Move over stem-showing side slits and plunging necklines. This season’s sexy new style doesn’t involve leg bombing or taking the plunge.

After season after season of legs and cleavage dominating the red carpet, a new body part has been taken out of hibernation and thrust into the spotlight in time for the holiday season. Yes, you’d better get serious about those crunches, because baring your belly is no longer just for bikini season.

Midriff-baring styles were all over the Spring 2013 runways at shows like Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Minkoff and more, and it didn’t take long for Hollywood’s fashion stars to start showing off their taut tummies.

Crop tops have been cropping up all over the red carpet recently, with everyone, from Rihanna and Kristen Stewart to Christina Ricci, flaunting their midriffs.

Toned abs are certainly a prerequisite for this daring trend, but unlike the belly-button baring crop tops of the ’80s, the latest stomach-showcasing incarnations offer a more subtle and sophisticated (and more forgiving) glimpse at your middle (think: a slit, not a big gaping hole).

The easiest way to pull off this trend is to sport a dress with a center cutout like the Peter Som frock Ricci wore to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.

But if you’re bold enough to bring the crop top back, keep in mind, it’s all about balance: Counter the sexy top with a more conservative hemline and looser fit on bottom, like the three-quarter skirt Rihanna wore on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show red carpet or the tailored trousers Stewart sported for the On the Road premiere.

Keep the look modern by sticking to a simple and sophisticated palette. Black and white is ultra chic (bonus: black bottoms will have a slimming effect).

If you want to venture outside crisp neutrals, look to Ricci’s jewel-toned Peter Som dress again for inspiration. The dark navy offers a slimming non-black base, and subtle maroon and emerald color-blocking livens up the look without sacrificing its sophistication.

Check out all the stars who dared to bare their bellies on the red carpet in our gallery.

Are bare midriffs a trend to try or pass by? Weigh in on the trend below.

Get our take on more daring red carpet styles in the video below.