... of the 405 that is! It's amazing how a change of scenery can totally inspire new outfits. Ever since the move to Venice it seems wrong not to walk out of the house in some kind of bootie and hat combo! Westside outfit pressure?! #thestruggleisreal

I'm continuing my year long Target partnership (yay!) and today it's all about one of my favorite silhouettes for summer: crop tops. I've been known to rock a crop top or two over the past few months and have realized there is one trick to styling them...

{ mossimo crop top  // current elliott jeans // dolce vita booties // capwell bracelet // j. crew panama hat}

The trick? It's all about the bottoms; it's a torso game, people, and we're all trying to win the "I look good in a crop top even after a week (or two) of not hitting the gym" award. There's really no guideline as everyone is different but here is my rule of thumb:

* if the crop top hits right at or above the natural waist a la this number then go for a high-waisted bottom that will show off a sliver of skin 

* if the crop top is flowy and/or hits below your natural waist (like the one above) then lower cut bottoms will suffice 

Again, this is all relative to your body, but I've noticed that if I try to pair a flowy crop top with high-waisted bottoms then I look like a square. Anyone else? You've got to show a bit of skin! 

If you're still iffy about the crop top trend, Tarjay is a great place to scoop up a few styles that won't break the bank.  No joke, I had about 7 fab tops in my hand before I decided on this tribal printed number.  Don't forget to find your style  @targetstyle !

Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. As always, the opinions expressed in this post are mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.