Louche Dreams: Inside The Great Pyjama Revival

Do you dare to wear your jammies beyond the bedroom? Shane C. Kurup tracks the pyjama revival from wardrobe to runway.

Pyjamas Are Making A Street Style Comeback

‘Sweet dreams are made of this,’ purred Annie Lennox – and if the benefits that come with the new wave of pyjamas is to be believed, there’s more substance to these song lyrics than ever.

Lingerie, briefs, negligee, boxers. These garments usually only seen in plain sight in the bedroom suggest a certain unfettered naughtiness. Pyjamas? Not so much. But given that Gen Z kids are dressing like their grandads in fluffy cardis and wide-leg slacks, it might not be a surprise to learn that PJs are having a renaissance both beneath – and beyond – the bedclothes.

Sacha Rose, CEO of luxury loungewear label Derek Rose, believes the current sleepwear revival is tied to shifting social norms. ‘It’s less about nostalgia and more about valuing rest and recovery as part of a modern lifestyle,’ says Rose. ‘In recent years, we’ve seen a broader cultural shift towards self-care and investing in our downtime. Men are no longer shy about wanting comfort and relaxation, and nightwear fits into that beautifully.’

CDLP

The link between nightwear and wellness has given rise to brands like Hanro, Homebody and David Gandy Wellwear, which use organic fibres and aloe vera treatments in their clothing to soothe as you sleep. But there are more basic benefits that come with wearing decent clobber to bed – starting with debunking the idea that sleeping starkers helps if you run hot. ‘It’s a myth,’ explains Andreas Palm, co-founder of Stockholm-based brand CDLP. ‘Studies from the National Sleep Foundation show that sleep quality is more influenced by body temperature regulation and fabric breathability than being unclothed. Breathable natural fibres like lyocell or cotton-poplin help wick away moisture, reduce temperature fluctuations and protect the skin from allergens and friction.’ Palm adds: ‘Psychologically, nightwear can also act as a kind of “off switch”, a signal to the body that it’s time to wind down.’

Tom Pyne, founder of Chelsea Peers recently conducted a To Bare or Wear? survey, revealing 74 percent of UK men prefer wearing something in bed. ‘It confirmed most men feel more comfortable dressed for rest; interestingly, 45 percent of men surveyed who wear pyjamas said they help them relax and unwind at the end of the day,’ says Pyne, who rates organic cotton and Tencel™ modal for supporting temperature regulation and maintaining deep sleep.

Derek Rose, which makes silk pyjamas (particularly kind to sensitive skin), has perfected the engineering of its PJs over the past century. Sacha Rose’s grandfather, Derek Rose, introduced vertical buttonholes that provide more give to fabric when you toss and turn, while elasticated waists and French seams prevent chafing. ‘Given most people spend about a third of their lives in bed, what you wear is incredibly important,’ says Sacha Rose. When looking for good pyjamas for restful sleep, he advises to start with the fabric. ‘It should be soft against the skin, breathable, and durable enough to last. Then consider design elements: are the seams comfortable, does the waistband move with you, is the cut generous enough to allow freedom without being sloppy?’

Chelsea Peers

Pyjamas have also come out from under the duvet in recent years, with men in the public eye opting to don sleepwear in full view. Fashionistas might credit tongue-in-cheek designer Marc Jacobs for spearheading the ‘nightwear as daywear’ trend after he famously wore floral printed jammies to take the bow on the runway at his AW23 Louis Vuitton show. That sort of stunt would naturally pass muster in the eclectic upper echelons of high fashion, but men outside this circle have been taking the look in their stride, too. Back in 2020, Patrick Schwarzenegger went for a Christmas day walk with his mother in their Californian neighbourhood wearing a striped co-ord pyjama set and sneakers. It was gold for the Daily Mail, but traditionalists probably thought he’d escaped from a young offenders institute.

Can mere mortals pull off the look without appearing like they’re sleep walking? And what’s the point, beyond getting a few more wears out of clothing that would otherwise be relegated to dead hours? Palm has built CDLP on this idea, designing his pyjamas from contemporary fabrics like silk-poplin, with mother of pearl buttons and functional pockets, making them dressy enough to wear beyond the bedroom. ‘The goal is to feel as elegant in bed – or out on a hotel balcony – as you do stepping into a dinner party,’ says Palm. ‘We see a lot of men wearing the pyjama shirt open over a tank or tee, while the pyjama trouser works well with a heavier knit or a structured overshirt. It’s all about contrast – balancing the softness of nightwear with more architectural pieces.’ It also explains the rising popularity of elegant, comfort-first nightwear from British tailoring brands, like Turnbull & Asser and Thom Sweeney.

Designer Marc Jacobs appears on the catwalk at the end of the Louis Vuitton collection show as part of the Fall-Winter 2013/2014 Paris Fashion Week | 6 March 2013 (Photo by Alban Wyters/ABACAPRESS.COM)

Rose, too, has seen his pieces out in the wild and suitably styled up. ‘A while ago, I was in a Swiss mountain town and saw this late-20s guy walking out of a restaurant wearing a pair of our printed lounge trousers. It turns out he wears them out and about, year round. On a sunny day, he’d pair them with a white t-shirt, a Gyros necklace, a blue marl Loro Piana cardigan and Hermès sheepskin slip-on sandals. He looked a lot cooler than me.

This all might sound the like perfect excuse to just roll out of bed and nip out to buy a pint of milk – but do at least brush your teeth and run a comb through your dishevelled barnet for the sake of public decency.