give ’em the slip
We are surrounded by our own influences every day. From what we choose to watch on television, magazines we read, our work environment and the people around us. When you work in fashion, you are influenced by what’s trending but when you are designing fashion, then what? Fashion designers get their inspiration from their own lives as well. People that they see (street style), travel and leisure opportunities, movies and history. At TSALT, we often reference great style moments on film since the line has a lot of inspiration from vintage gowns. Our team has been working feverishly to get the collection into production. We’ve been getting a bit of schooling of what this process entails while working with a variety of factories in many locations. Patience is a virtue and we are plugging away at bringing the core collection to Alexandria as soon as humanly possible. The most exciting part of the process has been watching how Tamara’s styles evolve with each sample and then weaving it into what is currently trending.
One such style is the slip dress. TSALT has designed a variety of styles based on this body and evidently Tamara is on to something! If you’ve been following any of the pre-fall collections, you’ll find Louis Vuitton and Rag & Bone are layering the slip over long sleeved tops and spinning an updated version of a dress that’s been around for almost a century. Some of you may be ready to count yourselves out of this staple item but before you fall off this thread, hear me out.
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Remember the ’90s? Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and John Galliano made a play for the slip dress to be a powerhouse style for women. Cut on the bias, it offers a maximum amount of play on the natural curves of a woman. The slip dress came into its own during the 1930s when Jean Harlow was on the silver screen and glamour was in demand as a form of escapism after The Great Depression.
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Wearing lingerie as a dress has most women cringing right about now and I am fully aware that this may not be an item that makes the cut on your list this fall. Why on earth would you want to put on a dress that hugs every curve and offers more undergarment challenges in an area such as Alexandria? After all, Old Town is where traditional styles with structure are far more acceptable than the sultry nature of the slip dress?
Actually, I believe it’s really all about how you wear it. In the summer, this can seem quite revealing but for the cooler months I feel that this silhouette offers a great base for jackets and sweaters. Often, we wonder how we can get maximum use out of our clothing without having to purchase an outfit for every day of the week. Keeping warm is also an issue but if you were to consider a bias cut slip dress as a core item that you layer, you start to maximize on items you already own. A simple black or ivory slip dress can add a lot of value to your wardrobe.
Last week I was doing some research for TSALT and I came across Selena Gomez in a stunning Atea Oceanie mid-calf dress. This image has gained a lot of traction over the past few days and it’s not surprising. I was immediately reminded of other iconic moments with the slip dress that I’m sure you’ll recall with Caroline Bessette Kennedy and Kate Moss.
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Selena’s look is as iconically chic in my opinion and many others evidently agreed as her dress has sold out! I put together a similar look with our TSALT slip dress and some accessories from our Stylebook boutiques. Although this is a very body conscious look, one can easily add a robe style coat, kimono jacket, or duster for more coverage allowing a whisper of femininity to be seen. When using the slip dress as a layer, you have the ability to wear a nude bra with invisible straps.
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The items in Selena’s look are from The Shoe Hive and Bellacara & the dress will be available this fall from TSALT .
Earrings Lulu Frost – The Shoe Hive
Sunglasses Marc by Marc Jacobs – The Shoe Hive
Bag Tory Burch – The Shoe Hive
Shoes Michael Kors – The Shoe Hive
Lipstick Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Infrared Matte
I played around with some other looks using TSALT dresses that are soon to be in production.
Cashmere Sweater from Coco Blanca
Lulu Frost Earrings from The Shoe Hive
Debe Dohrer Designs Pendant from The Shoe Hive
I love the idea of layering a maxi slip dress with a cropped or longer sweater as seen below…
Necklace by debe dohrer design from The Shoe Hive
Shortie from Stuart Weitzman from The Shoe Hive
Washed Silk Slip Dress from TSALT
Jacket – my vintage find!
This sweater is another sample from TSALT and will be coming in 5 colors…black,taupe,moonlight,shell,and sage. The loose weave of the sweater makes this a great lightweight layering piece and perfect companion. The dress underneath the sweater is an a-line maxi in vanilla that I paired with a Stuart Weitzman shootie from The Shoe Hive as well as the jewelry (the hat is my own). By taking off the sweater and the hat, I’ve instantly adapted this to a casually elegant evening look. This style could also be great for maternity since the a-line cut falls away from the body and offers incredible comfort.
Here are a few more style inspirations to show you the versatility of a great slip dress ~ it doesn’t need to be a bare essential if you layer it properly.
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1 Comment
I love this post! I have a slip dress and find it hard to wear alone because it’s so revealing. Now I can’t wait to wear it with jackets and sweaters when the weather gets a little cooler! Thanks for all the great ideas.