Vırginia Chadwyck-Healey What to wear… to bed
Curl up on the sofa and watch your favourite film in these timeless, pretty classics
One of my all-time favourite films is The Railway Children (1970). With two older brothers, I grew up wishing I had Bobbie (Jenny Agutter) as my big sister. I even tried to turn pillowcases into smock-like Edwardian pinafores as I ran around the garden calling “Send our love to father!”
There is a lovely scene when the family is still in London, before their sudden move to the country. The children are getting ready for bed and pretty nighties abound. The maid brushes Phyllis’s hair, “97, 98, 99, 100... right, into bed” (I tried to commit to brushing my hair 100 times each night, but, as I was six, it didn’t last long). Well, I’ve finally found a brand that transports me back to that idyllic scene, and those pretty nightdresses.
If Only If was the brainchild of Issy Falkner. Now, handed down to the trusty watch of her daughter, Emily Campbell, this is a brand that is fast becoming the new kid on the block. Timeless styles, soft, natural materials and feminine silhouettes are the quietly brilliant combination that sets this apart from louder names on the nightwear scene. More than that, there is a crossgenerational appeal, started by Falkner and enhanced by Campbell through the brand’s recent social-media growth. “Our designs really do appeal to every generation,” says Campbell. “I have 17year-olds who have bought the same design as 90-year-olds.”
There has also been a push by Campbell to expand the range up to size 24, having used lockdown to ensure her designs respond to what the customer wants. “There has been a huge outpouring of appreciation surrounding the expansion of our size range.” She won’t divulge figures, but returns rates for fashion brands sit about the 20-30 per cent mark. Campbell is quietly confident: “Our [returns] rate is well below that, which is indicative of our happy customers.” It’s a reflection of the clear understanding between supply chain and head office. If Only If has worked with the same Indian factory for 10 years and places huge emphasis on ensuring not just a living wage, but “health, insurance and pension benefits” for those who produce the garments. In the long term, I hope this is the kind of commitment, possibly even legal standard, that we see from every brand.
If nightdresses aren’t for you and you want a different approach, a favourite alternative is Siân Esther. With a professional background in merchandising at Selfridges, then buying at John Lewis and Waitrose, founder Siân Adkins always had a clear understanding of sourcing, and how to see designs through from sketch to shop: “My ambition was to create nightwear that you would feel comfortable wearing when hosting guests for breakfast, or holidaying with friends. Nothing too see-through.” I can confirm that the blue oversized nightshirt (£85) is a faultless design, as is the cotton-twill pyjama set (see above, right) with blue velvet trim and buttons.
Adkins is clear that whatever she does honours the memory of her parents – her mother always strived for fewer, better pieces, including great nightwear – and must give something back to the community. She donates a percentage of sales to the Luminary Bakery (luminarybakery.com), a social enterprise that supports some of the country’s most disadvantaged women through the teaching of baking and the running of two bakeries. Why baking and nightwear? Adkins replies: “What better combination than a lazy morning in pyjamas and a warm cinnamon bun?”
Writing about brands such as these, sharing them with a wider audience, runs the risk of letting the cat out of the bag. (Trust me, a fashion writer doesn’t share ideas lightly.) But in these two British, female-run brands, with their positive approach to transparency and giving back, it would be madness not to spread the message. Finally, to any man who wonders “What do women want?”, I hate to break it to you... We don’t want skimpy nighties, or a red-lace negligee, we want timeless classics, pretty details, warmth and coolness in equal measure, washable fabrics, something that irons well, something we can walk outside in while on holiday... and, of course, something we can wear, curled up on the sofa, to watch The Railway Children for the umpteenth time.