Recently I was with a very good friend who was wearing a skirt. While I would never be this crass with a stranger, I said 'Diane, you need a slip with that skirt'. She replied by saying she never wears slips. Me: 'Doesn't the fact that I know you're not wearing one mean you need one?'

Now I know many women are wearing these cute summer dresses to stay cool in this oppressive heat we've been having. And adding another layer would defeat that purpose. But I would like to think that it is not your intention to display your triangle of love at the slightest of breezes.

It seems that slips have slipped away from good dressing. Many manufacturers have stopped making them due to lack of interest. Many of the stores I sell to do not carry them any longer. While searching for slip images on the internet, most postings referred to days gone by a la Mad Men or what 'my mother used to make me wear'.

The slip serves many purposes. It helps the dress or skirt hang smoothly and not settle between the legs. It can help block any transparency or translucency. It protects the outer garment from perspiration, and the wearer from any chafing. And, not the least of which, they are sexy as hell. They are the glorious, regal domain of womanhood.

Many years ago, my best friend Nancy and I were going to Studio 54, as we did every week (Thursday & Sunday -- never the weekend). She chose to wear a black slip and some sky-high strappy heels. A young man approached and opened with: "Are you wearing a slip?". They were married shortly thereafter and have a beautiful son, now in his 20's.

True story.

How you put yourself together communicates to the world who you are -- or more accurately: who you think you are. That's why there are costume designers in movies set in the present with characters wearing only t-shirts and jeans. We, the audience, collect information about these characters by their dress. One of my favorite quotes is from the inimitable Oscar Wilde:

"It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances"

You are the gift. Wrap yourself nicely. ™