How to Style a Butterfly Top, the Y2K Fashion Trend That's Back for Summer

This throwback trend is taking flight.

Until quiet luxury, party pants, and cutouts supplant Y2K fashion as the summer trend of 2023, we're making the most of the early aughts' blinged-out revival. Among the best trends to ride the Y2K wave back into our collective consciousness is the shimmery butterfly crop top. Famously worn by Mariah Carey, the piece was the pinnacle of the shimmery, pastel color palette that captivated our Y2K hearts. Now, it's grabbed the attention of today's superstars, namely Dua Lipa. While the "Sweetest Pie" crooner effectively broke the internet with her butterfly crop top vacay uniform in 2021, this fluttery fashion trend has kept its hold on the pop star (and others) since.

In fact, butterflies were the main motif in “La Vacanza,” a Versace womenswear collection Dua Lipa co-designed alongside Donatella Versace. While an itsy bitsy butterfly bikini might not be quite the same thing as a rhinestone butterfly crop top, there are plenty of blinged-out bugs to be found in Dua Lipa's Versace designs, proving that butterfly tops are here to stay.

That said, Versace isn't the only brand bringing back butterflies. The Dior Cruise 2024 Runway Show was swarmed with them, with butterflies making appearances on necklaces, belts, bags, as well as jackets and dresses. There was even a version of a butterfly crop — albeit a strapless leather one — worn over a button-down shirt.

Whether you want to wear a glittering Y2K butterfly crop top à la Lipa and Carey or are looking for an updated version, we've got you covered. Read on for our favorite butterfly top outfit ideas for 2023 because, let's face it, it's a wildly fun summer trend you should try before it heads back into the archives.

With '70s Glam Separates

If you want proof that butterfly tops are trending, look no further than the guests outside the Dior Menswear show at Paris Fashion Week. Yellow boots, flowy trousers, and a wide-brimmed hat brought a '70s vibe, while the sequined butterfly top brought some decadence.

As Crop-Top Hardware

If you're not convinced that wearing an entire butterfly across your chest is the moment, you can still get in on this trend by wearing a strappy crop top with butterfly hardware, a style that was spotted at Coachella this year.

Over a Button-Down Shirt

The most modern butterfly crop-top styling approach brings a bit of coverage to this decidedly revealing Y2K trend. Wearing a crystal-embellished butterfly top over a basic button-down might seem counterintuitive, but it's a thoroughly modern approach to the look we can't get enough of.

With Y2K Flare Jeans

In the tradition of pop stars throughout history, Kazuha from K-Pop girl group LE SSERAFIM styled her BluMarine butterfly crop top (plucked from the brand's Spring 2022 RTW collection) with ultra-low rise jeans. We're not saying you have to adhere to the full Y2K aesthetic, but we are saying it's on the table.

As a Crochet Halter Top

Somewhere between the blinged-out Y2K-era top and the Dior bustier sits the crochet butterfly halter top. It has the vibrant playfulness of the original Y2K style, plus a trendy freshness thanks to how wild everyone is going over knits right now.

Over a Summer Dress

Jazz up a simple summer dress by wearing it under a butterfly top. An open-knit or crochet style feels right with this look, and allows for optimal visibility of both pieces.

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