For years, before I’d go to bed every night, I’d spend at least half an hour planning my outfit for the next day. Taking note of the weather and the occasion, I lovingly prepared something that would show off all of my best assets. Essentially, I put a lot of care into what I wore.

But there was always one big flaw in my fleshed out plan: I needed something to carry my things. Bags are heavy, problematic, and they would cover up the outfit that took me hours of painstaking preparation. Pockets are uncomfortable and they’d make things bulge where they definitely should not. So, what was I to do? The idea hit me one day when I accidentally put on my seven-year-old sister’s jeans. A nice little shelf of stomach poured out over the top, and I realized that it would be the perfect place to store my cell phone, money, pens, and the like.

At first, I wasn’t sure what the name of this attractive alternative pack was. I’ve always heard that this layer of fat is taboo in our society of perfect abs, stick-thin figures, and Giselle Bundchen look-a-likes, and I’ve often seen others cringe at the mere mention of it. But, after just a few days of indulgence, I became a follower of the engrossing trend that I now know to be called the muffin top.

Why do we hate the muffin top anyway? We avoid it like the plague without even considering its usefulness. If we can all subscribe to the fashion of tote bags, fanny packs, and cargo pants, we can just as easily switch to the more practical muffin top. It’s a more discreet, subtle, and safe—honestly, who is going to mug your muffin top?—way to carry around everything you need.

Now is the best time to follow this trend. It’s the season of crop tops, made precisely to be the warm butter to the muffin top. The only ingredients you need are pants that are between three and five sizes too small (proportionate to how much you are planning to carry) and a crop top, tank top, or halter top. Minimal preparation time, and it satisfies all of your cravings for convenience and style.