Ever since Madonna donned her infamous cone-shaped bra, women’s underthings came out from, well, under. Usually if you see a girl with her underwear showing, the first thing you think is: TRASHY. Thongs peeking out from jeans, bra straps falling down, shirts that you can see right through–none of this brings to mind a classy gal.But your underwear can really be your outerwear if you know what to look for and how to do it right.

Vintage slips are a great way to get started. If the idea of buying someone else’s old slip sounds gross, try romantic stores like Anthropolgie or even just your local department storeand pick up one that has nice details, like lace trim.

The key is to not just wear the slip by itself, but to play around with layering. I have a cream colored slip that I like to wear under a sheer wrap dress, while my favorite lacy black slip looks great tucked into a pencil skirt and worn with a girly cardigan. This is a great winter look, especially, because you can wear your slip with tights for extra coverage.

If you’re feeling a little more bold, try a corset, or let the top of a lacy bra peek out from under a scoop-neck top. Play around with what you have, and check out stores like Only Hearts, which specializes in what they call “inner outerwear” (they have boutiques in New York and Santa Monica, plus an online shop).

Letting a bit of lingerie show is a great way to feel sexy and spice up your wardrobe a bit, no thong-showing required.