Proper Pajamas

[DonLafontaine]

The members of this site (myself include) seem to obsess (in the best sense of this word) on the minutae of the "manly rituals" that many others have either forgotten along with the 8-track tape or never learned in the first instance because they grew up in the age of the CD. The members of this site are freely conversant in the obscurantia of razor blade sharpness and some can be heard adamantly voicing a preference for blades manufactured in Japan over those that are shipped from docks in Israel. The members of this site set forth a mind numbingly long list of prerequisites that need to be satisfied before a serviceable cup of espresso can be crafted.

That said, I've reviewed a number of the previous posts on the issue of the lowly pajama and found that board members generally pay no attention to the threads one wears before retiring after a day of gourmet shaving, coffee appreciation and adherence to the manly rituals, long forgotten.

When I refer to "proper pajamas," I'm describing that style of pajama that: (1) is made of 100% cotton (the exception being a mixture of cotton and silk); (2) has lapels and a breast pocket and (3) is suitable for a spy to wear to bed before engaging in a day of international espionage, intrigue and coquetting with an undercover Miss Belgium, 1964. There's a time and place for rayon pajamas with the "Welcome to Las Vegas" entry sign printed in repetition, but that's a subject matter for another thread. I'm somewhat partial to the Derek Rose traditional style of pajama and I don't even usually wear them to bed ... I do (for lack of a better phrase) ... "luxuriate in them" (cringes appropriately).

Does anyone feel the same about this issue or am I going to be the only one going full speed ahead towards the Frette store with the hope of storming the compound and making off with a handful of their finest pajamas (and perhaps the striking brunette saleswoman from Palermo behind the counter as well, time permitting)?

[SRock]

For me it depends on the time of year. In the summer months I tend to just wear a cotton T-shirt and boxers. However, as the weather cools I do like to wear "proper pajamas".

[luvmysuper]

I use pajamas and have a house robe as well.
I prefer cotton over silk, quite frankly because silk tends to creep, and I don't like waking up in the middle of the night to pull my pants legs down.
The robe is Turkish Terry Cloth, and is very nice to sit in on the balcony with a morning cofee, even on brisk days.
And no, I don't wear a silk scarf in an ascot under my robe.

[RichGem]

Each to his own, but in my mind, proper pajamas are for British Royalty and senior citizens. (no offense intended). Boxers & a T-shirt or fleece lounge pants when it gets colder.

[luvmysuper]

Each to his own, but in my mind, proper pajamas are for British Royalty and senior citizens. (no offense intended). Boxers & a T-shirt or fleece lounge pants when it gets colder.

Well, I ain't British Royalty, so you know where that leaves me :biggrin1:

[SRock]

Well, I ain't British Royalty, so you know where that leaves me :biggrin1:

I'm neither I just enjoy comfort and warmth! :thumbup1:

[DonLafontaine]

I'm not big on the creeping tendency that tends to wake you up at 3am either and usually just wear them around the house. I agree that traditionally pajamas of the type described are best donned by British Royalty and old people, but I'm here to change that ... I actually can't think of a more appropriate garment to sport while perusing the B & B website.

[SRock]

I'm not big on the creeping tendency that tends to wake you up at 3am either and usually just wear them around the house. I agree that traditionally pajamas of the type described are best donned by British Royalty and old people, but I'm here to change that ... I actually can't think of a more appropriate garment to sport while perusing the B & B website.

:thumbup1:

[synapticmisfires]

I do insist on 100% cotton for my frumpish pajama pants printed with some licensed what-not. So I at least have the self-respect to demand cotton. Of course I pair this with a cotton shirt. I'll wear boxers or workout shorts (again, cotton) during the warmer months.

However, I don't do the fancy matching pajama outfits with lapels, buttons, and chest pockets. It does seem sort of James Bond-esque now that I think about it, and that makes me sort of envy it. However the other connotation is sort of a senior citizen one.

[DonLafontaine]

Instead of a senior citizen connotation, I prefer a modern twist on a traditional classic ... like DE shaving, once reserved for olde people, has undergone a transformation because of better new blades and more information about the best creams, soaps and razors ... it could be stretch and I get that, but maybe not ...

[mmack66]

I go old school. Nightshirt and a nightcap.

[CarlJN]

No you're not insane. I love traditional pajamas with the winter months cooling SoCal off into the 50s at night. One twist though, picked up by luck a perry ellis pajama shirt at TJMaxx that isn't 100% cotton, but rather Bamboo thread. Makes cotton feel like sandpaper!

[leighton]

Well, this is an interesting thread. I like wearing boxers during the summer months (120 degree weather here), or fleece pants and an undershirt during the cool months. Honestly have not given my pjs much thought. Not like anyone sees me in them....

