Backless Tops Archives - Came Saw Wore

Backless tops have a reputation for being the thing you buy for one event and then never wear again, bought the week before a wedding and shoved in the back of a drawer afterwards. I think that reputation is only half fair. A good one earns a proper spot in rotation, it just needs you to think about what you're wearing it with and when, rather than treating it as a one-off costume piece.

The easiest pairing is a high waisted trouser or a skirt that sits at or above the natural waist, because the whole point of the cut is the expanse of skin, and a low rise bottom just muddies that line. A blazer worn open over the top, sleeves pushed up, turns a top that felt like going out wear into something you'd happily wear to a dinner or a gallery opening. For layering in cooler weather, a cropped cardigan worn open does the job without hiding the back entirely, which rather defeats the purpose.

Before you buy, check how the back actually closes. A single thin tie that you have to do up yourself in a changing room mirror is a nightmare in real life, whereas a halter with a proper clasp or a low cross back strap stays put and is easy to get in and out of alone. Check the fabric isn't see through when stretched, hold it up to a window if you can, because plenty of jersey backless tops look fine folded on a shelf and then go slightly transparent the moment you move. And check where exactly the back dips, because a cut that sits mid shoulder blade suits most bodies far better than one that plunges to the waist, which can gape or ride up when you sit down.

Cheap versions tend to lose their shape across the shoulders within a handful of wears, the elastic in the straps slackens and the whole thing starts sitting lower than it did in the shop. A better quality one, usually a heavier jersey or a proper silky weight rather than a thin synthetic, holds its line much longer. Hand wash or a cold gentle cycle in a bag keeps the straps and any ties from twisting and fraying, and always dry flat rather than on a hanger, which stretches the back panel exactly where you don't want it to stretch.

These sit at their best from late spring through to early autumn, worn under a jacket for evenings when the temperature drops, and they're honestly one of the few tops that make sense for both a wedding and a warm night out with no real occasion attached. Reach for one whenever bare arms alone feel like they're not quite enough effort.