Then, in 1947, Christian Dior introduced the New Look in women’s fashion, designed to emphasize femininity through big skirts and the appearance of an hourglass figure with full breasts and wasp waist. Slips started to have separate cups and the frilliest, girliest adornment you can imagine—lace, crystal pleating, embroidery, applique, and rosettes. Slip hems, often used as a subtle way to hint at sexuality, were particularly elaborate.

Hence, the period between 1947 and 1963 is considered the Golden Age of Slips, with beautiful pieces being produced by Van Raalte, Vanity Fair, Warner’s, Maidenform, Kayser, Vassarette, Renée of Hollywood, and Lucie Ann. In the 1960s, the fast fashion of Mod revived the slender flapper silhouette, while hippie culture rejected binding undergarments like bras and girdles.

Around the same time, designers like Mary Quant and Liz Claiborne focused on women’s-wear separates—blouses, skirts, and pants—for the mainstream. This change made full slips largely impractical, and so lingerie companies began to produce half slips and camisoles, which could also be worn with a shirt and pants.

Lingerie production started to move overseas around the same time, so clothing companies began to look for ways to reduce costs. Slip sizing changed from the bust measurement (like 32 or 34) to S, M, and L—and lacy hems were designed to be trimmed to suit a woman’s height.

Now, most clothing manufacturers produce items with built-in linings, negating the need for slip. Nonetheless, slips have been continually produced through the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, and up until now. They were particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, when rock stars like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Courtney Love popularized the trend for wearing lingerie as outerwear.

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