With Summer in the air and Warmer days ahead the slip dress returns as controversial as always …
Slip popularity
The secret of the slip popularity as a symbol is partly its ambiguity, the way it both reveals and obscures, more than any other garment it implies a story. A slip worn during the day can look like a half dressed story or an outfit half finished.
From the closet to couture
The slip style dress returns again for Summer 2023 in both variations of smooth silky sexy clingy suggestive but when Versace sent the blue reworked slip the slip debate began again …
Versace
“Women’s bodies are curvy,sensual, it’s about being happy to be a woman - and sexy is always good.”
— Donatella Versace
High street to Couture
For seasons, designers have tinkered with bra tops and slip dresses, disguising them with rhinestone and beads, but this season the couture houses have added embroidery, exquisite appliqué, lace panels with sheer and chiffon fabrics and ruffled hems. The tease of the Versace slip dresses, bras peeking, wet hair framing the face bare shoulders blatantly sexy, side splits, worn for the evening dressed up or with a chunky or vintage beaded cardigan, add an evening bag or carry a basket the Slip dress is back in Vogue.
Versace
The 1950s brought the slip its heyday the most famous actresses were paraded in front of millions on film, magazines and billboards and the question is whether everything we have come to associate with the slip, all the naughtiness and sexual tease that these slips suggested is still as glamorous 70 years on.
Early Long slip style
This early image of Lauren Bacall photographed for Harper’s Bazaar by Louise Dahl Wolfe 1940s
WWD
Cat on a hot tin roof 1958
The Helen Rose white slip worn by Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie is probably the most stunning long slip ever seen on film. The slip was copied and sold throughout the coming years known as The Cat. Taylor was widowed 2 weeks into filming due to her weight loss the dress was adjusted to refit her new shape. MGM
Naughty but nice ?
When Elizabeth Taylor took on the role of Gloria in the 1960s film Butterfield 8 never had a slip been filled so spectacularly on screen. The white lace trim, close fitting structured slip needed only the scotch and cigar to complete the naughty look. When Laurence Harvey tells her she’s wonderful
She corrects him
“Wild is the word”
WWD
“Your dress should be tight enough to show you’re a woman but loose enough to show you’re a lady.
Marilyn Monroe
Slips of beads & skin
Marilyn (free images)
Invited by Bobby Kennedy to sing to his brother President Kennedy on his 45th birthday in New York’s Madison Square garden already a huge fan of slip dresses she asked the French born designer Jean -Louis to design a nude dress of jewels that would give a naked appearance under the lights.
The telegraph
The dress
Glamour
The dress was designed with 2,500 rhinestones the actress paid $1440 in 1962 the equivalent today of $15,000. Covering her bare shoulders a white mink wrap from Frank Sinatra.The man in this picture was her date for the night her former Father in law Isidore Miller.
The telegraph
Sewn in
Sewn in to the gown Monroe could only walk geisha like across the stage to sing and resulted to jumping up and down after singing unable to walk.The dress was sold by her estate and is currently owned by Ripley’s believe it or not. The price paid was 5 million dollars.
1960s style
Worn the right way the slip is one of the most emotionally suggestive items a woman has in the wardrobe. Originally just an undergarment shimmying the skin, by the 1970s the slip had been reworked to evening wear.
1970s style
The decade of disco and studio 54, designers like Houston produced dance ready slip dresses leaving little to the imagination. Farrah stole the Oscar headlines in this 1978 dress by Steven Burrows the gold metallic design backless sexy and desirable.
image Vogue
Scarface 1983
Michelle Pfeiffer in a blue backless satin dressed designed by Patricia Norris almost stole the film from Al Pacino.
90s Nostalgia
In the 90s the slip returned the seductive look streamlined, feminine focused on the appeal of the early 50s, designers recreated the slip with every imaginable detail. The early 90s version were thigh length tight fitting and lace trimmed . By the mid 90s the fuller length style was back, worn either as a glamorous gown or dress down with a T-shirt for a grunge inspired twist.
Short style
Versace ,Chanel Valentino
Marc Jacobs the Grunge look complete with boots . Vogue
The slip has also emerged to become a skirt itself and a vintage slip has become a day time dress it adds mystery of both modesty and forbidden intimacy
Kate Moss 1993
1993
The dress was borrowed from designer Lisa Bruce for a photo shoot. The sheer metallic bias gown was accessorised with a black thong a bottle of beer and a cigarette.
