About two years ago I was looking through photos of my family. I noticed that I was wearing clothes around the house that were comfortable but not very stylishly appealing, especially pyjamas. During this same time I was watching Downton Abbey and Jeeves and Wooster.
This triggered me to start thinking about what I was wearing in retrospect to the times when these shows portrayed. This ultimately left me with some questions. What stylish sleepwear options are available to men today? How can we improve to look more stylish, but still have the same level of comfort?
After some simple searches on the Internet, I was able to find pyjama bottoms. So, I moved from wearing nylon basketball shorts and a tee shirt to pyjama bottoms and a tee shirt. This was an improvement, but I still felt I could do better.
So how do you find out exactly what is stylish sleepwear? First I consulted “Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion“, a book written by Bernhard Roetzel. Then I also looked at a few different websites such as Gentleman’s Gazette. Here is the options I came away with:
- A matching set of pyjamas.
- A dressing gown/robe.
A matching set of pyjamas can vary in price range. I was able to find a decent set of cotton ones from Amazon for around $35 USD, then I found a set of flannel ones from Old Navy for $25 USD on sale. Turnbull and Asser sell pyjama sets for $425 USD, if you are so inclined to have the best. The options are out there, you just need to know what to look for.
What is a dressing gown, and why do you need one?
It was originally intended to provide another layer that can be worn at home when you aren’t under the covers in your bed. It also allowed men to appear fashionable while remaining comfortable, since they were made of colorful fabric. Today our homes are much better heated, so the need for an additional layer isn’t as needed. This leaves us with the other intended use, an item to elevate your style. This was exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to add a dressing gown to my wardrobe. I found one from Marks & Spencer for $59.40 USD on sale. After a few wears I was hooked, and I absolutely love it!
As you can see from the pictures, the new sleepwear provides a much improved look over nylon basketball shorts and a tee shirt. These clothing items won’t cost you any more than what you are currently spending, however they will provide you a level of gratification in knowing that you are best presenting yourself around the people who mean the most to you.
