How to make a white dress not see-through?
July 2, 2011 5:20 PM Subscribe
I bought a white dress from a thrift store that fits me like a glove. Problem? It's see-through, and given the cut, I can't figure out how to make it not so.
It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but it has a boat neck. It fits quite snugly at my waist and chest (no stretch), and it's knee-length.
A full slip would be the obvious answer, but slips tend to be low-cut and/or have weird bunched/patterned necklines that would be visible through the dress.
I also thought about trying to find a thin cotton shift dress or a long tank top, but everything I've seen tends to be loose at the middle (which might throw off the fit) and has either a crew or scoop neck.
There might even be a way to do this without wearing something underneath the dress, but I am at a loss to think of what. If worst comes to worst, I'll dye it darker, but I'd like to keep the white color if possible.
It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but it has a boat neck. It fits quite snugly at my waist and chest (no stretch), and it's knee-length.
A full slip would be the obvious answer, but slips tend to be low-cut and/or have weird bunched/patterned necklines that would be visible through the dress.
I also thought about trying to find a thin cotton shift dress or a long tank top, but everything I've seen tends to be loose at the middle (which might throw off the fit) and has either a crew or scoop neck.
There might even be a way to do this without wearing something underneath the dress, but I am at a loss to think of what. If worst comes to worst, I'll dye it darker, but I'd like to keep the white color if possible.
Ask a dress-maker/tailor sew in a lining? There are also, believe it or not, bespoke slips.
posted by Ollie at 5:23 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by Ollie at 5:23 PM on July 2, 2011
I'd probably go to a tailor to see if they could whip up a slip with your specifications. You could dye it... but in my (amateur) experience in dyeing fabrics, it could be blotchy. Plus it may still seem sheer afterwards.
posted by avidreader at 5:24 PM on July 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by avidreader at 5:24 PM on July 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Would a form-fitting strapless slip (like this) work?
posted by thisjax at 5:24 PM on July 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by thisjax at 5:24 PM on July 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
One trick that often works is to buy a nude, or matched-to-your-complexion shade of undergarments. They won't show through the way a white pair will. If you have any nude garments, try them out under the dress in place of white.
posted by cior at 5:32 PM on July 2, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by cior at 5:32 PM on July 2, 2011 [6 favorites]
The slip that thisjax posted would probably work well. A cheaper option might be getting a plain white skirt-only slip, that you wear around your natural waist, and pairing that with a tight seamless white camisole. I bet the seam on the dress at the waist would hide the transition from camisole to slip. And you can almost always find those kinds of slips at thrift stores.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 5:41 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by ohsnapdragon at 5:41 PM on July 2, 2011
Yeah, nudie coloured bra and nudie coloured half slip. Or nudie coloured full slip
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:08 PM on July 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:08 PM on July 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Here's another slip that might work - I agree that what you want is a slip that's flesh toned (probably beige-ish or brown), not white).
posted by insectosaurus at 6:42 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by insectosaurus at 6:42 PM on July 2, 2011
Spanx?
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 6:55 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 6:55 PM on July 2, 2011
When I was a bridesmaid, I helped a bride squeeze into one of these underneath her kind of sheer, flowing white wedding dress. The ceremony started late because we were wrestling her Spanx on. They can be a squeeze.
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 6:58 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 6:58 PM on July 2, 2011
I had a white chemise, much like this (to the left of the bathrobe, obviously) but it was more fitted at the waist. I used to wear it under sheer pale-coloured dresses and it did the trick. It was a slippery satin fabric so didn't bunch up, just skimmed my body and it really looked like it was the natural lining of the dresses rather than a slip.
I think I bought it from the sleepwear section at a department store.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 7:18 PM on July 2, 2011
I think I bought it from the sleepwear section at a department store.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 7:18 PM on July 2, 2011
How casual is the dress? I am loathe to recommend them, but american apparel has these full bodysuits, like a leotard with leggings, in every shade imaginable.
posted by pazazygeek at 7:41 PM on July 2, 2011
posted by pazazygeek at 7:41 PM on July 2, 2011
No sure if you want to hide the appearance of body or actual body... a unitard/Spanx solution will cover you, but others may still conclude you are not wearing anything. But since you know they are only seeing your Spanx-clad silhouette, you don't care.
But if your goal is to provide full coverage, where no outlines of actual limbs can be discerned, the lining or custom slip is the answer probably.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 7:23 AM on July 3, 2011
But if your goal is to provide full coverage, where no outlines of actual limbs can be discerned, the lining or custom slip is the answer probably.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 7:23 AM on July 3, 2011
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posted by cooker girl at 5:21 PM on July 2, 2011 [4 favorites]