11 June 2006

My kingdom for a slip

Oh Tempora, Oh Mores.... (Or, as David believes that I think the phrase goes, "Oh Tempura, Oh Mores")

Well, I can only say that I am glad that neither of my grandmothers lived to see this day.

Yesterday I was wearing a light blue skirt that Mom gave me. Pretty skirt. And in my bedroom completely opaque. But around ten o'clock I went to the ladies' room and in the full-length mirror, I saw that apparently my bedroom light is not the most discriminating light there be. Because I could very clearly see my underpinnings through the skirt.

Ack! This was clearly (oh, tooo clearly) a job for a slip.

So I told my boss that I needed to run out for an hour and I went to the local mall. I searched throughout Ladies' Lingerie at Target and found no slips. I did find a sales lady who told me that they no longer carry them and referred me to Macy's. No luck at Macy's. So I headed up the mall to Penny's, where the sales lady told me that they also no longer carry them because they weren't selling. She said that about a year ago they put all of their remaining slips on clearance and that was then end of them.

I resigned myself to looking more liberated than I intended and I avoided windows and backlighting for the rest of the day. And I checked with my pal the internet. Sears - no slips. LandsEnd - no slips. Victoria's Secret - duh - no slips.

Admittedly, I didn't know this until just now because I have always been resistant to wearing slips because if one is going to celebrate a lovely summer day by wearing something light and airy, it seems counterproductive to wear a plastic bag beneath the lovely, airy dress, rendering its airiness pretty much a concept. I also, by the way, pretty much eschew dressing gowns and, until recently, slippers, not because I did not believe in them but because I am lazy.

And if you were wondering why this would only be of interest to my grandmothers and not my mother, I refer to the time when I told her that I could see her bra through her blouse (I was a teenager and very conservative about how my parents should dress) and her reply was that at least she was wearing a bra. That's why.

Amazon.com carries slips and I found some links for places like American Intimates which also carry slips. But who knows for how long? They had very few varieties. So I'm going to check my slip inventory and order one or two because clearly the retail day of the slip has passed.

At long last, I am going to get right with my grandmothers, always models of clothing opacity. Of course, this is just another sign of my continuing slide into geezerhood. Or maybe my slipping into cronedom, but frankly, if I wanted people to see my underpinnings, I would spend more money on them and make them worth the view.

7 comments:

Brett said...

Leta it is 2006, people will be more shocked by the fact that you are wearing a slip than they would be if they get to see your hooters. If you must wear a slip at least wear your pants so low that your thong is on prominent display.

Anonymous said...

Last week, I was noticing that the aresenal of slips my mother gave me for high school graduation (I literally have every length of skirt- and dress-slip in black and white) were starting to look a bit ratty.

It's not just about being opaque; some skirts and dresses cling in the wrong spots without a slip. And satiny slip material is nicer against legs than some skirts.

This is not great news.

Maureen said...

In addition to solving the static-cling problem, slips in the form of pettipants can can allow one to go barelegged in summer without the discomfort of chafing. You can still get a few types of slip (cotton, nylon, full, half...) from the Vermont Country Store (http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=574). There's a slightly larger selection at http://ladygrace.com/category.asp?c=8&name=Slips%20&%20Pantliners. In fact, searching on "full slip" turned up a few sites where you could get a full or half slip in any length.

I never realized replacing my slips could be a problem. My full-skirted half slip is losing its elastic; where shall I find another? For really, really full-skirted pettis there are always bridal stores, but what about someone who just wants a slip to go under the fuller-cut skirts that are back in style again, or a ward of MG Stanley who needs a liner for her nightie so the company doesn't lose its G rating? With all those lovely chiffon skirts on the retail racks, you'd think slips would be readily available. Certainly the majority of the chiffon skirts I've seen, even the lined ones, need a slip.

No, not good news.

Anonymous said...

Well, you know I'm in your mother's camp when it comes to such things, but I'd suggest you haul a little down Georgia to the Dor-Ne corset shoppe. From the window displays (all I know of the place is that the stop light out front is often red around 3am and the interior lights show off the windows) it looks like they carry slips. I thik I have some slips, but... they'd be in with the mess in my underwear/sock drawer.
stacey

Anonymous said...

What about Nordstrom's?

I would think the bastion of foundation garments would continue to carry a nice selection of slips, even when others have, er, given them the slip. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Of course, first you should visit Georgia. :)

PS -- About those interview questions...inquiring minds want to know!

Anonymous said...

Leta, Leta, didn't you try KMart?
I know I've not seen full slips in a long time. I don't have any anymore.
Reminds me, my 23" white slip is losing its elasticity. Hope KMart has one!
Don't anyone recommend WalMart - I boycott them...
Lori

Anonymous said...

I'm only in my early 30's, but have always worn a slip under my skirts since I was at high school. I just don't feel right in a skirt without a slip. My favourite is a calf length very flared white half slip I bought on e-bay, which is great under a long , flared black skirt for work (I'm a middle school teacher). Nice to see slips are still sought after!

Jackie