The First Lady Wore A Crop Top This Weekend

Michelle Obama's tour of Japan and Cambodia, in which she lobbied for better access to education for girls, was an important one — but that didn't mean that it wasn't also a fashionable one. Obama totally crushed it all weekend long in gorgeous, colorful prints and flowing dresses by Kenzo, Altuzarra, and Roksanda. But perhaps her best outfit was a skirt and top co-ord set that was as bright and geometric as most of her other choices during the trip, but a bit more relaxed and playful. Yes, I repeat: Michelle Obama wore a crop top. She must be taking fashion advice from Taylor Swift, because her belly button was well-hidden from view for the length of her address to the Peace Corps trainees and visit to a school. She didn't even appear to reveal a hint of midriff the entire day, which means that's gotta be one high-waisted skirt! Obama looked amazing and if you've been waiting for a sign that you should be hopping on the crop top trend sooner rather than later, this would be it. I know the idea of wearing a crop top, especially in a professional setting, can be nerve-wracking and just seem like a bad idea. I mean, there are all kinds of implied and unwritten rules about what's appropriate. However, if the First Lady of the United States of America (who has real, written rules of decorum) can pull it off, then your excuses are officially null and void. Michelle Obama: First Lady, advocate, mother, and liberator of midsections. Okay, maybe that's going a bit far — but I do think that this makes the case for wearing what you want and being able to rock a crop top just about anywhere.

Sure, no one ever wants to be that person who wore a skirt that was making modestly bending over to pick up a pencil a whole ordeal. Work clothes should be comfortable and allow you to do your job while feeling confident. Who says a crop top can't fit all of that criteria? Bustle's own Sara Tan has some super chic outfit suggestions that could help any woman find the right outfit to help them explore the crop top trend in a way that feels true to their style.

The trick for getting FLOTUS' work-ready look is picking a suiting fabric, not anything that has even 1 percent lycra or spandex, and making sure that you're pairing it with an appropriate bottom. High-waisted anything is the perfect accompaniment to a crop top in an office setting; pairing it with a clean-cut blazer adds an extra bit of polish to make sure you look like you know what you're doing and are taking care to keep things dress-code appropriate. A crop top with a long or short sleeve can also be a way to add interest and texture to a tank or sleeveless dress — I've done it at work, myself!

No matter your tastes or body type, allow FLOTUS and I to heartily endorse crop tops — for everyone — this spring.

Images: Getty; Giphy