The Pyjama Revolution!

pjrev

A behind-closed-doors fashion revolution is afoot. Gone are the days of answering the door to the Ocado delivery man in a worn-out Care Bears T-shirt and baggie tracksuit bottoms. As a nation, we are upgrading our grotty jimjams for slinky silk pyjamas and luxury loafing outfits. At M&S, pyjama sales are up 23%, and John lewis reports a 30% rise. Selfridges, where nightwear has grown from a £200,000 business to a £1.2 business in just three years, has turned itself into a pyjama paradise and stocks more than 500 options. That’s a whole lot of loungewear!

The store’s buying manager, Lydia King, says the surge in demand is due to social media: what we wear in private is no longer unseen. “Loungewear has become more aspirational because everything is visible all the time. Customers want nightwear that they can answer the door in.”

And Pandora Stormonth Darling, founder of luxury brand PJ Pan agrees. She told us: “For us it feels nightwear is late on the luxury band wagon which has been consuming hotels, fashion, cars and interior design for years. Nightwear is now catching up fast as women want to feel good and look good in their pyjamas. But it’s not just confined to the bedroom. We recently heard from one of our customers that she wore a pair of our heart print ‘love me do’ PJ trousers with a Moroccan style cream tunic to a party in Marrakech!

“The right pyjamas can be both stylish and comfortable whilst exuding a laid back confidence. We love them, whether they’re in the bedroom, kitchen or cocktail party. I love breezing around the house in our Carnival silk trousers and my favourite Zadig et Voltaire cashmere jumper.”

Also at the forefront of the luxe loungewear trend is Blue Marmalade, whose silky sets are worn by Sophie Ellis Bextor, Victoria Beckham, and The Middletons. Designer Helen White, the woman responsible for introducing fashion to sportswear (Sweaty Betty), is now reinventing loungewear for discerning buyers too. She claims that customers have been known to wear her chic designs to parties and even the office. That’s a step further than the school run, but we’re not sure it’s totally acceptable just yet! Still, anything that gives us an extra five minutes in bed in the morning has got to be worth a try….

Here are our favourite offerings from the world of nightwear so you too can be stylish even when you’re sleeping! L-R: Chic: Blue Marmalade – Audrey Cotton Silk Pyjamas £57; Softest: Noir by Blackspade – Pyjama set with checked pants £40; Luxury: Desmond & Dempsey – Riccardo Signature Set £95; Stylish: PJ Pan – School Run night shirt £48; Bedtime LBD: American Eagles AEO Softest sleep nightie £22

pj collage

Emily Cleary

After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!

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