21 Going-Out Tops That Make Me Want to Actually Go Out

Think back to around the time of 2003. What was the only thing you could possibly think of leaving the house wearing on a Saturday night? The single most important piece in your wardrobe? The holy-grail of tops, if you will? That's right; I'm talking about the beloved going-out top. You know, the one you would throw on with a simple pair of jeans, and just like that, your outfit was complete.

Well, fast-forward to 2019, and the GOT is officially back. What constitutes a GOT, you ask? As Man Repeller recently explained, the anatomy of a going-out top can be broken down into a few simple elements: It must A) be a piece you can always count on, B) be relatively wearable, and C) offer a tinge of nostalgia (if you need a more visual example of said nostalgia, please see the new IG account our whole office is talking about: @SpaghettiStrapsoftheOC).

I hung up my party-girl hat years ago. I'm much more of a long, leisurely dinner kind of girl now when I'm craving a night out. However, with the recent resurgence of said going-out tops, I'm actually finding myself wanting to change my ways and give myself an excuse to add a few to my closet. And trust me—it takes a special piece to make me want to ditch my inclination to stay home on a Friday night. So without further ado, I've highlighted the 21 GOTs I currently have saved in my Instagram collections below and shopped out each one in case they have you feeling inspired as well.

Next up: the five summer handbag trends that I'm already seeing everywhere.