O, The Oprah Magazine, Apologizes for Crop Top Article

— -- The crop top is this summer’s hottest trend, and now O, The Oprah Magazine, is apologizing after publishing an article that says, “Can you pull off a crop top? If (and only if!) you have a flat stomach, feel free to try one."

Those words launched a controversy that’s gone viral with more than 4,000 women posting to Instagram with the hashtag “Rock the Crop,” defiantly rejecting the advice that only women with flat stomachs should wear the look. Readers also expressed disappointment in the magazine that so many turn to for its emphasis on body positivity and encouragement to be your best self.

“I was really surprised to see that level of body shaming coming from Oprah Magazine,” Tamar Anitai, a fashion writer from Brooklyn, told ABC News.

"I was really quite shocked to see the hard and fast rule being set about women’s bodies in a magazine founded and run by Oprah, who’s a woman who is no stranger to being scrutinized by her weight and size.”

Anitai, 36, took to Instagram to protest, writing: "Stop telling women what they CAN'T wear. We can wear and do and be ANYTHING that makes us feel strong, powerful, passionate and in charge of our own destinies. I hope young women and women of any age don't feel like they're restricted by editorially imposed fashion ‘rules.’ The only rules are there are no rules. Wear what you love, what makes you feel confident, and own it. Confidence is power, and it's contagious."

Women around the world, Anitai included, are responding by posting pictures of themselves in crop tops with the #RockTheCrop hashtag.

Marci Robin, a senior contributing editor at XOJane.com, is a size 10-12 and says she’s always been a little bit self-conscious. But she and her coworkers decided to take the plunge and bare their midriffs.

“There’s no reason to be less comfortable in your own skin if you don’t look like a size 4, 2, or 0 model,” said Robin. “Somebody finds you beautiful as the size you are, and more importantly, you can find yourself beautiful at the size you are.”

O Magazine told ABC News, “We support, encourage and empower all women to look great, feel confident and live their best lives. In this case, we could have expressed it better. We appreciate the feedback and will be more mindful going forward.”