Are Some Pieces of Underwear Becoming Obsolete?

Slips are giving us the slip. Once a part of a woman's basic attire, now the slip is turning into an outdated under garment. What has become of one of the basic dress pieces? As skirts remain short and classic trends in clothing seem to fade away, the slip is becoming more and more uncommon. No pantyhose can be freeing, but is freedom for the slip a good thing?

I was raised from a young girl to believe that the non-optional layer over my underwear under my dress was my slip. Depending on your skirt's style, slips could be optional. But under the dress, came the slip. I loved when I was old enough to borrow from my mother's vast collection of slips, with wacky patterns and pretty colors. I declared liberation from tights and stockings as I grew, and embraced smaller and more adult underwear with each passing year. All the while, my relationship with slips never faltered. I loved wearing dresses, and whether I dressed for work or play, a slip remained ever present under my dress. It always made me feel like my outfit was complete.

I have recently found I am in the minority with my love of slips. After buying a new dress for a friend's wedding, I realized I needed a new long half slip. I popped out to a local store, only to find it devoid of slips. They carried stockings, bras, body slimmers, and lingerie....but no slips. No half slips, or even full slips. I reacted a little startled. I then came to realize that I really had not seen slips in the average store for some time. My slip collection was always sustained by stocking up at lingerie store sales or grabbing a slip that caught my eye, but actually looking for one made me realize that slips were no longer the norm.

My past slip finds were more chance and unusual then I realized, as availability of the slip itself has taking a nosedive. The slips you find in department stores have moved into being just utilitarian. You choose from the three basic colors, and then choose your basic length. The full slip is even more elusive, as the fun everyday slips seem to have given way to sexy night wear. Full slips are lace and satin numbers, more suited to the bedroom then the daytime. My fun slips seem to have joined the ranks of the outdated women's wear. Bustles, corsets, whale boning, garters, and new inductee...the slip.

I guess this shift is not really surprising. The idea that woman must be completely reigned in under their clothing is antiquated. As women wear more flowing and light-weight fabrics, a slip can seem to be an unnecessary bulk. I myself have tossed away stockings for the most part as useless, so I should not be surprised. But as some women continue to feel that even a bra is no longer necessary, should the loss of this undergarment be encouraged? Dresses clinging to your every curve, and revealing more and more, are not universally appropriate. The loss of the slip also includes a loss of modesty. I personally will heed the lesson of less is more, and a slip adds a bit of elegance and grace to the clothing over it.

Recently I saw a commercial in which a women steams her dress mid-day, and under the dress she has a full slip. While most likely the slip is used for modesty of television, I can not help hoping it is a sign that the era of the slip is not over. I will remain loyal to the slip. I will always love how my dress seems to glide over it, and little imperfections fade into a flowing silhouette. I will enjoy feeling feminine and graceful, even though in reality I'm a bit of a klutz. I also enjoy a smile inside when I pass a woman on a sunny day and notice that her dress is not opaque.