Crop tops for men? Twitter users express mixed feelings about the new trend

Just in time for summer festival season, crop tops of numerous variations have sprung up online.

From homemade options selling on Etsy to screen-printed mini-tees on Amazon, the shirts that were once favored by teen pop stars in the '90s are back with a vengeance.

But there's something different about the trend this go around. It seems that the belly-exposing shirts have evolved to become gender-neutral, and most notably some of the marketing surrounding the half-tanks is being targeted toward men.

Earlier this week, Twitter user Mike Arnold stumbled across the bold fashion trend while using the ASOS app, and he let the online retailer know how he felt about it.

"I give up," he writes in a tweet along with screenshots of the designs. He tagged the e-commerce giant in the tweet.

ASOS describes the tube tops as a "reclaimed vintage bandeau," while people on Twitter seem to think of the fad as "awful" and ridiculous" "moob tubes" for men.

Crocs with fanny packs are a thing now? Some have sun visors, too. The net is confused.

OMG so many people are wearing fanny packs again. And the accessories industry is lovin' it

The shirt, or pieces of fabric, in question comes in two pieces.

One covers the sleeves and clavicle, respectively, and the other is a tube top that covers most of the wearer's abdomen.

Both parts are sold separately for about $17 each, and if worn together, the shirt would still show the male model's lower tummy. According to the retailer, guys simply have to "team with jeans and you're good to go."

The top comes in sizes small through large.

"If my fella walked in wearing that he'd not be long getting walked back out," writes Twitter user @MonaghanLeanne. "You think it's the new way to charge you twice for the same top... Just cut it in two," writes Twitter user @Flamedlioness.

Other people on Twitter found an occasion to rock the barely-there two-piece.

"If you wanted to show off your abs and had a very expensive belt, it may be a decent number to wear to pride," writes Twitter user @Monkeyteaparty, referring to National LGBT Pride month, which kicks off in the U.S. on June 1.

ASOS responded to criticism by explaining that the tops are a part of the company's plan to break down fashion norms.

Perhaps the trend is a reimagined version of the androgynous shirts first popularized in the '70s, with a sportier version later showing up on Johnny Depp in the 1984 horror classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street."

"Men used to wear crop tops in the '80s and it was totally ok back then but I see some of you tend to have a selective memory when it comes to remembering the past," writes Twitter user @kelian_s.

The revealing tops were also worn by Will Smith in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which was taped in the early '90s.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was ahead of the curve when he wore a button-down variation with a tie to a red carpet a few years back.

“I just don’t like how loose jerseys are at the bottom, so I just tuck it up and roll it,” Elliot told USA TODAY at the time. “I get in trouble for it every once in a while. I’ll have to come out at halftime, pull my jersey down and tuck it in.”

Are you a fan of the trend? Let Dalvin Brown know on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crop tops for men? Twitter users express mixed feelings about the new trend