Help! Wardrobe problem, in a time crunch (naturally).

[Sunny]

I won this 1930s open knit set, which arrived in the mail yesterday:

I'm planning on wearing it for Easter. When I tried it on, over my girdle and ivory-colored full slip, I had a LOT of show-through. Far too much to be acceptable. The girdle was the worst; the line of it, above the deep hem of the skirt, was incredibly noticeable and tacky. But it showed through at the bosom, too. I don't want peek-a-boo cleavage at any time, and of all places church is the least desirable to show it.

The culprit is of course the slip. It's a modern full slip which I like a great deal, bought at Dillard's. It's getting rather worn and is possibly thinner than it was; but it never was terribly heavy. So I can go buy a new one, but it's entirely possible it won't do any good. And Dillard's is the only place I've even seen full slips. I don't have time to scour every mall in the Metroplex; do you have any tips?

Ideally, too, I'd really like a heavy, more opaque vintage one. When did the switch from silk to nylon come? Cotton would be okay, except I think it'd catch on my stockings.

I'm really kind of stuck now! There's a chance of finding something on the 'bay and paying for express shipping, to make sure it's here in time. If not, I'll probably end up wearing this slip plus another half slip (which I have to shorten) and borrowing a camisole of my mother's. I'm not looking forward to layering.

 

[lindylady]

I know that JCPenney sells satin camisoles in black, white, and ivory. They are heavier than the nylon ones. If you want a full slip, however, head to Macys or a similar department store. Their lingerie selection tends to be more varied, with full slips made from heavier material. Would it also help if you wore a darker slip, maybe, so undergarment lines wouldn't show through?

I know you mentioned that you hated the lighter fabrics of modern slips, but have you tried microfiber? It's heavier than nylon and smooths lines. Hope this helps!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I can't see the photos as my office block eBay auctions (sounds like a lovely ensemble), but I can suggest hitting any antique shops in your area. Modern slips are quite hard to come by, and as you note, a lot thinner/slinkier than the vintage nylon/silk/rayon slips worn then. Antique stores usually have several slips scattered throughout, and you may have good luck finding a heavier nylon or silk one that will work with your outfit.

 

[Viviene]

Where are you and what size slip do you wear? I may be able to help.

 

[pretty faythe]

Mervyns

I was at Mervyns the other day and they had a wide selection of full slips to choose from. I just don't know where Mervyns are scattered at, so not sure if this will help.

 

[goldwyn girl]

I see many vintage slips at my local thrift stores, most in never worn condition. You might like to try a thrift store.

 

[TaxiGirl]

And if you aren't able to find a slip, you may be able to find a very plain silk, satin or nylon nightgown that would go underneath for modesty's sake.

 

[Elaina]

If you can sew, making a sundress/slip in a similar color may also be an option (and probably the route I would personally go)

 

[Rosie]

I second the thin nylon nightgown route. It's a lovely outfit. If time is of the essence, improvise! A silky nightgown will do the trick.

 

[epr25]

I would check Target. I would look in the nightgown section. They have this fabric that is almost like a soft spandex does that make sense? It's thick and stays in place. I have a night gown of this sort that I wear underallot of things. It clings enough to not be bulky or interfere with the lines of the dress.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I agree with the nightgown suggestion; I have gone that route when wearing a 1930s lace gown and couldn't find a floor-length slip on short notice. No one knows the difference!

 

[Sunny]

Thanks for all the help, ladies! I've made some more experiments (with Viviene's help - what an awesome lady!) and figured out some things. First, this dress isn't simply lightweight or sheer; it's a LACE knit, with lots of holes. You see in the second picture where the mannequin ends? That's the effect my girdle has, even with a heavy slip. I'm now thinking just like Elaina - this dress calls for a real underdress, probably of cotton. When I layered two slips together, the skirt part was opaque enough that the girdle didn't show through much. Second, it might help if I was being more authentic and wearing tap panties over my girdle. White is SO bad for shadowing through that any other color would tone it down.

So I'm not in as much of a panic now; I'm going to look for tap panties, experiment with my black slip under the white one (who knows?), and raid my mother's lingerie. Then I'll probably hit the mall, since there's a Dillard's, Mervyn's, and Macy's, plus a Target across the street. We're a little thin on thrift shops around here, unfortunately! But now I'm a lot more confident about what I need, and I'm not feeling the stress of finding the perfect heavy vintage slip right this minute.

Thanks so much for the nightgown tip, too! That might be even better that two slips or camisoles, since while not indecent, I'd rather have more than straps under the dress across my shoulders and upper back. Thanks so much to everyone! :eusa_clap

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I would actually look for a slip/nightgown in a shade of pink, unless you want the contrast to be more dramatic. The lace dress I mentioned above was found paired with a kelly green slip, which looked funny underneath the mocha brown lace. I paired it with a nightgown in a similar taupey shade, and it looked very nice.

