When I thought about writing a post about the history of Pyjamas I had a smug little smirk, thinking, “aren’t I clever and oh so original.” As it turns out no, I am neither of those things, several companies who sell pjs have beat me to it. Yet, I am stubborn and tenacious and well heck I love a good fact.

So, with cappuccino in hand, I am bougie like that, let me tell you a story.

Preamble:

Let’s start with the elephant in the room, is it pyjamas or pajamas? Well, this depends on where you live, are you American? Then pajamas. Anywhere else in the world? We tend to us pyjamas as the correct spelling, but quite frankly, you do you. The word comes from two Hindi words Pae/Pai (or Epae/epai)- meaning leg or ankle covering, and Jama – clothing or coat type garment.

And go…

The labour of the day is done, we have some what cleaned ourselves up, hopefully have eaten and the sun is low on the horizon… Too much? Ok, well people are getting ready to hit the hay, straw, earth? What they wore to bed depended on location, culture, time period etc…

The ancient Egyptians, much like us today valued comfort, and chose garments that resembled nightgowns, says one source and another saying that they wore kilt-like skirts as seen in old art works, regardless they were made from linens, seems to be the common consensus.  

I would like to go with more concrete evidence that points to pj’s coming from Asia, with focus on India. When the Mongols invaded India (11 to 12^th Century) they brought along this two-piece ensemble and it referred to a garment that was fitted around the chest area, with long fitted sleeves and a full skirt of varying lengths. Worn with harem style, draw-string pants underneath. The fabric would depend on the season, region, and occasion. They were worn by men and women alike. At this stage the intended purpose was not necessarily sleep, they allowed movement so would be good for everyday activity.

In the 19^th Century the East India trading company was falling apart and the British took control over India (I am not touching this). The uniforms of the soldiers and officials were ludicrous for the climate, so they started adopted the local trends, adapting them to suit their needs and taking them back to Europe.  The Europeans interest was piqued by the garments.

The outfit became defined as a two-piece set of a casual nature comprising loose tied pants and an unstructured jacket or coat, pretty vague if you ask me. It became popular with men first, while some were shocked and horrified by the concept. Only towards the end of the 19^th century did we start including women in this trend. Obviously they needed some glam-ing up though, the fabrics included, well obviously florals, ladies love florals, lace and other lady-like trimmings.

These new pyjama sets would take over from the more traditional nightgowns, and the reviews were mixed. Some saying that they were great should there be an emergency and others saying that if there was an emergency woman may be confused for young boys. Regardless this takes us to the World War 1, were the treat of air raids and speedy evacuations where a real concern, pjs became more common place for women.

1912, saw the rise of the scandalous pyjama parties and pyjamas becoming fancier, they were influenced by Japanese and Chinese fashions. The lines between daywear and sleepwear began to blur. Leading to signage on European beaches banning pj’s on the beach. Onesies were popular with pattern maker Butterick too, with little snaps (poppers) running the length of the crotch, that is nice of them.

1920s saw beach pyjamas being commonplace, incorrectly attributed to Coco Chanel. This shows that pyjamas were becoming more casual attire rather than strictly sleepwear, umm sounds familiar. The night gowns of the day looked a lot like the dresses inspired by art deco with geometric designs and bias-cut styles. I thought only fair to bring nightgowns and robes back into the conversation.

1930s Hollywood style was very much at the forefront of sleepwear fashion, silks and lace were in once again, well for those who could afford it. We also see men’s style pjs being worn in films like It Happened One Night and this obviously inspired fashion trends.

The 1940s house coats were hugely popular, quilted designs and huge pockets. Yay Pockets! The “men’s” style was still in, but the pants got wider and the tops more feminine- they often just cinched the waist. Not sure about you but that is the opposite of what I would want to sleep in.

1950s, satin and lace are back baby. Christian Dior stating he want to make women feel elegant again post war. I am not sure why that makes me feel weird, I get the sentiment, but you can’t just pop the newly liberated woman back in the box by giving her something pretty. Although it’s just so pretty and soft…  we still see the traditional set, but the waist seems to have been freed from the cinch and the sleeves now can be seen shorter.

1960s the decade of love well and war. Fashion has taken a huge leap; legs have been liberated and we see the introduction of the A-line babydoll nightgown and shorties. Bye Bye Birdie’s Janet Leigh may have had a role in this. Yes, we still see the what we can now term traditional pj’s, but they appear to be reserved for mom, dad and, that weird aunt. You wanted cute, A-line, yoked and trimmed if you were going to be sleeping in style.

The 1970s well imaging bold, colours, patterns, sleeves, fringes, and you pretty much have the ‘70s sleepwear nailed. Strangely enough we see men back in nightgowns as well, mid-thigh length sleep shirts, it’s a vibe.

The 1980s seem to simmer down again, yes, we now have the introduction of teddies, but we seem to head back towards the conservative long-yoked nighties and gowns, still my gran’s favourite by the way.  In saying that research has led me to believe that we may have started seeing woman’s night shirts, which the men, thank goodness have left in the 70’s.

1990s according to Condé Nast was the decade of pyjama punk (a great band name) and grunge. Plaid boxer shorts and tank top were all the rage. Not to sure how this is punk or grunge, there is not one safety pin to be seen. It was the decade that brought us Bananas in pyjamas though so maybe best left in the past.

2000s Tous Les Jours comes on to the scene, this era for pjs was very much a mix and match, flannel pants and tank tops. JT tops and boxers, oversized t-shirts, and the dreaded tracksuit! You can’t tell me that a 2000s tracksuit was comfortable to sleep in.  

2010s brought onesies back, often in animal inspired motifs and wearing “Fancy pjs” out the house becomes a trend. That appears to be back again too.

2020s well, in case anyone forgot, started with covid, so comfort was king. loungewear became the uniform of the masses. Most of us weren’t leaving the house and could choose what we wanted and honestly still do. The golden age for pyjamas.

If you are still with me, you deserve a medal! I hope that this has been at the very least entertaining. I found a lot of information in a YouTube video by Nicole Rudolph, who has an incredible channel which I have linked down in the resources below.

Do you have a favourite era of Pyjama?

With love,

Kim

Resources used:

(2022). Nicole Rudolph. 12 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWaFkeKw6Lc (Accessed: 08 January 2024).

Nast, C. (2017) 100 years of pajamas, Glamour. Available at: https://www.glamour.com/video/watch/100-years-of-pajamas-glamour (Accessed: 08 January 2024).

Pyjamas – a more interesting history than you’d dream of - fashion capital (2023) Fashion Capital -. Available at: https://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/insights/pyjamas-a-more-interesting-history-than-youd-dream-of/ (Accessed: 08 January 2024).