This Clothing Trend Has Completely Fizzled in NYC

While New York girls undoubtedly pride themselves for having their own unique sense of style, there’s no denying that when there’s a good trend that suits the NYC aesthetic, they all embrace it. A couple of years ago, the bell-sleeve top trend was so wildly popular among NYC fashion insiders that we were starting to think it would never fizzle. But lo and behold, fizzle it did. Since bell-sleeve tops reached their peak some time ago, NYC girls are turning to other top styles to pair with their jeans, trousers, skirts, and shorts. While we’ll be ready when the flattering trend inevitably returns, we must admit that we won’t miss the hassle of dealing with the wide sleeves when, say, eating. (The struggle was very real.)
To prove our point, we’ve gathered a number of examples from the fashion-insider crowd at the most recent NYFW wearing anything but bell sleeves. Check out the five top styles they’re wearing instead, and shop our favorite ones on the market for yourself.
Crop Tops
Thanks to the popularity of high-waisted jeans and trousers, crop tops are easier to wear than they once were, and girls in NYC are taking full advantage of that fact.
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Puff-Sleeve Tops
Puff-sleeve tops came right on the heels of the bell-sleeve top trend, and they're still going strong. NYC girls just can't get enough of the statement-making style (plus, it looks great on Instagram).
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Also available in additional sizes.
Dad Shirts
You know those oversize, button-down, short-sleeve shirts your dad did (and probably still does) wear on vacation? They're cool now.
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Jackets as Tops
One of the biggest trends at the recent NYFW was wearing closed jackets and blazers sans shirt underneath, so it served as both the jacket and the shirt.
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Tees With a Message
T-shirts that allow one to express one's opinion without saying a word are wildly popular in NYC, and there are tons of chic ones on the market.
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Next up, shop the jeans everyone is wearing in NYC this month.

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
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