We Found A Wearable Alternative To This Season’s Most Risqué Going-Out Top

When celebrities first started wearing pin tops earlier this summer, we were skeptical. How is a top held together by a barely-there slice of metal supposed to provide any type of chest support, let alone coverage? The more people that debuted the trend, the more questionable it became — blame the many underboob sightings — especially to those whose busts need more than an inconsequential pin to remain in place. But just when we were preparing to file pin tops under fashion trends best left to the A-list, designers during NYFW endorsed the trend. Or rather, they introduced a wearable alternative: tiny cardigans.

We first noticed this season’s crop of tiny cardigans at Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s latest show, in the form of a cyan blue sheer blouse with a tie around the neck, layered on top of a black triangle bikini top. Two days later, the shrunken style was spotted on the runways of the lady-like Markarian, paired with a Bridgerton-approved floral midi skirt, and the psychedelic-inspired Brandon Maxwell, worn by supermodel Precious Lee with a corset-like mini dress. By the final day of shows, tiny cardigans had popped up at Sandy Liang and Kim Shui, too. 

But spring ‘22 wasn’t the first season that the fashion industry showed modern versions of grandma’s favorite knitwear style. Rather, the cardigan always finds a way back en vogue come the first inklings of sweater weather. But this season’s selection feels more inspired than its been-there-done-that predecessors. That's because now, we have a fresh selection of skimpy inspiration to help us style our cardigans in a sultry way. It’s not unlike the pin top in terms of the cool factor, but, as opposed to the daring going-out style, tiny cardigans are actually wearable on non-celebrities, not to mention people who wear above a B-cup. 

Still hesitant? Wear it on top of a revealing top or dress, like a bikini top as seen at Maryam Nassir Zadeh or a mini dress at Brandon Maxwell. The trick is to only tie or button one of the fasteners, preferably one closer to the top, allowing for ample outfit visibility. Essentially, you want your cardigans to appear as far from the standard button-up as possible. Sure, grandpa chic was trending not too long ago, but post-lockdown, we don’t want our clothing to cover us up, but instead, show us off. 

Making this trend even more approachable than the pin top is the number of shoppable options already available on the market. Ahead, test out our theory about this season’s tiny cardigan assortment by shopping our favorite takes on the trend.