Ways You Can Wear Slips

Posted on March 15th, 2023 08:35 AM


The benefits of wearing a slip under your outfit are not spoken about anywhere near enough nowadays. When you buy women’s clothing online, you probably would have seen the plethora of slip dresses as outerwear and may not even consider it if the underwear version still exists. It does! And there are still plenty of reasons modern women would benefit from wearing a slip.

Women’s slips are excellent at creating a smooth silhouette and hiding bumps, lumps, or undergarment lines. Cotton is the perfect fabric for a slip because it is breathable. Cotton can trap air pockets between its fibres, keeping air circulating and your body temperature regulated.

At Cotton Dayz, we have a range of cotton women’s slips available that will enhance any of your outfits for numerous reasons, keeping you cool, comfortable and looking fabulous all day long. So, if you want to buy women’s clothing online, look no further than Cotton Dayz.


What Are Slips?

Women’s slips have traditionally been worn as a mediating layer between the intimate undergarments and the outerwear layer of clothing. They help create a smooth silhouette and prevent wardrobe malfunctions while helping to regulate your body temperature. Slips are unrestrictive to wear and can enhance the curves of your silhouette without the need for restrictive and cinching shapewear. They are slender enough to glide along the body's curves but do not cling or appear bulky.

Women’s slips were first worn in the Middle Ages and were predominantly known as smocks across Europe or chemises in France. They were designed to protect the outerwear layer of clothing from sweat and body oils and provide some relief from the coarse fabrics used to make women’s clothing. They also served as protection of the skin while bathing during the plague. 

Slips were traditionally known as underwear that the general public shouldn’t see. This began to change in the 1700s as the emergence of underwear as an outwear trend gained traction. Marie Antoinette sparked a scandal as she rebelled against the French Courts by being painted in her muslin chemise. The people of France believed their Queen to be painted in her underwear. Although this was alarming then, in hindsight, several clothing items that were once considered underwear have now become outerwear. Even the simple t-shirt was once considered underwear.

Marie Antoinette’s painting scandal was not enough for slips to become a popular form of outerwear, although they remained a popular choice as underwear. Their popularity increased in the early 20th century as cumbersome undergarments continued to fall out of fashion. When flapper dresses became popular, slips became the perfect undergarment to complement the smooth silhouette. Some also believe that flapper dresses are an early form of slip dresses as outerwear.

Advertisements in the early 20th century emphasised that slips were shadow-proof, durable, and cut to never embarrassingly ride up. By the 1940s, slips began to have more definition in the bust and waist with bows or pearl embellishments to add a sexy allure. After WWII, Polish women would wear these beautifully designed slips as day dresses and were ridiculed for not knowing that they were underwear.

When you look to buy women’s clothing online, you may have noticed that nowadays, some slips are designed to be worn as outerwear. This trend gained traction in the 90s as the slip was recreated into a style of outerwear dress. Although it is common to see slip dresses and skirts as outerwear fashion, there is still plenty of reasons why a slip can enhance any of your outfits when worn as underwear.


Ways to Wear Slip Dresses

Depending on the type of slip dress you have will depend on how you style it. Some slip dresses are predominantly designed to be worn as underwear, while others are made of thicker material that will suit being worn as outerwear.

It’s easy to wear a slip as underwear. All you need to do is slip it over your bra and knickers and add your favourite dress on top. Not only can your slip dress be worn under all your dresses that are too sheer, but also under skirts and tops. Ideally, your slip hem should finish at least 5-7 cm above the hemline of your dress. This is so that when you take a stride or sit down, you won’t risk your slip poking out. 

Wearing a slip underneath a dress helps it to flow off your curves better and stops any friction caused by your skin rubbing on the material. This means your dress won’t cling to awkward spots and will keep you looking fabulous all day long. Full women’s slips can also prevent any embroidery, lace, or wires from your bra from showing through the material of your clothes. It helps to create a smooth silhouette without the need for restrictive and cinching shapewear. 

Wearing a slip can also prevent wardrobe malfunctions from occurring. If, for example, you are wearing a wrap dress and a big gust of wind comes, this may cause the front layer of the dress to blow to the side, revealing much more skin than you would have intended. A slip can keep you covered while the dress flows beautifully around you.


Ways to Wear Slip Skirts

Slip skirts or half-slips are ideal for wearing underneath your skirt and top outfits. They can be worn on their own underneath your clothes or with a cami slip. If a shirt is puffy or less fitted, most women will usually opt to wear just the slip skirt. 

Like slip dresses, slip skirts are worn between your underwear and outerwear layer. They are usually suited to wear underneath knee-length or longer skirts with a bit of swish but can also be worn under a sheer material skirt that fits your curves. A slip skirt’s hemline typically needs to be at least 5-7cm above the hemline of your outerwear skirt to avoid it poking out when you take a step or sit down.

Slip skirts are great to wear underneath clothes with either sheer material or no inner lining. If you are wearing a slip underneath a white skirt, opt for a colour closer to your skin tone rather than a white slip. White slips underneath white clothing will typically stand out more.

Women’s slips help to hide the visible panty line as well as it helps to smooth out any bumps or dips that may appear in your outfit. They create a smooth silhouette and smooth out any lines, bumps, or embroidery from your undergarments from showing through your outerwear. A slip skirt will also stop material from bunching in awkward spots ensuring you and your outfit always look the best. They are excellent at preventing your skirts from riding up and can keep you covered if a gust of wind blows your outerwear hemline too high.

Slip skirts can not only prevent any sweat or body oils from seeping through to your outerwear layer, but they also can protect your skin from that layer too. If any of your items of clothing are rough, itchy, or scratchy on your skin, for example, wool, a slip can prevent that from rubbing on your skin, keeping you comfortable and looking absolutely wonderful all day long. 


Buy Slips Online at Cotton Dayz

Slips, whether a skirt, dress or cami slip, can enhance any outfit by creating a smooth silhouette with no undergarment bumps, lumps or embroidery poking through. When you buy women’s clothing online, it sometimes does not come lined, or the material may be thin and sheer. Women’s slips are excellent for wearing under sheer materials to hide the VPL or even just the shadow of your legs in the sun.

Say goodbye to restricting cinching shapewear and hello to the unrestrictive mediating layer of the slip. If you want to buy women’s clothing online, we have a full range of slips here at Cotton Dayz. Check out our range of cami slips, slip skirts, and slip dresses, and stock up on every colour of women’s slips to match every outfit.