Do you like to look fab in your nightwear? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you like to look fab in your nightwear?

Robin

AT home, if I need or want to wear clothes to bed, I usually just wear old tees and loose fitting sweat pants or shorts.

I just generally don't feel like it's worth spending money on dedicated nightgowns or pajamas.

While I've been visiting my family, I've borrowed a couple of my mother's cotton nightgowns, and I have to say they're really sweet. They're simple and comfy, but have small details, ruffles and lace detailing, that make them fun to wear. I wasn't expecting that, but then, my relationship with clothes seems to be changing. Hmm, I wonder why!

So, how about you. Do you like to look fab in your nightwear, or do you just go casual the way I usually do?

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Dressing

28 replies

Latest reply was from Michelle

rizamei

I don't know if I think my PJs are fab, but I do spend some money on items that are comfortable and appropriate to the season. I do require them to be aesthetically pleasing (I have a poison eye for some cutesy motifs common in women's nightwear) but they're not held to the same standards as my daytime wardrobe.

I do also use some old tees at nightwear (with shorts or sleep pants) in the summer. It's a way of keeping some items that "spark joy" (to quote Marie Kondo) but that I don't necessarily want to wear outside the house!

Echo

Veteran

It all depends on the occasion. I have wonderful sets for summer with a chemise and matching robe. For winter on days when I know I will be casual all day, I have fleece sets, but those are more lounge wear than pajamas. Honestly in the winter I commonly wear a fleece zipper robe that goes almost to may ankles.

And this may be TMI, but I don't wear pajamas to bed, so all this applies to what I wear before bed and in the morning before I shower and get dressed. I've never successfully found anything that doesn't twist all around me or is uncomfortable in bed.

Anonymous

I'm like Echo, nothing to bed, any least since menopause set in. I sleep so much better. I have light weight summer and fleece winter robes to toss on first thing in the morning. I want them to be reasonably attractive.

Diana

Veteran

Well, I like to think my nightwear of choice is cute, if not super fab. I mostly wear little cotton chemises (like short, sleeveless nightgowns basically) or pj pants + a cute tank or tee. I do admit to wearing pjs well past their prime though, so they are cute but might have a couple of holes or something. LOL.

I occasionally also wear an old button down shirt of my husband's to sleep. I know this is super rom-com cliche but it is actually weirdly comfortable because it is really huge on me. This is strange because I rarely wear button down shirts during the day because I think they are uncomfortable! I guess when it is twice as big as it should be it becomes comfortable.

MsMary

Veteran

Yes! After years of wearing ratty old oversized tees to bed and keeping nightwear long past its prime, I bought multiple pairs of summer and winter pajamas last year in a variety of prints, and I love them! They're pretty basic but I like having nice pj's in good condition.

donnat

Veteran

I definately buy nice pj's. I don't buy expensive ones, as long as they are pretty and soft I am happy. Recently Joe Fresh has had some really cute prints.

deb

Veteran

It is funny that you brought this up because last night I wore an old stained tee and old men's boxers to bed. As I sat on the toilet this morning (TMI?), I looked down and saw the humongous stain and thought about replacing all of my sleepwear. Maybe this should be my next fashion goal.

rachylou

Veteran

I wear cotton voile shifts. Not sexy but cute. Prevents dog scratches...

Anonymous

I like to wear a tee shirt night dress. They are usually mid thigh to somewhere a few inches above my knees and often have some sort of design like an embroidered picture or slogan. I have one that says " sleep is so last night"! ☺

Summer

Veteran

Funny you should bring this up because I've just demoted several good but too short tank tops to my sleepwear collection. Ditto, a couple of pairs of yoga pants.
I take the view that if there should be a night-time emergency - fire, break-in or trip to hospital, I would want to look at least half-way presentable, so nothing stained, torn or bagged out.
When this little collection starts to look worse for wear, I'll invest in some pretty sets to take their place, but for now I'm covered - literally.

Thistle

Veteran

I am nursing several times at night , so comfy, soft 100% cotton jammies are a most! No, not cute, not really, but practical.

