10 ways to style a slip

I read an article recently about how the sale of slip dresses has been dramatically declining in the last few years. Many reasons can contribute to declining sales. Wearing a slip under your dress for modesty is an outdated concept. Most dresses these days are deigned to show as much skin as possible. Another reason for the lack of necessity for a slip is that the fabric we use is fashion has changed. Our clothes no longer have to be robust and last years. With fast fashion we don’t expect it to last past a season until we throw it away, so why would we invest in a slip to protect the garments from sweat and body odour? Our clothes are generally very soft to wear as well with the tech advances in the garment industry. No longer are our skirts and dresses made from scratchy wool rendering the poor old slip almost obsolete in modern society.

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I tend to buy one or two new slips a year, usually ones made from fine silk. I find my slips to be the most useful lingerie/clothing I own.

I know these styles guides have been done a thousand times by bloggers but I’ve never really seen the fashion bloggers expand upon the versatility of a good slip dress past layering it over a white t-shirt. This particular type of slip dress styling has saturated the market for the last few years so much so, that Zimmerman created a slip dress with an inbuilt t-shirt. Missed the point much…. I’m going to show you today how to style this versatile piece of silk for many different occasions using everyday items from my wardrobe.

1. Classic t-shirt/slip combo. Ok so lets start with the obvious, the classic white t-shirt under a slip dress. It’s a classic for a reason and you can pretty much wear this combo anyway. Wear it with sneakers and a shirt tied around your waist for a more casual look or with heels and a leather jacket when you’re out to dinner. The options are seriously endless and It always looks effortless and it’s so easy to wear! I love wearing mine with a long t-shirt underneath so I can wear my slip multiple times before I have to wash it again.
2. Polo neck for winter. The seasonal option for layering under a slip dress is a beautiful wool/silk/cashmere fine polo neck. Team with opaque tights, ankle boots  and voluminous coat and you are good to go.  It’s basically the winter version of the white t-shirt. I like to wear mine with leather leggings when it gets extra cold.
3. I like a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket…. Don’t feel confident enough to wear a short slip out on its own? The solution to ease yourself into the style is wear it with a floor length long sleeve cardigan. I like to wear an oversized jacket over a short slip dress and play with proportions.
4. Thigh highs and choker. This is not one for the fainthearted. This look is a little more extreme and definitely more for a night out rather than just popping down to the shops and buying some milk. It takes the slip from the bedroom, to a night out then back to the bedroom all with 3 not so little accessories.
5. Matching sleep shirt. Want to go out into the world only wearing your pj’s without wearing the shirt/pant combo? Wear a matching sleep shirt open over your slip dress, add lots of fine jewellery and slides. This is a slightly more original take on the Pj trend. 
6. High waisted jeans. You may have seen lots of silk camisole tops around but why buy two items when you just need one. The slip dress acts the same way as a camisole, just tuck it in and add a belt. I’ve tried this even with my tightest jeans and results with minimal bulk.
7. Sheer dresses. So going back to how slip dresses were traditional worn with this one. It’s really easy to pull off and no one will be the wiser of your sneaky lingerie as outerwear but actually underwear outfit.
8. Pure lingerie. High neck bras are a staple of this look. Wear suspender briefs with stockings and some boudoir mules.
9. Wrap it up. A summer friendly option. Simply wear a light wrap top and some cool sandals, If it gets too hot you can just take it off…
10. Dress over dress. Instead of wearing your slip under your dress, why not try it over?         

So know that this isn’t the most stylish style guide ever and I may have gone over board with editing the photos #funwithfilters, but I just wanted to share my love of the slip! I want to know, how do you style your slips? If you want to show me on Instagram use the hashtag #showmeyourslip 🙂

Main slip worn in photos is from Luna Atelier.