yes, it's a top

$150, heidimerrick.com

When I saw tummy bearing bralets coming down Prada's spring runway, I decided then and there they were not for me. Too skimpy. Too daring. Too young. There's no way I could pull one off, I thought. But then I went to a cocktail party last week in Hollywood and came across the chicest woman I've met in a while. She was wearing a bustier top and a high-waisted A-line skirt. Just a sliver of her abdomen--the right (i.e., flat) part, just below the ribcage--was exposed. The fullness of her skirt helped offset the showy top, and the whole effect was rather dramatic and gorgeous and still demure. Now I am tempted to try it myself (despite my husband's guffaws). I'd wear this one with...

1. Heidi Merrick African print bustier, $150, heidimerrick.com 
2. Topshop cropped blazer, $110, topshop.com 
3. Mikkat Market Zebra clutch, $44, mikkatmarket.com 
4. Maiyet strap sandal, $795, barneys.com 
5. French Connection skirt, $114, frenchconnection.com