How and why was there a transformation from wearing the most basic sleep robes or underwear to fashionable sleep-specific clothing?
For most of Western history, life was very hard and people had very limited wardrobes. Most people wore a linen shirt (women) or chemise (men) as their main undergarment, which often doubled as sleepwear. However, during the Renaissance, it began to be observed that the very rich began to have separate nightwear, very similar to the shirt.
From the late Renaissance to the Baroque period, more relaxed garments were also incorporated into home clothing; today these types of garments are known as loungewear. These garments included short jackets (which could be knitted) and a relaxed tunic worn by men called a banyan. Women adopted the dressing gown as a common item of use during the Baroque period. These lounge garments would be modified over the centuries (becoming robes, tuxedos, evening cloaks, etc.) but served the same purpose.
There was a much greater emphasis on correct dress during the 19th century. Garments were much more affordable as a result of the industrial revolution (which also resulted in a shift from linen to cotton) and proper clothing was a way of establishing status. It is believed that pajamas were introduced into Western clothing by British settlers who had adopted them while living in India. Nightgowns became increasingly associated with tradition, while pyjamas were promoted as sensible, modern and suitable for an active lifestyle. They were quite common after 1900.
Evolution of Pajamas According to Gender
Women began to adopt pajamas in the 1910s, when pan-orientalism was in vogue, and it reached its knit during the 1920s. Since then, men's pajamas have remained quite consistent, while women's pajamas have followed changes in fashion.
Women's nightgowns followed a similar trajectory during the 19th century. After the 1870s, nightgowns and their accompanying robes became increasingly elaborate and tied to fashion trends. Materials became finer and more filiform and color was introduced. The nightgowns would follow the fashion lines of clothing: the examples from the 1920s are geometric and tubular, those from the 1930s are sinuous and with bias cuts. Modern materials such as rayon and nylon were widely used and made elaborate ruffled creations more affordable and practical than ever.
Traditionally, women were expected to have a wardrobe of nightwear as an extension of their daily clothing. Women's sleepwear is more subject to the whims of fashion and therefore women buy more. In museum collections, women's nightgowns are plentiful, while men's pajamas are hard to come by because men tend to wear the same thing over and over again until it wears out.
Currently, it is not very common for the average man to be aware of the consequences that come from not frequently wearing sleepwear; to the point of being able to conclude that this fact may have influenced the experience of long nights of poor sleep, even insomnia. It is also unlikely that once one tries the frequent use of pajamas as a "uniform for rest and relaxation," they will ever give up using them.
Many people don't really consider the importance of nightwear. If you think about it and analyze it this way: just like you have work clothes for the professional environment and clothes that you would wear for a night out or a special gala, sleeping time also requires a specific dress code. That intrinsically, comes with many unsuspected benefits included. Simply one day it will be noticed that by adjusting to this code, the nightly stay in bed will be something more than comforting, and for very good reasons that will transcend in a palpable and definitive way in the comprehensive well-being of the user.
Sleepwear for men ranges from pajamas to boxers, jackets, loose T-shirts and loose pants. Although style variations are amplified with the choice in design, emphasis is always placed on the comfort and feeling of confidence that the garment produces on the user, which is intended to remain a constant, to opt for the type of suitable material and combination.
There is also a bit of history of sleepwear linked to men's clothing such as pajamas.
With so many people confined at home in recent months, due to the health emergency that impacts the world in general, the interior of homes has become the new exterior, for many. It's where you exercise, chat digitally with friends and, of course, work remotely. But it is also still the interior, where we sleep, rest and carry out all the activities that are essential for the daily life of the average human being. This can cause frequent wardrobe changes and of course a rethinking of the men's wardrobe.
The need for sleepwear, specifically pajamas as part of the men's wardrobe, is more than just a piece of history attributed to necessity and modernity. This extends to that very private comfort and allows you to develop a kind of relationship between the senses and the different states of relaxation, reaching a true development of the healthy mental state of any person. It is comfort at its finest, since the material of the sleepwear or pajamas is looser and does not adhere to the body, which provides a true state of freedom. This allows for uninhibited sleep and ensures that blood circulation is optimally maintained and there are no obstructions while sleeping.
Although recently, pajamas have become a style of outerwear and everyday clothing for many people, you should know that the materials used to make these designs for different occasions and functions are also diverse. Therefore, sleepwear should not be confused with everyday, everyday clothing. This everyday, at-home clothing could be a pair of worn-out shirts and pants, worn excessively at home; which could be a variety of combinations and to which a dissolute and slow approach can be added to spend life more relaxed.
The need for style in sleepwear cannot be underestimated, just as effort is put into selecting the usual clothing items, pajamas should also be considered within these important decisions.