

“The younger generation is keen to experiment with fashion and break gender stereotypes when it comes to dressing and we are here for that,” says costume designer and stylist Lovedeep Gulyani. “Crop tops have always been considered a feminine item of clothing for decades, even when they were worn by rugby players where they would cut off their shirts to distribute body heat. And despite being rejected by heterosexual men over and over again. audience and being widely associated with the gay community, crop tops have re-entered the general men’s wardrobe.”

Style like Smith

Among the many outfits that caused controversy in the fashion industry was actor Will Smith’s (right) crop top from the 1990 TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. His gray oversized Philadelphia T-shirt was paired with lime green sweatpants, which Gulyani approves of. “It’s super athletic and fashionable. His tee is cropped for comfort and paired with a baggy weight and a pair of Nike AF1s. It’s a classic sporty look with a twist,” he reminds.

Troye Sivan. Image Credit/Getty Images

Be casual with the crops

The best thing about GenZ fashion? A little DIY cutting and sewing can give a garment a whole new look. Gulyani agrees and says it’s best for everyday styling. “For example, for a more casual and shopping look, a short, cool, graphic cotton t-shirt would be great. Pair it with baggier jeans or cargo pants. Throw on a short jacket and you’ll complete the look. I also LOVE oversized printed cropped tees that can be worn with cool shorts, socks and sneakers. It’s also a great casual outfit for grocery shopping.”

Lovedeep Gulyani

Follow party trends

“A cropped shirt looks really cool at parties; I recently did the same thing with most of my long shirts; I alter them to waist length and pair them with stylish straight-leg jeans and high-top sneakers.” Another look to borrow from is Lil Nas X’s gorgeous one-sleeve cropped look during his performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards. “It was an interesting look that the quirky artist showed off (the bejeweled crop top). It had a great balance between masculine style and feminine silhouette.”

Increase your waist

“The abs that men train need to be shown off, and crop tops are the way to go. They look fun with a t-shirt and cut your body in proportion. They make your legs look longer and your torso look shorter.” And if you have a great waist, it works even better,” he notes, adding that the best examples of this are popular artists like Troye Sivan and Harry Styles, who keep it quirky and fun. “Many menswear designers are now adopting this style. For example, Louis de Saint-Sernin created these beautiful chainmail crop tops for men that women can wear too. Likewise, Fang NYC makes these super cool sleeveless crop tops with flowing hems. tops for men are here to stay, especially among the fun and risqué crowd,” he concludes.

Hear it from the creator

The creative producer of the Campus Beats web series, Palki Malhotra, tells us that the motivation behind creating the costumes of all the characters was to truly reflect the concept of inclusivity. “The world we live in now is a GenZ world that is unapologetic about their fashion choices. And their motto is inclusivity and experimentation. The outfits we planned for the series were exactly parallel to this. We wanted to give Shantan a different look that people haven’t seen him in before and something that fits in with the GenZ fashion culture. Hence the obvious unisex style. Since he is a dancer in the web series, a short haircut is best. They accentuate his movements, are comfortable for a dancer to wear, and are definitely fashionable.”

Cool tip: To emulate the look we created for Shantanu, you can simply wear a hooded crop top, pair it with baggy jeans and accessories to break the monotony – either a fabric that can be turned into a belt or some chains for decoration. wear around the loops.

Style mantras: Don’t follow the rules. Find something that suits your mood and wear it unapologetically.