Have you tried wearing a longer girdle or something more seamless, like Spanx? I can't see the photos again (darn work!), so I am trying to visualize the effect you are describing.

 

[KittyT]

I would actually look for a slip/nightgown in a shade of pink, unless you want the contrast to be more dramatic.

yes, your best bet is to try to get close to the dress color or go with beige. I know beige is horribly boring, but it's really the best thing to wear under a lot of items.

 

[Sunny]

Oh, I'm all about beige - or pink! I've never been one for exciting undies; I think I was always paranoid that something would show. The dress itself was originally pink - label on the box says so - but is actually a light peach. I suspect that the pink somehow went fugitive, since the thread used for buttons, buttonhole, and hems is definitely pink. A pink nightie would be lovely, anyway.

I haven't tried any undergarment that's really long. It might help. The big contrast is the visual "hole" between the girdle part, the not-girdle-underlaid skirt, and the deep hem. Thanks for reminding me about the pictures. I actually was smart yesterday and uploaded them to my photobucket in case they abruptly disappeared. Here you go!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Oh, I'm all about beige - or pink! I've never been one for exciting undies; I think I was always paranoid that something would show. The dress itself was originally pink - label on the box says so - but is actually a light peach. I suspect that the pink somehow went fugitive, since the thread used for buttons, buttonhole, and hems is definitely pink. A pink nightie would be lovely, anyway.

I haven't tried any undergarment that's really long. It might help. The big contrast is the visual "hole" between the girdle part, the not-girdle-underlaid skirt, and the deep hem. Thanks for reminding me about the pictures. I actually was smart yesterday and uploaded them to my photobucket in case they abruptly disappeared. Here you go!

It really is a lovely set, Sunny.

I do think that a thicker slip, in a nude or pink tone, would tone down that line of demarcation nicely (you are not referring to bumps caused by the girdle, just the contrast in the color, right? As long as your slip is opaque, you shouldn't see the color of the girdle peeking through.)

 

[Sunny]

It really is a lovely set, Sunny.

I do think that a thicker slip, in a nude or pink tone, would tone down that line of demarcation nicely (you are not referring to bumps caused by the girdle, just the contrast in the color, right? As long as your slip is opaque, you shouldn't see the color of the girdle peeking through.)

Thank you! It looks even prettier on, especially the jacket. I still can't get over having knitted peaked lapels. I'm toying with (very carefully) dyeing it back to pink someday, since pink looks so much better on me than peach and it's the original color anyway, but it's light enough that it's not a big deal.

Yes, it's the line of demarcation. As far as an opaque slip - well, Viviene sent me a taffeta one that I would definitely say was opaque. But when I put it on, there was virtually no difference between it and my modern one, or not nearly enough to do the job. I still don't quite understand why. The dark "hole" in the pictures shows up still, along with a nice curve that's the bottom of my girdle. I can even see the ribbons that are on top of my garter clips!

 

[Vanessa Anne]

Well? Did it all turn out alright in the end?

I'm dying to know if you ever found the right slip/nighty to fit under this dress. Did you wear it for easter in the end?

I think it's a really pretty set by the way.

 

[Sunny]

I'm dying to know if you ever found the right slip/nighty to fit under this dress. Did you wear it for easter in the end?

I think it's a really pretty set by the way.

Aww, thanks for asking! I would've reported earlier, but I, uh, forgot to take a picture. :eusa_doh: My mother snapped a shot from the balcony while we were singing, but it's still on the camera and I've no idea how it came out.

Since I found out that the dress is too open for anything but a really opaque underdress, I decided that layering was the way to go. So I went shopping. I ended up with a flesh-colored camisole and half slip set that I wore over my regular ivory-colored full slip. It worked very well; the girdle didn't show through, and the nude color of the camisole and slip were virtually invisible under the knit. So yay! :eusa_clap

That's still not my ideal combination for the set. I'll probably end up making an underdress out of light peach or something, and still wearing it over a regular full slip. It's just that light and sheer. But the camisole and half slip I really needed anyway; I've already worn both numerous times since Easter.

And the set itself was a big hit. The choir ladies loved it, as did my grandmother. I loved wearing it!

 

[Vanessa Anne]

Oh that's wonderful, I was afraid you never got the chance to wear it. A bit like a soap opera - will she, or won't she?

Yeah I kind of thought that a nightie type thing would be best for it in a nude or peachy colour.

Anyway's all the best!

Vanessa