I was chatting with some customers and they asked me why anyone would ever wear a slip. I'm going to let you in on a little secret...I wear slips! I've worn them since I was a young girl and I still wear them depending on the dress I have on.
Let me tell you about the kinds of slips there are and why you might think about wearing one! I'm not going to cover all the foundation garments ~ shapewear, and crinolines have been covered in past blogs ~ slips offer a different kind of layering.
The full slip has a attached bust and skirt, and looks like a thin fabric dress. It often has adjustable spaghetti straps and lace trim. Older styles are made of a thicker fabric with very little give and sometimes even have a zipper! Newer styles are stretchy and more forgiving.
Ad for colorful full slips (and a cat!)
A half slip is just that! It's the skirt of a full slip meant to cover your thighs and goes from your waist to mid thigh or longer. It usually has an elasticized waistband, lace trim at the bottom, and sometimes a slit at the hem for easy movement.
Example of a lace trimmed half slip.
Why did these classic undergarments decline in popularity? Because dresses and skirts now tend to be lined, whereas in the past they were not.
Why would you ever want to wear a slip?
- If your dress is a light color, a thin fabric, or sheer, you might want to wear a slip so it's not see through. It's for modesty.
- If it's a windy day and you want to avoid wardrobe malfunctions with a dress or skirt blowing up in the breeze.
- If it's cold out it can be used as an extra layer for warmth.
- It can be the layer between you and itchy fabric.
- It can prevent static cling.
- It can be an extra layer between you and your dress, to keep your dress cleaner for another wear.
- Lace peeking out can be sexy, and make you feel sexy.
- Way back when, it was just considered "the proper thing to do". But you can make up your own mind on that one!
- Last (but not least) they can be used as loungewear or nightgowns. Just as Liz Taylor in Butterfield 8.
p.s. If you hear someone say "It's snowing in the south." It means your slip is showing!
Shop our crinolines, petti pants, and slips!
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A few of the Cats Like Us blogs come from conversations with customers, and here are some of the more popular ones. If you have a question, just ask and we'll try to answer it!
~ Julie Ann