Astrid

Veteran

Most of the time I sleep in pants or shorts that look more like sportswear in style plus a T-Shirt. My sleeping T-shirts are mostly old ones I wouldn't wear anywhere else - the Hard Rock Café tee I bought in Paris in 8th grade, a ten year old concert tee and so on. I also have some real nightwear I wear from time to time - I have a nightgown from my grandma that I sometimes wear in summer. I remember her putting me into it when I stayed overnight and the hem was trailing on the floor... It's knee length now. Most of my sleepwear isn't really all that presentable, but it isn't a priority right now. I always make sure that I have something decent to wear when I'm elsewhere, but I don't care very much about the nights I'm at home.

Kirstjen

Veteran

When I was about 23-24 years old, my house caught on fire & I had to run out of the house with only the clothes on my back. I was in the rattiest t shirt & a pair of sweats. That should have been my lesson to dress a little better. I literally had to wear those clothes for about 36 hours. Ugh... I didn't figure it out then, however.

I was never interested in pajamas or nightgowns, until I got very sick & ended up living in my "pajamas" which consisted of OLD t shirts which should have been in trash years earlier. It was depressing to feel crappy & wear crappy clothes. That made me go online & buy a couple of nightgowns & a robe. I think actually putting on nice looking nightgowns made me feel a lot better & sped up my recovery. Now I'm a believer. A new set of jammies, a great sweater only used for lounging around the house, etc. can make a huge improvement in your mood. I have to admit that I don't ALWAYS put on the pretty stuff, but I don't recycle stuff as pajamas that should be trashed.

Author Linda

Veteran

I like pretty pajamas and wouldn't be too embarrassed to answer the door or have to run out of the house in an emergency in mine. Pajamas are where I wear patterns, now that I think of it. I bought a couple pair of Boden pajama bottoms that I wear with light and airy tees. Also, we take cruises and usually have my father-in-law in our cabin, so I need to cover up and still look nice!

Anonymous

I've often thought about how finding myself outside my home in flames sporting my usual down time fare would be awful but I never heard from anyone who'd actually had it happen!
And I think it's true that there's a mood elevating factor in dressing reasonably well at home.
The whole idea that you wouldn't want anyone to see you "like that" seems a bit heading in the wrong direction.
I'm committing to improving my around the house wear.

Anonymous

I put a little effort into my sleepwear, but not a huge amount. Bottoms are usually soft knit sleep pants or shorts and tops are random tees and tanks, sometimes actually bought to sleep in and sometimes demoted. I like nice colors and patterns and try to make sure that everything's in decent condition and tops and bottoms kind of coordinate.

For some reason, anything that's obviously a "matched set" or has cutesy PJ-style details or patterns makes me feel like a little kid, so most of the stuff I sleep in looks basically like loungewear. Which I guess would make things a little less embarrassing in case of a middle-of-the-night emergency.

Louise

Veteran

I need no excuse to buy pretty things so having cute sleepwear is a definite yes from me. In winter I wear long sleeved, long legged separates along with a stretchy crop top underneath to provide light chest support. In summer I wear cropped bottoms with strappy camis which have a secret support chest panel.

Staysfit

Veteran

I wear nice pajamas plus I always wear a pair of socks because my feet get cold. I have a nice assortment of PJ's that I vary with the seasons. I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in them, but I didn't consider that when I purchased them and I definitely didn't consider encountering natural disasters or fires, etc. I just like them. They are soft, comfortable, and cozy.

My neighbors house burned to the ground in early April. Snow was still on the ground here. Her family had to run out of the house in PJ's and bare feet at 4am. Fortunately no one was injured. They lost all the contents of the house plus their cars. No one was thinking about what they were wearing. My neighbors and I were very focussed on providing whatever support they needed to help them through their loss. It's interesting to me how self conscious we think we might be in a crisis situation like that, but I would be surprised if that is really where our minds go in a crisis. My guess is that is what happens afterwards for some people when they go back and review what happened. Forgive me for saying this, but having been through a natural disaster myself (tornado), and witnessing the fire at my neighbors, I hope I would never be that petty as to be worried about my appearance.

