Look what's slipped back into fashion

From suspenders and stockings to corsets and high-waisted briefs, retro underwear has been having a revival in recent years. But the one garment we haven’t seen flourishing is the slip. Until now.

John Lewis reports that sales of silk chemises and slips are up more than a quarter year on year.

This must, in part, be due to the trend for sheer and lace dresses - a slip is the perfect way to preserve our modesty.

When I started modelling in the late Fifties, no self-respecting woman would have gone out without wearing a slip: if people could see the outline of your bottom, it was considered tarty. Plus, they hid the lumpy suspender clips.

They have a certain glamour, too. For me, the perfect slip would be sexy, not purely functional. And with the new generation boasting revolutionary technology to smooth, sculpt and banish static, I was keen to see how they measured up...

This feminine, lacy slip is just the thing for wearing under a dark dress to add some secret colour

Photo: pink bridesmaid dresses

Gossard Watercolour Roses slip, £32, gossard.com

This is very pretty, and if you wanted to wear something interesting under a dark dress to make you feel more feminine, you could absolutely get away with this. I even like the idea that you could wear it with some of the pink lace or floral design peeking out of the neckline.There’s a nice amount of movement to it, and it doesn’t feel restrictive. Definitely the sort of thing you wouldn’t mind someone catching you in.

Chocolate lace detail, £36, next.co.uk

This is very, very sheer, and a lot longer than many of the others that I tried. The lace panels are pretty — I particularly like the fact that there’s a panel across the middle— and the detail of the covered buttons that do up down the side. It feels very feminine and rather elegant, almost film-starry. Very much the sort of thing you could waft around in in a glamorous hotel room.

The Lisa dress with colour-matched couture control slip, £175, bodyfrock.co.uk

This clever company makes bespoke slips to exactly match its dresses (far more sense for a lace dress than having the slip stitched in,as it always get twisted).This feels more like a petticoat-length corset — although it has enough give so that you can eat dinner in it.

Spanx Trust Your Thinstincts Tank slip, £109, spanx.com

Spanx control underwear is a celebrity favourite tummy-smoother. This has built-in briefs (with poppers, for ease of loo breaks) for a smooth line. But it felt baggy at the top and, despite a rubber grip hem, it still rode up.

Cling Resistant Full Slip, £14, bhs.co.uk

I remember the old nylon slips being very static. This is 100 per cent polyester and the lace straps are adjustable. It felt very feminine with lace detail across the bodice and didn’t seem to spark or crackle! Very effective at preventing a summer frock from clinging to you, too.

Phase Eight Silhouette seamless slip, £25, phase-eight.com

The idea behind this is that you layer it under a sheer dress and show it off. But I wouldn’t want to be seen in this — it feels and looks as if you’re wearing a very tight vest. It’s functional, rather than charming, and if the point is that it’s meant to be seam-free and not show anything at all, I can’t really understand why they’ve put lace around the neck.