I love the off the shoulder trend because it feels so romantic and feminine. I’m also glad stores are carrying vibrant colors, interesting prints, and not-so-obvious styles (like white-lace only).

The only issue I have with the off shoulder shirt trend is that I personally think it is difficult for a lot of women to pull off. First, a lot of the off the shoulder tops are cropped length, which can be challenging to wear unless you’re super slim. I personally shy away from cropped tops for two reasons, first, I don’t really like to show off my belly and second, I feel a little too old to wear cropped tops.

The other thing about off the shoulder tops that can make them difficult to wear is the fact that you have to go braless or wear a strapless bra. I’m not the biggest fan of strapless bras. Despite a few challenges, I’ve still decided to embrace the trend. One of my favorite shoots from 2016 was when I rocked this off the shoulder dress.

If you’re ready to dive in and try off the shoulder tops, here are my styling tips.

{Stacey’s Look: Ann Taylor Top; Chanel Earrings; Urban Decay Eyeshadow & Eyeliner, 100% Pure Lipstick}

Find a Quality Strapless Bra

Unless you’re one of the lucky ladies who doesn’t need to wear a bra, you need a strapless bra. I highly suggest you get yourself a good quality strapless bra in a neutral color. I personally own a beige one because beige is invisible under white clothing and can be worn with literally any color clothing. A white or black strapless would be OK too, but you might be limited in terms of what you can wear it under. For example, have you noticed how wearing a white bra under a white top actually shows through more than a nude/beige bra? If not, test it out, I promise nude undergarments are better, even if they aren’t that pretty.

Wear Your Hair in a Pony

If you’re going to wear an off the shoulder top or dress, I think you should pull your hair back. The benefit of the off shoulder dresses is the fact that they show off your neck, chest, and shoulders. It can feel like a lot of skin, but I personally think the whole point of these tops and dresses is to show off your shoulders and neck in the summer.

The decolletage is such a gorgeous part of a woman’s body and it is sexy without being overly revealing. I personally love the way off shoulder tops and dresses look when women wear their hair up in a bun or ponytail.

Add Statement Earrings

Since I suggest you wear your hair up, I also suggest skipping a necklace. This is a conscious style choice I made when styling my off shoulder dress because I wanted that area to be the focal point and not detract from the ruffles of the dress.However, you do need some statement to the look, so I suggest wearing long, dangling earrings to set off the whole look. Long earrings draw attention to your face and upward, so your entire upper body is really the star of this look.

Here are some of my current favorite off the shoulder tops: