How to get a good night’s sleep
Ihope you don’t find it too brazen for me to discuss what I wear to bed. But, latterly, I’ve been exchanging furtive conversation with fashionable types over our mutual obsession with pure, cotton nighties. The challenge is to find good sources, no Tencel, no modal, just true soft cotton. Style wise, it has to be one that falls below the knee and might have some sort of broderie anglaise detail, or say, a frilled sleeve.
Anyway. Perhaps in reaction to the kabillion pyjama brands that have launched in the last few years, I think, nighties – of the slightly wan Victorian governess variety – are staging a comeback. Just yesterday I was alerted to a hipster-ish New York designer, who had shown off her Puglian (clearly she’d found her way back to that shop) haul of 15 vintage cotton nighties for 15 euros on Instagram. I know, I could hardly bear it either.
For me, the gateway drug was the White Company. I’ve since moved on to Marks & Spencer, which has a dream version in stock with a sweet little polka dot detail (£19.50, marksandspencer.com). I’ve bought two, and would be mulling over a third if I hadn’t stumbled across something similar on La Redoute, which I’m going to try. In this weather, it’s all I can face to wear around the house.
Now: like the vehemently opinionated online reviewers point out, the M&S is a little bit see-through. I should tell you that. But nothing that will scare off your husband, or even, in my experience, the mailman.
If you’re worried about transparency issues, Toast has an excellent one – in a heavier cotton (£99, toa.st). I’m also giddy over this Le Petit Trou (a Warsaw-based brand that does very pretty boudoir essentials – flighty underwear, bowfronted slippers…) one, which comes in black (interesting twist) and white – and with a matching ruched knicker. Divine.