Slips, bras, no show panties and others archived

I LOVE slips! Although they are not new (mostly from my pre-family work days), I have a huge collection of them. I have my summer (100% cotton) slips, my rest of the year slips (nylon), 1/2 slips with matching camisoles and full slips. I have everything I just listed in both nude and black. Add to these my silk "long john" selection and you can imagine what a mess my top drawer is!

I agree that slips just smooth everything out and give a more finished look. They also prevent the dreaded "see through" skirt (and crotch shot) when standing in front of a sunset and they protect garments from excess perspiration. I also think I wear them because I imagine how cool it would be to have 3 petticoats; one functional one next to your body, one for shape and fullness, and a decorative one on top.

OK, I admit it - sometimes I love being a girl!

Questions: I have many silk, jersey silk and fine cotton dresses. Some are wrap dresses others not. With a wrap dress, how would a slip work? Usually the v in the wrap dress is deep. I have a really great plunge bra that I can wear with these dresses but then I'm always thinking about the bottoms! Would a slip have a deep enough v to not show? Also, what underwear, if any, do you wear with slips? Does it ever seem like there's too much material going on under your dress?

I would wear a short (but not tight) half slip and a thong underneath a silky wrap dress. The bottom V in the wrap dress should stop before a short half slip. I have also cut some very large V shapes out of my inexpensive nylon half slips for just this purpose. No hemming needed! Don't just cut a slit, cut a full V. The fabric removed should look like a slice of pie!

Does the wrap dress have a waistline with a skinny self-tie belt? Smooth all layers carefully at this "junction" ;-)

Fine cotton dresses are much, much more forgiving and require fewer strategies!

I have never worn a slip, but to get a more flattering shape and avoid panty lines, I would recommend Spanx power panties.

I am not all that fond of Spanx because they are not "slippery" enough under some clothes!

I too am not a fan of Spanx. I bought a few items after having Kibbeboy 2 because I found I could still get into my regular sized clothes if I had a little "help". Spanx did that for me but even after I lost the baby weight and decided to try them again, I found them binding around the waist. With Spanx half hose, they always roll up. It's irritating to me and yes, I'm buying the correct size. Strange.

My wrap dresses have that small string as a belt. A few of them are super long, which is nice because I find I can tie a design with them. I love the idea of wearing a half slip with thong for wrap dresses. Thanks!

What are full slips used for?

Sheer dresses, and often knit dresses.

I'm older, and I agree with kmk. If a dress isn't lined, very often a slip will help the dress fall nicely and smoothely as it should. It will keep it from sticking to you in places that you don't want it to, especially in a/c and heat when sometimes static will cause cling. Too, it will save you from show-through between your legs etc. when you're outside. I get the impression that they fell out of fashion after the '70's or so, but I can't tell you how many times I've seen otherwise nicely dressed young women at work show evidence that their dress isn't lined and they're not wearing a slip.

Some fibre composition is made precisely to avoid cling. I'd recommend going to a good department store (L&T, Macy's, etc.) and buying one or two half slips (a short, and a knee-ish length) in tan or black depending on your wardrobe. They come in lengths like 16", 18", 21" etc. Really help the flow of the dress. I think, too, I've seen some control versions of slips, FWIW.

I have some long wool sweater dresses that I wear with boots and a low-slung belt. The full length slips are good for those because they don't have a waist to hide the half slip waist (and they stop the itch as well.) I also wear full length slips with some of my light-weight dresses that are not lined. Slips take an inexpensive dress and give it the "polish" that better dresses have with built-in linings.

I have even bought an inexpensive full slip, cut it up rather haphazardly and stitched the entire thing (VERY quickly by hand) into my daughter's spaghetti-strapped sundress minutes before an afternoon lawn party started! As a result she looked like a well pulled-together young lady, not a "floozy" with a see through sundress on.

I never knew this was going on under there. Girls are so difficult.

I have spanx full slips. They are really whats called for...best of all worlds. Most dresses I won't wear without these things. I believe strongly in the power of the right undergarments.

Nothing like good "foundations garments." Sometimes the Spanx slips ren't necessary, like with a swing dress (I mean, why suffer), and a regular slip is sufficient. Oh, and I have found the best and cheapest no-show panties for times when you don't want to wear a thong (I have an irrational fear of falling down in a dress with only a thong underneath). They are Hanes no-show 180-degree stretch. They come in a two-pack at Target in nude and black. The are teeny tiny looking, but stretch to fit. They don't ride up, and I swear do not show a line. They come in bikini or low-rise brief. Way more comfortable than a thong.

bootsie, the Hanes No Show are absolutely great, aren't they? HanesPlace.com is having a big sale and I ordered more. They come in a variety of great colors and styles and they really do stay in place. I gave them a try because Victoria's Secret stopped carrying my favorite no show/no slip panties. The Hanes have really proven to be a great fit!

