Let's talk more about Foundation Garments: Slips for every occasion

Help lovely people.

Let's delve deeper into foundation garments, shall we.

I'm going to back track a bit, and talk about what I did near the start of the previous post. I commented that I consider all things that go beneath the fashion layer to be foundation garments, and I do. Whether you are going for a 20s look, or a 40's statement, having all the right pieces that help the outer layer drape the way you want are crucial to the look.

1920s Lane Bryant

That's why it often saddens me that slips and under dresses don't get the love they deserve. Having sewn for Playclothes for over a year (yay), I can tell you that some amazing pieces have come my way in need of some grand repairs. Often these undergarments have the most amazing details. Such beautiful action paid to these things that you rarely see. I completely understand collectors now when I come upon a fantastic vintage slip in a store. Like that corset cover I restored a while back...

But some are more style than function, and often, you need a slip to do it's job outside of look pretty on a hangar. That's why I took to making my own a long time ago. A lot of styles call for a functional slip or underdress and often they can be hard to come by with your desired neckline.

The grand thing is there are so many slip patterns to indulge in. I mean really!

 

 Fhew! The list goes on and on...

CMO 1940s

Sears 1940s

Taking these as reference, as I seed my own clothes I began to fill in the gaps in my own wardrobe. 

As a staple, I made some half slips. I remember seeking out fabric to make these. These are made from a cheap nylon/polly that is relatively static free. That is why a lot of early slips were silk, static free. These are half slips with an elastic waist that I made to hit at the center of the knee in three colors: Cream, red, and navy. Those cover just about every color I'd wear so the slip isn't too stark. These are not flared slips either. I can get a wide stance in them if I dance, but that's about it.

The next one I made a kind of an under dress for some of the sheer dresses I made, 20s style. This is cotton to drape well beneath the polly fabric I used for the over dresses. I'm not a big fan of cotton slips, they have no real drape, just body, but some people love them. I wear this with my 20s garb.

Here is another under dress I made for cooler weather. I made it out of a thick cotton twill and if I wore it for cold, I'd still use my half slip earlier mentioned beneath it. This slip I made from the McCall 5790 and its totally straight forward. As you can see, this thing is HUGE now. So I'm planning on taking it in, but no too much. I still want good movement.

Aside from slips, if I'm waring a garter and stockings, I made about 5 pairs of cotton pantaloons. The legs are elastic and long enough to cover the garter clips. That protects the stocking and my legs. They have a button on the waist and an open side. These are so comfy and I can just toss them in the wash.

If I am dancing, I have these. Pretty much biker shorts I sewed elastic lace to the bottom of. These are great for dancing and give a bit of shape as well so I don't look totally horrible in my dresses. I also wear these for everyday.

Aside from the aforementioned arsenal, I do have a few vintage slips, though, I don't really wear them.

This is a beautiful off white rayon slip I have. The only way I can describe it is 'creamy' in color and fabric texture. Sadly, it's too short to wear and cuts off mid thigh to me. By the time I've walked two steps its gathered around my waist. Don't you have that!?

And lastly, this amazing 50s rayon slip was a gift from a friend. I added the lace on the bottom because I wanted to wear the slip with a floor length gown. Again, the all in one slips are not really my thing because I wear undershirts beneath everything. Still, I do love to have the vintage slips. They are so cool.

And that brings us back to this, because under everything I mentioned, this is what is touching the skin the most. I've removed the cups and cut the crotch opening out. I'm planning on hacking it to be an OBG with garters and straps (but I'll wear my own bra). So far, so good, really. I'll have more shortly and perhaps some chat on stockings, too :)

Have a great day all!!