[Sanders]

I go old school. Nightshirt and a nightcap.

seriously? cuz that's awesome and seems less restrictive than "proper pajamas" would be. where did you get them?

[galopede]

Haven't owned a pair of pyjamas for about 40 years. Haven't worn anything in bed for the same length of time. I occasionally wear a tee shirt and chuddies when camping and it's cold but I hate it as I wake up half strangled in the night as they get all tangled up.

Must admit, the last pair I did own were of the cotton flannelette type being discussed. I'll be in trouble if I need to go to hospital!

Gareth

[WhosYerBob]

The only time I ever wear something to bed is when I'm wilderness camping in the bitter cold. Otherwise I get too hot and repulse the Mrs. with the volumes of sweat that trickle off and soak the sheets, pad and mattress.

[withoutink]

I dont really like wearing anything to bed. I know some people may find that offensive. But you should try it once. You might be surprised at how nice it is to sleep in the buff, specially after you take a nice hot shower. Clean body, Clean bed... thats the way I like it.

If it gets cold here (30-40s) i might wear boxers and a t shirt, or if I am sick. But those are the only times.

[Doc4]

Each to his own, but in my mind, proper pajamas are for British Royalty and senior citizens. (no offense intended). Boxers & a T-shirt or fleece lounge pants when it gets colder.


Well, I ain't British Royalty, so you know where that leaves me :biggrin1:

I'n not a senior citizen, and I wear pajamas. Just call me "your Grace", :thumbup:

[Alacrity59]

I have sheets and blankets, a wife, and a dog. That's enough for me.

[Ceezer]

I get too hot if I wear anything to bed, but I often like to come home and change out of work clothes into pajamas. Like others, I have a pair of cotton pajama pants (red plaid with an Ohio State Buckeyes patch on the left leg) that I wear with a t-shirt.

However, I came across some "proper" Ralph Lauren pajama shirts at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago and was really digging them. They didn't have matching bottoms, or I would have gotten sets in each of the two patterns they had. Bummer!

[82R100]

LL Bean flannel pajamas. I just can't deal with the feeling of skin on skin (leg against leg, etc.) and this does it for me. Year 'round.

Senior citizens? Please. The last thing I want to have to worry about is my fashion sense in bed.

- Chris

[benvh]

Saw some sweet long johns on deutscheoptik.com that I think I'm going to pick up. Swiss army ~60 years old. Looks to be really nice quality and vintage. That site brings ADs to a whole new level.

[heirkb]

No you're not insane. I love traditional pajamas with the winter months cooling SoCal off into the 50s at night. One twist though, picked up by luck a perry ellis pajama shirt at TJMaxx that isn't 100% cotton, but rather Bamboo thread. Makes cotton feel like sandpaper!

You kidding?! So Cal doesn't get cold! :lol:

[BurkDarkpatches]

Life (and winter) without flannel PJs and sheets is not worth living. The day my wife puts on the flannel sheets is a minor holiday for me....

Steve

[Mr. O]

It's not gentlemanly to sleep in the buff?:lol:

T-shirt and whitey tightys for me. Anything else and I wake up sweating.

[galopede]

No you're not insane. I love traditional pajamas with the winter months cooling SoCal off into the 50s at night.

50s?:lol:

That's a warm night here in Britain and I'm sleeping in the buff and throwing the duvet off!

Slight change of question, do you Americans use a duvet or are you still on blankets and sheet?

I've had a duvet for 37 years now and can't stand the weight and cold spots you get with blankets.

Gareth

[sparkchaser]

Pocket on pajamas?

:blink:

I guess I have to stash my iPod somewhere.

[BurkDarkpatches]

50s?:lol:

That's a warm night here in Britain and I'm sleeping in the buff and throwing the duvet off!

Slight change of question, do you Americans use a duvet or are you still on blankets and sheet?

I've had a duvet for 37 years now and can't stand the weight and cold spots you get with blankets.

Gareth

I'm in SoCal as well, and we're down to the 30's F. We usually crack the bedroom window at night for fresh air. Works out into a nice equilibrium with the flannel sheets, blanket and comforter. It's like dressing in layers for outside. I usually take all three. My wife the sheets and maybe the blanket.

First I'd heard of a duvet. After some online education it seems interesting. Thanks.

Steve

[mmack66]

seriously? cuz that's awesome and seems less restrictive than "proper pajamas" would be. where did you get them?

www.sleeplikeebenezerscrooge.com

[sparkchaser]

seriously? cuz that's awesome and seems less restrictive than "proper pajamas" would be. where did you get them?

