History of Pyjamas

A ‘pajama’ or ‘pyjama’ is a piece of unisex clothing made of light fabrics that is usually loose and comfortable and consists of a combination of jacket and a pair of trousers with an elastic waist and drawstrings. It is worn mainly for sleeping but there are also people that like to wear this garment for lounging, too. Nowadays, we can purchase numerous pyjama variations made of all kinds of materials.

The word ‘pajama’ comes from the Persian word ‘peyjama’, meaning ‘leg covering’, and men first started wearing them in the 19th century, when colonials brought them back from the East. Shortly after that, pajamas replaced the conventional night-shirt worn by men and by the Thirties they had become an essential part of a man’s wardrobe. Initially, when PJs were introduced in the West, they were worn by men only. Back in those days, women preferred lighter, more feminine and elegant nightdresses and they rarely purchased such garments.

That changed at the beginning of the 20th century when Coco Chanel launched a line of lounging pyjamas that were meant to be worn in the evening. Their stylish and womanly design and delicate material drew the attention of the opposite sex. A beachwear pajama version was also released and that convinced women that this garment can be an alternative to the nighties.

Variations of this clothing continued to emerge throughout the following years. Men’s choice of fabrics when it came to pyjamas was cotton, flannelette and twill. Women were mostly interested in the wide-legged pyjama pants made from silk called ‘palazzo pajamas’. This trend was launched by the fashion designer Princess Irene Galitzine in 1960 and it made pyjama a stylish women’s wear for evening events.

Nowadays, there are many variations such as one-piece PJs, short-sleeve pajamas and pyjama bottoms of various lengths as people want to enjoy their pajamas when they get out of the bedrooms. Pajama pants are even sometimes worn in public as a fashion statement. This is not a surprise as there are many people that want a garment that looks like a pair of trousers but feels like a comfortable pair of PJs. This way the wearer can walk around comfortably while still looking stylish.

Many believe that pyjamas have become outdated and now the preferred choice is t-shirts and shorts for sleeping. This is a very wrong concept especially when it comes to children, who need to be changed in pyjamas in order to have quality sleep. So regardless if you use it yourself, do not deprive your child from a fun pair of girls or boys pyjamas. Pyjamas are a preferred choice in many northern countries and during the winter this is usually the garment worn by most of us and for our beloved toddlers pyjamas are an absolute necessity.