To slip or not to slip

An interesting conversation topic came up on my morning walk with some of the ladies in the office. As we started walking, the girl next to me complained that her slip was bunching up and bothering her. This suprised me, not for the TMI, but the fact that she was wearing a slip. Her skirt seemed substantial and was a dark color, and didn't seem in need of a slip. Plus, aren't slips one of those trappings of our mothers' generation that us younger women have cast away? Then the woman next to her (of said mothers' generation) mentioned that she was completely embarrased yesterday when she forgot her slip, and was self-consious about her dress all day. Now I didn't see the offending dress, and thus I can't determine if a slip was necessary or if it was more a comfort thing. And then she said "Some people don't even wear slips!"

I was not wearing a slip.

Truth be told, it would have never even crossed my mind that a slip was required with today's outfit. I'm wearing a cute, cotton, lined dress (this one, to be exact. In turquoise. Very cute, but requires just a tidbit of tailoring to fit me right). Appropriate undergarments in appropriate colors=no visible lines. And while I would consider shapewear for smoothing lumps and bumps, its just to dang hot for that already. And a slip seems like a lot of hassle (shifting, bunching, weird fabric, etc.) for little reward. Doesn't that take away from the freedom of wearing a dress in the first place?

Anyway, my question is: slip or no slip? Does it depend on the outfit? The age of the wearer? The environment where said outfit is being worn? I'm curious, and need answers people! (I also need a place to get a good slip...)

On anticipation, expectiations, and disappointment: the price of quality

I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but here's the thing. I, like most fashion/fabric savy gals out in blog land, was REALLY excited for the Liberty of London for Target line. Those commercials pulled me in hook, line, and sinker. I had visions of frollicing in cute Liberty dresses while rearranging my Liberty pillows and eating off of Liberty plates. While I haven't had a chance to see real Liberty of London fabric or items, I had high hopes that the Target line would at least be a passible imitation if not interesting in its own right.

And then I went to Target.

In the women's section, the colors and prints almost blinded me to the fact that almost everything was icky polyester. Serious people, it just felt nasty. But I tried stuff on anyways, determined to make it work. However, even Tim Gunn couldn't save these train wrecks. The one cute dress, the cotton sateen sheath, was the closest to a winner. The fit was funny, but I figured I could fix that. What I couldn't fix, however, was the plastic-like lining that had me sweating. Total strikeout. (Okay, when I went back later I did manage to find this swimsuit; it is a cute print and the rushing covers a multitude of sins. We'll count that as a win.)

Men's? Not as cute as some of the stuff Mr. McAwesome had found on sale at Johnston Murphy. Yes, that store is expensive but given how long he keeps his clothes it is worth the investment.

Home goods? The bedding and pillows totally did not live up to expectations. I was hoping I could repurpose some of the fabrics into cute projects but the print quality wasn't worth the time. Plus there are so many awesome fabric designers out there that blow this poor imitation of Liberty prints out of the water.

So I guess the point of this rant is: how much are you willing to pay for quailty? Short-term gain over long-term investment? Or if you are going to give something space in your closet, home, or sewing room, do you want it to be something you really love and will keep for a long time?

As for me, I took the money I save by not buying a bunch of cheap dresses at Target and bought a few yards of this. Look for me soon in my cute, high-quailty, and custom fitted dress!