17 Of The Best Slip Dresses For Summer

Those in the know, or rather those bold enough to leave the house in silk pyjamas, have been doing sleepwear as daywear for a number of seasons. Forget a tailored trouser suit, pyjama suits have been a major style success for the past couple of years – look to Sofia Coppola, Jessica Alba and pretty much every street style star of 2015 as a case in point. But for SS16, some of the biggest fashion houses took underwear as outerwear up a notch by focusing on the slip dress.

On the catwalk at Céline last October, black and white silk chemises were finished with lingerie lace while at Saint Laurent they were grungier, rendered in '90s satin and see-through materials, worn under denim jackets or biker jackets and fluffy fur coats. At Pucci, slips were worn over fine knits and for Alexander Wang's last ever collection at Balenciaga, the designer showcased ephemeral ivory slips worn with lace slippers in a way that was as modern and tough as it was exquisitely feminine.

If you still need convincing that wearing just a slinky, spaghetti-strap dress is both sartorially and socially acceptable now, follow the lead of Selena Gomez, Rihanna and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who are all key supporters of the trend. Riri has embraced the easy silhouette so enthusiastically that she's constantly spotted in velvet slips as well as silks, teaming them with oversized bombers and chunky jackets for her signature Bad Gal touch.

Slips can be as sophisticated as they are sexy and if you're not ready to wear alone, throw a slip over a T-shirt or knitwear, and add tailoring to make you feel less exposed. Here's our edit of the best slips to be seen in this summer...