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The Best Under Slips For All Those Slinky, Sheer Dresses
From seamless shapewear to the perfect base for that translucent tulle dress, we've found all the solutions.
An under slip has the ability to make or break your outfit. And in 2025, when we've hit peak sheer dress, there's no excuse for the wrong underpinnings.
This corner of the industry has come a long way since the era of the clear-strap Wonderbra – and luckily so, as today’s influx of cutaway tops, sheer dresses and body-contouring party looks really does require a well-thought out base.
More often than not, a decent slip dress is the answer – but finding one that fits the bill while actually fitting you properly is a harder task than it may sound. So many disrupt your silhouette, bunch up under layers, or dig uncomfortably into your ribs.
Far from being something to keep under wraps, solutionwear has had something of a rebrand recently, fuelled of course by the rise and rise of Skims, which revolutionised the shapewear industry with a proper nude shade range and inclusive sizing. For something floatier to tone down the translucency of a tulle dress, brands such as Commando, Wolford and Hanro still reign supreme – although the high street is finally catching up with a host of decent-quality versions.
So, while an under slip might not be the most exciting thing you buy this month, it’ll open up your wardrobe and make so many pieces work harder – how grown-up of us. Here, see the slips that have earned our approval.
The Best Under Slips For All Your Sheer Dresses And Transparent Tops
From Skims' Smooth Layers lineup, this slip dress is made from super soft Modal-jersey and has a more relaxed fit than the shapewear options in this edit. We love how it comes with adjustable straps and an in-built bra.
There's something deliciously retro about a half slip. Commando's is high-tech in its functionality, though: under that high-waisted skirt is a pair of powerful control shorts.
If Seamless Sculpt is for big nights out, Fits Everybody is the Skims line you want for every day. With low compression and high comfort, this slip (which comes in every shade of nude) will work beneath transparent tulle, floaty silk, and that bodycon dress that leaves little room for bulky base layers. You'll find yourself reaching for this all the time.
There's nothing more annoying that a slip riding up beneath your clothes. Calvin Klein's 'Stay Put' line is engineered to do what it says on the tin. This mini slip also provides shapewear-levels of compression and has detachable straps so you can switch up the silhouette.
For dazzling embellished mesh and fishnet dresses, your basic Modal slip just won't do. Let the lustre of silk or satin shine through, and opt for a nude shade over black or white to highlight your outfit's detailing.
Commando's control slip is cleverly knitted to be denser around the hips and torso, but looser around the bust to enhance your natural shape. In white, this mini is great beneath wedding looks or cotton summer dresses.
Sometimes the clean lines of a strapless slip are best beneath something sheer. And if anyone can provide you with elevated basics to underpin your staple wardrobe, its The Park. You should also add the New York based-brand's T-shirt, tank and turtleneck bodysuits to basket while you're at it.
If Only If clearly know its nighties are too good to hide at home; so the British brand also makes breezy cotton slips to underpin these sheer beauties.
Victoria's Secret is one of our go-tos for shapewear, and this SheerSmoothing slip is just an example of how great the lingerie brand's basics range is.
This might just be the most hard-working wardrobe investment you ever make. Seamless and super-stretchy, Wolford's Fatal dress can be folded and ruched to be worn in so many ways. Shorten the length to wear it under floaty maxis, transform it into a pencil skirt, or wear it as a strapless base to balance an oversized blazer. Kim K even wore hers while she was 8 months pregnant.
If you don't know by now that Skims is the ultimate destination for slip dresses and shapewear, then frankly I don't know where you've been. What is totally justifiable, however, is being baffled by the sheer volume of options now on the ever-expanding site.
For light compression and support, it's the Fits Everbody line you want.
Bring back the half slip, we say. Because who doesn't like the look of a black bra beneath a tonal sheer dress? This maxi has laser-cut seams to ensure the smoothest of silhouettes.
If you are wearing a slip because you quite literally need the extra layer, rejoice in the nostalgia of Cou Cou intimates pointelle-knit thermals.
A simple cotton slip is a basic but brilliant wardrobe essential, and the softest options come from Hanro. This one is light and floaty, so will be just as comfortable in summer – yes, including the heatwaves – as it will come colder climes.
If you like the security that second-skin stretch-jersey provides, this is the under-slip for you. Free People's seamless dress will smooth and sculpt your figure, making it ideal for wearing on days you want a confidence boost.
Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
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