The Almighty Slip

by Liz Heather in ,


What is a slip? What a foolish question!

"A slip is a woman’s undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to help it hang smoothly and to prevent chafing of the skin from coarse fabrics such as wool. Slips are also worn for warmth, and to protect fine fabrics from perspiration. A full slip hangs from the shoulders, usually by means of narrow straps, and extends from the breast to the fashionable skirt length. A half slip hangs from the waist. Slips are often worn to prevent the show through of intimate undergarments such as panties or a brassiere." (Wikipedia)

Why do I wear a slip? So many reasons!

  • They’re usually silky as hell - and if it isn’t silk then it’s definitely that other fabric that’s like silk, but less expensive and they sell it at The Gap - both of those fabrics feel wonderful against my skin.
  • On a windy day, a slip is tight enough to cling to your body and stay in place while whatever wild skirt you’re wearing flies up in every direction.
  • That last point is a big one, did you hear me? Read it again.
  • They’re beautiful and comfortable as hell to sleep in at night. Also, if you’re sleeping alongside someone? Well, you’re gonna be classy as hell to wake up next to.
  • Most other women these days do not wear slips, (so really this should be a post about why you shouldn’t buy/wear one so I can keep being somewhat vaguely unique) and that makes me trust wearing one even more, for whatever reason.
  • There are some beautiful ones that have a lace trim at the very bottom, so that when you’re wearing a skirt or dress, you can see the slip a bit at the bottom sticking out. This is too hot a thing to have happen and almost illegally sexy. 
  • I have this theory that fancy women in the old days never wanted to have their skin actually touch anything. Example? Men holding doors open, constant hat-wearing, fancy gloves being worn all year round. Really, what was with all that glove wearing? You know, those beautiful gloves that women would wear even in the hottest weather? I love that! I have those gloves! (Though I can only bring myself to wear them on special occasions.) And with a slip, I just think women didn’t want their precious bodies to touch any sort of material that interacted with their day. Maybe I’m reaching in this reasoning, but I like it - so I’ll believe it and adhere to it. 

Reasons To Wear A Slip

  1. You are a dignified lady of substance.
  2. You are not a dignified lady of substance, but you yearn to seem as such.
  3. You are not Marilyn Monroe. As a gust of wind blows your dress up into the air, even if you look marvelous in this moment, you did not create it, she did. You pale in comparison, so please don’t attempt this. 

Where can you buy them? I’d search online first, mainly because any time I come across them in a store it’s always by happy accident (past accidents have included The Gap, Victoria’s Secret and even The Bay). I would post some photos of my own collection of slips, but now… is that something a dignified lady would do?