BTW, could someone recommend slip brands (besides Spanx) that they are happy with?

Thanks for the sale tip! I'm going to stock up. Do you find that these get lost in the wash because they are so tiny?! They keep turning up in funny places.

As for slips, Vanity Fair still makes good standard slips. So does Bali. I have even picked up a couple of Vassarette slips at Wal-mart on trips when I found I didn't bring the right one. They have held up fine, too, and come in a lot of different lengths.

I second the brands bootsie cites. I'm sure there are pricier brands (Olga or whatever) if you go to a higher end store, but I mostly stick to those. A plus with those brands is they usuall also sell fairly plain camisole tops to go with, should you need them for sheer or itchy tops. Together they're kind like a full slip. I have a very smooth satiny looking set from VF that's proved useful. Has side slits but you can twist it around so the slits in the front or back if your dress has a back slit or is a shirt dress.

You might get a kick out of this site, which sells a lot of brands...

http://www.herroom.com/slips.aspx

I love slips (petticoats - I'm old-fashioned!!) but because I perspire heavily around my waist I can't wear them up here in the sub-tropics unless they're in natural fibres and full-length. I also have issues about the length of so-called 'full-length' (which is usually half-way up my thigh, exposing a nasty knee-scar), and static cling. So when I'm buying good bras I'll also check out the slips sections of the bra shop and talk to the fitter - as most of my fitters have been former dressmakers, they think along 'dress lining' lines and I get excellent buys.

Don't you just feel better dressed and gorgeous when you're wearing a great bra and slip combo?? Nearly as good as having terrific shoes! I think I have better posture/more confident deportment 'dressed like a lady'. :wink:

Amen, Joanne. Plus, I can feel my mother tsk-tsking if I leave the house without a slip or with mismatched foundation garments! I mean, what if I got in an accident?

Another slip tip: Don't get one with a lot of lace at the bottom for winter dresses. The lace will cling to tights and defeat the whole purpose of a slip.

But lace is made for summer - and for wrap skirts!!! that tantalising glimpse as you walk, or as a breeze flips the hem of your dress....I love palest pink or white slips with lace in summer....(I wear a lot of white, so white lawn [muslin] is better than nude synthetic, gives a more solid protection to silhouette)

I just thought of another one - wearing evening dresses without a petti...that is just sooooooo wrong!!! (Unless the dress is lined) It just feels cheap and half-dressed, not elegant or sexy like a present wanting to be unwrapped...

I went through a phase when I thought slips were not necessary. I think it was rebellion from my Catholic school days when I was required to wear a slip under my uniform skirt. :devil: A few years ago I realized that slips can be a godsend. They just smooth everything and are helpful on sunny days. I am in my 30s and am probably in the minority of my friends who where them. I find that Lord & Taylor has a great selection. I found one at Target recently, when I was in a pinch. I used to have a full slip that made me feel so feminine. I think it is time for another! I also like the half slip/camisole combo but found that I usually needed a different color camisole than slip.

Also at Target, Hanes sells spanx-like undergarments. I have Spanx, but I needed something that was not so severe. The Hanes one is not as pinchy and gave me a much smoother line in a way more comfy fabric.

This is an enlightening thread. I have never worn a slip in my life.

Then there's the Target knockoff of Spanx called "Assets". Cracks me up.

I always get really good Spanx knockoffs at TJ Maxx and Marshalls

I thought this was going to be more fun than it is.

Posted By: bootsieThen there's the Target knockoff of Spanx called "Assets". Cracks me up.

...brought to you by the same person who brought you (not me) Spanx.

I am not a fan of the no-show underwear. Bare all.

This is a timely topic, given that the new season of Mad Men starts next week. Talk about fabulous underwear.

Corporette.com recently addressed the topic of slips, and had a suggestion for a good one:

http://corporette.com/2009/08/06/thursdays-tps-report-commando-slipologys-20-full-slip/

Ha! Love the Mad Men reference. Now those ladies knew how to wear an undergarment. I still can't figure our Joan's "bullet" bras! Joan's breasts often look like weapons!

I think Hanes.com sells Vanity Fair and Bali. I'll check it out. Speaking of Hanes, I've never lost any undies in the wash, but I do love the fact that after several washings, these panties are indestructable. The cotton just as soft and smooth and still no pulls, gathers or discomfort. Really a great panty.

Does Annie Sez sell slips?

Some, but its a crap shoot as to whether the length etc. you need is there. I always browse that dept as I often find Wacoal bras for like $12.99!

I have found some of my best and most affordable slips at Sears and Penny's. I chuckle because they often carry more stock in the Plus and Plus, Plus, Plus sizes than the regular sizes. I always imagine that the client

As I've always suspected...women's undergarments, like most other women's clothing is meant to impress...other women.

The fact that us guys find it attractive would be called an ancillary benefit. lol