JOANNE Watkinson
WIN AT THE PYJAMA GAME
It’s been a few years since the debate around wearing pyjamas in public raged, after women were spotted in town centres around the country in their nightwear.
This wasn’t loungewear. These women were leaving the house in dressing gowns, occasionally even pairing them with slippers.
I had my own questions. The biggest being, were these pyjamas clean on that day or the same pair they had slept in the previous night? I am still none the wiser.
The fuss seemed to centre around the fact that the pyjamas in question – the fleecy printed variety, worn with a fuzzy dressing gown – made you look like you had recently rolled out of, or were preparing to roll into, bed.
In recent years, loungewear has built a bridge between PJs and clothes that are as comfortable to wear but are socially acceptable to leave the house in.
When I think about pyjama dressing, I picture slinky two-pieces and co-ords.
Fabric is key to making this look work. Step away from flannel and matt cottons and look at silk and viscose, fabrics that flow as you move and appear luxe, not cosy.
Look for button-down shirts and wide-leg trousers in matching prints. Mosaic, pinstripes and abstract designs work well. Avoid ditsy floral prints and anything pastel. If you prefer a block colour, black, navy blue and terracotta look decadent for evening.
Ukrainian brand Sleeper inspired dozens of replicas of its luxury feather trimmed “party pyjamas”, a celebrity favourite they cost upwards of £210 for the set. Not exactly a snip, but the feathers are removable for washing and they are one of the original creators of this trend.
I often spot them being sold on resale sites Vinted and Depop, shopping second hand is the smart way to snap up a pair slightly cheaper.
Pyjama dressing is the ultimate lazy girl look. Pair silky trousers with an oversized knit or sweatshirt – mixing textures makes things more interesting. The fashion forward among us might add knitted socks and a slingback shoe. To smarten things up add a structured blazer, heels and jewellery.
This best thing about this look is that it can be styled for the 90/10 way most of us dress these days. Dressed down 90% of the time, and it makes the other 10% as easy as… wearing your PJs at cocktail hour.