The Paul Mescal Guide to Pulling off a Crop Top

The pièce de résistance here is Mescal’s deceptively simple cropped white T-shirt—the hemline rising up just above the hip bones, the short sleeves rolled just so. (The tee appears to be a favorite of his: The actor also sported it at last month’s Soho House Awards with flared khakis and black Adidas Sambas.) While Paul’s Gucci tee has a finished hem, do-it-yourself crop tops became a menswear TikTok trend earlier this year—which makes sense given how flattering shorter tees look on a wide spectrum of bodies. Hacking off a few inches off a hemline is an accessible, homespun method to achieve, as longtime GQ contributor Max Berlinger put it, “that golden ratio of menswear: the rule of thirds, where the top comprises one-third of an outfit while the pants make up the remaining two-thirds.” Plus, a crop top eliminates the bulky fuss that comes with tucking in a T-shirt—while offering a bit of flirty breeze.

Last month, Mescal wore the same perfect cropped tee at the Soho House Awards in New York City.

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

As GQ’s own style editor Yang-Yi Goh once said on the topic, “No matter how comfortable with your body you think you are, walking outside with your stomach exposed is going to feel the teensiest bit intimidating.” But you can ease into this. If you follow Mescal’s lead and find a great-fitting pair of high-rise trousers or jeans, you too can be the chicest, most normal-dressed guy around.

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