Louis Vuitton pajamas
Pajama dressing has become an unlikely but enduring high fashion trend with several years now under its belt and little sign of slowing down.
NEW YORK, United States — Not long ago, the practice of wearing pajamas during the day was largely confined to college campuses or the exceptional lifestyles of Hugh Hefner and Julian Schnabel. No longer. Whether it’s a piped silk top, roomy drawstring pants, or a combination of the two, “pajama dressing” has become an unlikely but enduring high fashion trend with half a decade’s worth of staying power now under its belt and little sign of waning.
Indeed, designer Marc Jacobs — whose three Fall 2013 shows (for his signature collection, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Louis Vuitton) were all replete with silk sleepwear sets — is so taken with look, that he himself wore a different pair of pajamas for each show’s runway bow. Meanwhile, looking forward to Resort 2014, several fashion houses, from Rochas to Gucci, have incorporated echoes of pajama pieces. And on the men’s side, the Spring 2014 offerings from Haider Ackermann, Dries van Noten and Stefano Pilati’s collection for Ermenegildo Zegna were populated with lounge-inspired, silk jacquard silhouettes.
Such is the continuing traction of the pajama trend that it has led to the launch of several labels largely dedicated to the pajama look, including Piamita, brainchild of W magazine’s Karla Martinez and designer Cecilia de Sola, and the recently-introduced Sleepy Jones, started by Andy Spade.
But where did the pajama fascination originate?
Some trace it to Olatz Schnabel, who introduced her namesake pajama collection, Olatz, more than a decade ago, with her now ex-husband — the perpetually pajama-wearing Julian Schnabel — serving as brand ambassador. Andy Spade credits Mr. Schnabel with planting the idea for Sleepy Jones, which debuted this spring. “I was at a party, and Julian Schnabel walked in wearing pajamas,” Spade recalls. “He looked so chic, I thought to myself, could this work? Could other people accept the idea? And I talked to other people, and they said, ‘Yeah.’”
Holli Rogers, fashion director of Net-a-Porter, pinpoints the trend’s runway debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2009 show, held in September 2008, which featured womanly takes on classic men’s silk pajamas. “Back then it was subtle,” she says. By 2011, pajama dressing had picked up steam, appearing everywhere from Thakoon to Céline. “Women such as [stylist] Caroline Sieber and [Style.com market director] Marina Larroudé really started wearing it top-to-toe,” Rogers adds, “and it has since taken off.”
“The strength behind the pajama look is the versatility of the styles,” Tomoko Ogura, senior fashion director, Barneys New York, points out. “Customers aren’t exclusively buying tops and bottoms as matching sets.” The silhouette is “incredibly flattering and easy to wear for several body types,” Cecilia de Sola, co-founder of Piamita, notes, adding: “We are different things to different customers in a sense. We can either sell to someone that wants to wear the PJ top and bottom for bed, or someone that is a little more fashion-forward, who wants to wear it out. They can use our blouses as layering pieces in winter and as stand-alone pieces in the summer.” In essence, pajama-inspired styles “are easy and multi-functional” for the customer, Tom Mora, senior vice president of women’s design at J.Crew, says.
Liz Giardina, vice president of design for 10 Crosby Derek Lam, which has been turning out sleepwear-inspired pieces since its launch in 2011, notes: “An easy pajama-inspired trouser is more interesting than a pair of jeans.” Rogers adds: “The relaxed silhouette feels so fresh and needed after many years of skinny jeans and pants.”
The Enduring Appeal of Pajama Dressing
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