A slip is a woman's
undergarment
Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
worn beneath a
dress
A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that co ...
or
skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts ar ...
. 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 (or ''waist slip'') hangs from the waist. The word
''petticoat'' may also be used for half slips.
Purposes
Slips serve various purposes. They help a dress or skirt hang properly, especially when
static cling
Static cling is the tendency for light objects to stick (cling) to other objects owing to static electricity. It is common in clothing, but occurs with other items, such as the tendency of dust to be attracted to, and stick to, plastic items.
...
might otherwise cause the dress to wrap around the wearer's legs.
They protect the skin from chafing against coarse
fabrics
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
such as
wool; conversely, if the outer garment is made of fine fabric, a slip protects it from perspiration. A slip may be worn for warmth, especially if the dress or skirt is lightweight and thin, whereas in very warm or humid climates, a slip made entirely from
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
may be desired. Slips are often worn to prevent the show-through of intimate undergarments such as
panties
Panties (in American English; also called pants, undies, or knickers in British English) are a form of women's underwear. Panties can be form-fitting or loose. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genit ...
or a
brassiere
A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, or ; ), is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover breasts. It can serve a range of other practical and aesthetic purposes, including enhancing or reducing the appear ...
. A slip may also be used to prevent a silhouette of the legs showing through clothing when standing in front of a bright light source.
Types
Slips fall into two major categories. A full slip hangs from the shoulders by straps that extend down to the top of the breast area, with a skirt below the bust. Full slips come in a variety of lengths; some extend down to the upper thigh, some to just above the knees, or just below the knees, while others go down to just above the ankles.
A waist slip, "half slip", or "underskirt", is held on to the body around the waist by means of an elastic waistband. The waist slip is also available in the same lengths as the aforementioned full slip. Waist slips that extend down to just above the ankle are often called formal slips, or ''maxi slips''. ''Mini slips'' are yet another size option for waist slips. They were first introduced in the 1960s to wear under a mini skirt.
American Maid manufactured waist slips that had vents and a rear
zipper
A zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, camping ...
in addition to the elastic waistband. These slips were made of half
nylon and half dacron
polyester. As an alternative to the full slip, a waist slip with a matching
camisole
A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment or innerwear typically worn by women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, silk, or cotton.
Historical definition
Historically, ''camisole'' referred to jackets ...
can be worn to provide full coverage.
There is also similar garment designed to be worn under thin or light-colored slacks, called ''trouserslips'' or ''pettipants''. In addition to pants, a
pettipant may also be worn under a dress or skirt, and like slips, they are mainly made of nylon or as a layer of luxury, in silk.
Decorations and fabric
Many slips have floral
lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
at the hem, vents or sideslits. Some of the older slips have decorations, such as a butterfly or flowers sewn into the fabric of the slip, and a pillowtab was also added to the waistband of a waist slip.
The vast majority of modern slips are made entirely of nylon, while others are made from polyester,
rayon,
acetate,
silk or in some cases
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
. Still, there are others made of blends, and the label of the garment might read, for example, "40% nylon, 35% rayon, 25% polyester". Nylon slips are often shiny in appearance, and are very smooth to the touch, while polyester slips can even be more shiny with a real slippery feel, especially
charmeuse
Charmeuse (), from the French word for female charmer, is a lightweight fabric woven with a satin weave, in which the warp threads cross over four or more of the backing (weft) threads. These float threads give the front of the fabric a smooth, ...
or "
satin
A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...
" slips. Although charmeuse slips have very attractive eye appeal, they are not as durable as nylon slips, and often tear very easily, especially when wet.
Most of the slips made since the late 20th century are plain and lacking in detail. Intricate decorations and lace designs are almost completely absent from modern-day slips.
History
Slips made in the 1940s were mainly made entirely of rayon due to the
war effort. In the late 1940s, some nylon slips began to appear on the market, and the vast majority of slips made in the 1950s were nylon. In the 1960s, slips were offered in a much greater variety of colours, including multi-coloured slips. Slips with a floral print design were also made available. Some of the most well known slip brand names of the past are:
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
,
Dior,
Velrose,
Shadowline,
Wondermaid,
Warner's,
Kayser,
Maidenform and
Van Raalte. There are well established slip/lingerie manufacturers still in operation today such as
Vanity Fair,
Vassarette and
Sliperfection.
With the rise of
athleisure
Athleisure is a hybrid style of athletic clothing typically worn as everyday wear. Athleisure outfits can include yoga pants, tights, sneakers, leggings and shorts that look like athletic wear, characterized as "fashionable, dressed-up sweats a ...
and comfort dressing, slips were worn less, because they were unnecessary with the popular clothing.
Other usages
The word "slip" has come to refer to a number of other
undergarments
Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
. In
German,
French, and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
the word “slip“ is commonly used for
panties
Panties (in American English; also called pants, undies, or knickers in British English) are a form of women's underwear. Panties can be form-fitting or loose. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genit ...
. (This is a
false friend, as is the use of
"le smoking" to describe a
tuxedo jacket.) "Slip" is also sometimes used for the
brief style of men's underwear. In the
incontinence product market, the word "slip" is often used as a
euphemism for an
adult diaper or nappy, typically the "all-in-one" style that is worn by fastening on with adhesive tapes, similar to a larger version of the disposable ones worn by babies.
Since the 1980s,
dresses closely based on slips have become very popular.
References
Notes
Sources
* Barbier, Muriel & Boucher, Shazia (2003). ''The Story of Lingerie''. Parkstone.
* Saint-Laurent, Cecil (1986). ''The Great Book of Lingerie''. Academy editions.
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1980s fashion
1990s fashion
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Women's clothing