I’m a huge fan of comfort. Give me clothes I can walk around in rather than shuffle, sit down in without pulling or shifting at the fabric, and breathe in without feeling like I’m doing some complicated breathwork exercise.
The ultimate comfort? Pyjamas. Cosy, familiar and instantly emanating that feeling of relaxation and winding down, pyjamas are made to feel completely unrestrictive. So whenever summer rolls around and I see the resurgence of clothing that straddles between loungewear and outside wear, I embrace it fully. And I’m not talking about loungewear in the height-of-the-pandemic-glorified-tracksuit sense here. I’m talking loose linen or cotton matching separates, relaxed shirting and trousers that float and swish.
Deiji Studios has been a big advocate of this. The Australian brand has very successfully blurred the lines between bedwear and ‘real life’ wear with its big shirts and shorts sets, draped robes, and nightgown-esque dresses. With Nothing Underneath is another great example, whose boxer shorts are quite possibly the best-fitting shorts I’ve tried. Then there’s this season’s striped linen trousers with elasticated waistbands that have so many of us ditching jeans for good (at least until autumn beckons).
Here are five looks inspired by the classic pyjama set, ranging from casual to a little bit smarter. Side note: I realised as I was putting this post together that everything I’m wearing here is a differing shade of blue… an unplanned coincidence but evidence that this colour is a great one to turn to for that pyjama aesthetic.
Look 1
You could easily spend your mornings swanning around in your kitchen making coffee in this linen wrap top and trousers set. Or you could keep on wearing it beyond your front door, which is exactly what I do — it’s too good to keep locked up. The trousers have a drawstring waist so they’re really comfortable and easy to adjust, while the top is a great wrap style that could be worn open like a jacket, or tied up like I’ve done here. I normally pop a little vest underneath to avoid any accidental flashing.
Look 2
I wore this outfit a few days ago at home and as I sat down at my desk to get to work my other half asked: “Are you wearing pyjamas or is that your outfit?” Please. It’s obviously my outfit. But I guess that’s the risk you take when you put these kinds of pieces on.
These trousers are the same as the ones I’m wearing in look one. That’s what I love about a set like that; you can wear the pieces together or you can split them up to create other looks too. The shirt is one I picked up from the Ganni Postmodern store in Copenhagen circa 2015 and it’s softened with so much wear, that it almost feels like a comfort blanket every time I put it on. I love the blues together and the classic ‘pyjama’ shapes that both of these pieces have, plus the fact they feel light and cosy at the same time.