Kari

Veteran

Yes, but not so much because I'm afraid of looking bad. I find loose, modal knit pajama sets to be pretty comfortable. My mom has given me some Soma pajama sets that I looove-loose pants and either a pretty matching tank or a loose pajama top with contrasting-colored piping. I also got a pretty, light Carol Hochman robe at last year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that is great to toss over pajamas on a chilly morning.
Presentable pajamas do come in handy when I need to take my dog out, though; nice not to have to get dressed if she needs to be let out late at night or in the early morning!

Gaylene

Veteran

Yes to paying attention to my undies, sleepwear, and loungewear. Because I prefer a "uniform" style of dressing (I think I referred to my style as Classic Elderly Tomboy) , my private wear is where I indulge in pretty things.

I'll put the blame on my Mum. She was ahead of her time staying in the workforce after my sister and I were born in the fifties. Her wardrobe of tailored suits, cashmere sweaters, and pleated skirts were her daily outfits, with an apron to keep them tidy when she was cooking or cleaning. She never left the house without her hair done and her lipstick in place. All my friends thought I was lucky to have a mum who always looked so well put together. Even at home, my dad loved to see her in nice lounge/sleepwear, so his presents to her were often a pretty robe or a lovely nightgown.

I think little kids notice more than we think about what their parents are wearing--to say nothing of teenagers. And being the only female in a houseful of men made me realize that my boys had only me as a role model for what adult women looked like in the privacy of their home. I didn't slink around in revealing nightwear, but I did take some pains to look nice even if they just caught a glimpse of me in my PJs or my robe. I wanted them to be as proud of me as I was of my mum.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I buy sleep shorts and pj bottoms and wear them with demoted tees. Not so much stained tees, I try to dump those, rather the ones with tiny holes in it. (Such a problem with even expensive fine knit tees.) I don't feel super fab in it, but it's all comfortable. I've yet to find really cool pj sets, I used to like BedHead though. Natori makes really nice elegant expensive sleepwear but I've yet to try any.

ETA - These are my favorite Summer sleep shorts, I buy them a size larger and they are so comfortable and the fabric is not thin nor is it too hot.

Sweatshirt Shorts

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Helena

Veteran

I don't worry about looking fab in sleepwear, although cute might be a fair description. Only cotton for me, and matching sets. And wool socks in winter

Sal

Veteran

I have three pretty nighties. They offer light chest support and go to the knee with no sleeves. I also have knit shorts that I wear with tank tops, mostly faded older ones, again fitting for support.

I decided it was worth putting some budget into this area and I try to blend comfort and style together.

Meredith

When I turned 35 I decided to start buying nice sleepwear. Nothing too expensive, but it was time to stop sleeping in my husband's t-shirts and boxers. I like simple cotton nightgowns. Just recently I bought a long cotton nightgown that is so huge (by design) that my husband calls it the anti-sex gown. (Hope that's not TMI!) Not flattering AT ALL, but oh so comfy for these hot summer nights.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I recently decided to have a little upgrade of sleepwear, and got a few pairs of Soma pajamas that are called cool sleep or something like that. I've been very pleased with them, as I tend to get very hot, throw off all the bedding, get cold, and repeat...

Aziraphale

Veteran

I wear little spaghetti strap chemises in the summer (plain white cotton- woven, not knit, because I don't like the way that knits tend to cling) and plaid flannel pyjamas in the winter. I like sleepwear, but I don't get super into it. I think my sleepwear is cute but functional. I never get anything with lacy or see-through bits.

Traci

Veteran

This thread convinced me to downgrade my pajamas to nothing, buy a robe, and install a hook for it in arms reach of my bed.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

On a good day, I wear a huge t-shirt-fabric nightgown that falls to mid-calf and is finished at the neck with the world's tiniest bow. The next level down is...not fit for print. That's as fancy as I get for nightwear. You know I'm extremely picky when the sun comes up, but at night it's all about comfort.