Elite Model Party
“It wasn’t my agency I don’t know what I was doing there . I had no idea why everyone was so excited in the darkness of Corinne's flat in Soho it was not see through “
Kate Moss
image Dave Benett
1995
I can pinpoint my love affair with chiffon vintage dresses to this show for me, it was ground breaking. A beautiful, silky, classy collection. I loved every dress but totally unable to buy anything I spent my time visiting Portobello, Camden and thrift stores for what I gather were slinky nightdresses that I could rework into something I could hopefully pull off as a near copy.
Calvin Klein Spring 1995
My love
Poor picture quality but I pulled this out of a magazine in 1995 the skirts and dress such glamour
Diana
Diana Princess of Wales wore this beautiful midnight blue full length slip dress when she attended the 1996 Costume Gala at the Met in New York with matching bag both from Christian Dior.
Daily Mail
Photographed by Steven Meisel these mid 90s images of Madonna were shot in black and white for Versace reflections of the 1950s glamour.
Instyle .WWD .HBO
A slip dress new or vintage demonstrated by the wonderful Carrie Bradshaw isn’t plain old underwear it packs a special wallop. Some of the appeal is that the woman on the street in a slip appears out of context, allowing passersby a glimpse of the forbidden lace panel and long side split a deep v neck plunge.
2020 heels, boots, belts how will you style it ?.
Harpers Bazaar
Star style
Angelina
Long or short slips always stunning
in Style
Silky stylish only Rihanna adds jewellery, Nicole and Rosie opt for small discreet neutral bags
Gracia
The slip can be worn as one simple garment but not looking like a bridesmaid or nightdress and when is to much skin on show …to much
Styling the slip
Unforgettable
Wrong cut, fit, lace detail colour, shine, bag tiaras only for children royalty or a bride ELLE
Age appropriate
Leave the shorter slips unless you can rock your look to others…ok for the home or worn over jeans or leggings with a black blazer.
WWD
Getting it right
Length
The stunning Spanish model and tv presenter Nieves Alvarez wears all 3 lengths so beautifully small bag no necklace. but THEN with a necklace it’s hands free, keep it simple.
Over 50 style
Elle
Top tips
1 .Minimalism is key keep it plain and simple.
2 .Straps ..I buy adjustable giving the option of a t-shirt and necklace length when possible if you buy strapless make sure you have the right underneath garments and remember to practice your moves before you commit from bending forward for the taxi or throwing your hands up dancing, you want people to remember you not the time you lost your dress.
3. Buy for your real shape this is where the Spandx comes in useful for ironing out those bumps. Play up your best features.
4. The cut either loose and let it casually fall from the straps or on the bias. The bias will hug the bust waist and hips the fabric quality is essential, good quality silk be careful with Lycra and jersey no static required, Unless you are Kate Moss check the transparency under both lights.
5 Splits this again depending on your body are you showing a tanned trim leg or a flabby varicose vein check what’s visible.
Earrings Necklace
Plain colour
Not tight
Three quarter length
Leather jacket
High street slips my picks
Zara new season these are the best picks averaging £29
Zara
Calvin Klein
£95 metallic silver
Finishing touches
At 54 I’m conscious of showing too much skin it really is a deep breath and fasten your seatbelt dress. I hate my arms in these dresses but my shoulders look good. The hot flushes arriving when I’m in a tight fitting garment is bad enough without looking like a burst tomato as well.
1 .Small box or evening bag
2 .A shoulder wrap or pashmina just wrap the neck or top of the arms
3 .Faux fur trim
4 .Earrings keep the attention at eye level
5. Necklaces draw attention to your neckline
6. .Avoid lace, transparent panels and heavy detail
7 .Length I wear mid in the Summer and in the Winter, the more covered the better
8. .Mix it up wear as a skirt or dress (below)
skirt / dress
Dress/skirt
My style
This is my favourite dress it’s from Zara a few years back. It’s a great colour, a longer length, I always wear vintage jewellery and a vintage bag.
Any occasion
The Row
I’ve had this dress a few years but it always feels and looks right. Adding jewellery is a great way to dress plain black and I wear it dressed down with a vintage leather jacket.
Ghost
A silk slip dress in pale grey from Ghost ready for evening with a vintage wrap and pearl necklace.
Satin
Bias cut
This dress has a side zip it’s a bias cut with a slight stretch worth the effort to wear. The colour is a great match for a tan I wear with a faux fur wrap or a cashmere cardigan.
Another all vintage look a knee length slip that’s adjustable from Rellick in West London
Red vintage
Covering the shoulders
Faux fur wrap
Taken at London fashion week cold in between shows
Bolero
A vintage beaded dress from Portobello road.
Getting it right
Work slip
Lunch slip
“Its not how you wear the dress,it’s about the life you live in it .”
— Diana Vreeland
Time to shine
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