Our cut out collection covers shoulder, chest, midriff and back openings across crop, tube, bra, criss-cross, mock neck and front-zip cuts, sizes XS to XXL, in spandex, mesh and velvet. Cut-outs are structural rather than decorative, so the shape of the opening determines how the piece fits and how it stays put. The thing worth checking before you buy is where the openings sit relative to a bra, since that's the difference between a top you can wear straight away and one that needs adhesive cups.
What is a Cut Out Top?
A cut out top has deliberate openings in the fabric, positioned as part of the design rather than at the edges of the garment. The openings can sit at the shoulders, across the chest, at the midriff, on the sides or across the back, and a single piece often has several.
What separates a cut-out from a low neckline or a crop hem is that the fabric continues past the opening. There's material above and below, which means the garment holds together across the gap and the exposed skin reads as a defined shape rather than as where the top ends.
That's also why cut-outs create structure. On a solid fabric with no print, the openings are the only visual detail, which is the reason so much of this collection is in single colors.
Where the Openings Sit
Position matters more than size, since it determines both how the piece looks and how practical it is to wear.
Shoulder: An opening over the shoulder cap with fabric at the neckline and arm. Held up by the garment itself, so it stays put through movement. See cold shoulder crop tops.
Chest and keyhole: Openings between the bust or at the centre front. The most visible position and the one most likely to interact with a bra.
Underbust: An opening directly beneath the bust, which reads as a floating band. See underboob crop tops.
Midriff and side: Openings at the waist or ribs, which narrow the silhouette visually without exposing much.
Back: Open backs and criss-cross straps. Invisible from the front, which makes them the easiest cut-outs to wear if you want detail without exposure.
What Holds a Cut Out Top Together?
Worth understanding, because it explains why some cut-out pieces feel secure and others don't.
Every opening removes fabric that would otherwise be carrying tension across the garment. What remains has to take that load, so the narrow strips between openings do more work than any comparable part of a solid top. On a well-made piece those strips are reinforced or bound; on a poorly made one they stretch out and the openings distort into a different shape than intended.
This is the main thing to check on a cut-out piece: the edges of the openings themselves. A bound, elasticated or overlocked edge holds its shape, while a raw or lightly finished edge curls and widens with wear. It matters more here than on any other cut, because the opening is the design.
Stretch fabric helps, since it accommodates movement rather than concentrating stress at a fixed point. Our stretch crop tops for women cover the fabrics that handle this best.
What to Wear Under a Cut Out Top
The hardest cut in the range for underlayers, since openings don't follow predictable lines the way a neckline does.
Adhesive cups: The most reliable answer, since there's nothing to show at any angle regardless of where openings sit.
Nothing: Many pieces are lined or have built-in support, particularly bra-style cuts. Check the listing first.
A bralette shown deliberately: Works when the opening frames it rather than half-covering it. Our bra tops for women suit this.
Convertible bra: Useful if the openings are at the shoulders or sides rather than the chest, since straps can be repositioned away from them.
Seamless underwear: Relevant for midriff and side openings, where the exposed area sits near a waistband.
The general rule: if an opening sits where a bra would be, plan for adhesive or a lined piece. If openings are at the shoulders, back or midriff, a conventional bra usually works.
Cut Out Styles We Stock
Cut out tube: Strapless with openings across the front, so the band does the holding and the openings provide the detail. See tube tops for women.
Criss-cross: Intersecting straps creating openings between them. More strap surface means more security than a single large opening.
Cut out bra top: Structured with openings, combining support and exposure.
Mock neck cut out: High neckline with openings below, which contrasts coverage against skin. See turtleneck crop tops for women.
Front zip cut out: A zip down the centre with openings alongside, giving adjustable coverage.
Halter cut out: Neck-fastened with chest or back openings. See halter tops.
Long sleeve cut out: Full arm coverage with openings at shoulders or chest. Browse long sleeve cut out tops.
Cut Outs and Sun
Worth planning for at a multi-day outdoor event, since this is the cut that produces the most distinctive tan lines in the range.
An opening leaves a patch of exposed skin surrounded by covered skin, so you get shaped tan marks rather than the straight edges most cuts produce. Circular and geometric openings are the most obvious, and they don't align with anything else you'll wear across a weekend.
Sunscreen through openings is also easy to under-apply, since the exposed area is small and awkward to reach with fabric around it. Apply with the top off rather than trying to work around it. Our EDC festival tops and summer crop tops for women cover the warm weather range.
Prints and Colors
Openings break a print into sections, which works for some designs and against others. Irregular and abstract patterns handle interruption without a problem, since there's no structure to lose. Regular repeats and designs with a clear centre point suffer, because an opening removes part of the composition.
Solid colors show cut-outs most clearly, which is why they dominate this collection. Black is the default, since the openings read as shape against an unbroken surface, and skin tone gives the contrast that would otherwise come from print. See black cut out tops.
Where color appears, single strong shades work better than multicolor. Our red crop tops and blue crop tops both suit the cut. For print, abstract designs work best, and our psychedelic crop