I bought my nightshirt at The Gap about 12-14 years ago.

[Sanders]

haha harsh! i actually looked up that site, hmmm bummer

[mmack66]

haha harsh! i actually looked up that site, hmmm bummer

:lol: Actually, they are available at many places online.

[Mainecanefan]

I just bought a flannel nightshirt from LL Bean. Wife isn't a huge fan of it but it's nice and toasty and not as constricting as pajamas. In the summer, I'm good for a pair of boxers however.

[DonLafontaine]

This is the next pair that I had in mind with the slippers, but of course ... This pair would go well on a cold weekend morning, over a cup of good coffee, reading the paper with Kind of Blue on in the background. I suppose it's a variant of the lifestyle that Hugh Hefner was trying to sell when he was young, relevant and a visionary as opposed to the punchline to some bad joke about an erectile dysfunction medication overdose.

[Monkeydad]

Proper Pajamas = nude


:scared: :mellow: :001_unsur


Sorry for that image.

Will you be getting the trap door in the back? :001_tongu

[EBE]

For me it was always a t-shirt and boxers until I walked out out of the bedroom at my grandparent's house "exposed" one Sunday morning. My grandfather bought me a pair of Derek Rose pajamas that week. That was over fifteen years ago. I still have that same pair and wear them with a white t-shirt every night. I never really wore the top that much. In fact, I don't even know where the top is.

[Jim]

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=18605&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&from=SR&feat=sr

Love my Evans

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=11644

[Rick Sparks]

Out here in the woods, I sleep in an unheated bedroom. I love breathing cold, oxygen-rich air while staying warm under a lightweight but cozy comforter. Most nights, even in winter, this is plenty of warmth for just sleeping in my skivvies. But when it gets down below about 20ºF I sleep in sweatpants and a hoodie. It's just toasty, but if I have flannel sheets on, I use my smartwool longjohns and a knit cap. Otherwise, there's too much traction when I turn from side to back to other side, etc.

I'm guessing most folks these days sleep in bedrooms that are about as warm as the rest of the house. Try sleeping with the bedroom heating vent closed and the window open sometime. You'll be amazed at how refreshing sleep can be.

[Nic Bledsoe]

Haven't owned a pair of pyjamas for about 40 years. Haven't worn anything in bed for the same length of time. I occasionally wear a tee shirt and chuddies when camping and it's cold but I hate it as I wake up half strangled in the night as they get all tangled up.

Must admit, the last pair I did own were of the cotton flannelette type being discussed. I'll be in trouble if I need to go to hospital!

Gareth

+1

full commando here

[ada8356]

If you keep an eye on Brooks Brothers internet clearance, you can get some great broadcloth pajamas for a great price.

I recently picked up a pair of lounge pants and t-shirt for $30 and a pair of shorts and collarless button-up shirt for $26. Both are great sets.

[jones2289]

Growing up, our upstairs wasn't heated, so a tshirt and boxers was about the minimum that I could get away with wearing, if I had the electric blanket turned on. Once I moved away to college, I had to sleep with the window cracked because it just seemed too hot to sleep at night at 70 degrees. Now that I have my own place, I close the vent in the bedroom, which keeps it around 60-65, with the rest of the apartment at 70.

I usually only sleep in boxers, and am almost too hot now that I put the flannel sheets on. If I'm sick, I will wear a tshirt and maybe a pair of socks in addition to the boxers.

[ImaWestie]

Boarding school. Army barracks. These require some form of nightwear.

Nowadays, there is some jewelery that wears more comfortably with nightwear.

For me it's generally been a pair of cotton, or satin, boxers, plus a cotton, or poly cotton, tee or singlet, until about May when the flannel sleep-pants come out of the wardrobe.

I've looked around, a schoolmate had an awesome flannel night-gown... 20 + years ago! I've never seen one. Would love one. Tried to get Mrs Westie to knock one up on the Janomie, nope it didn't happen. Might have to go looking online...

[ada8356]

Boarding school. Army barracks. These require some form of nightwear.

Nowadays, there is some jewelery that wears more comfortably with nightwear.

For me it's generally been a pair of cotton, or satin, boxers, plus a cotton, or poly cotton, tee or singlet, until about May when the flannel sleep-pants come out of the wardrobe.

I've looked around, a schoolmate had an awesome flannel night-gown... 20 + years ago! I've never seen one. Would love one. Tried to get Mrs Westie to knock one up on the Janomie, nope it didn't happen. Might have to go looking online...

Brooks Brothers has flannel night shirts. Not sure if that's available to you or not, but worth looking.

[hifigeezer]

I'n not a senior citizen, and I wear pajamas. Just call me "your Grace", :thumbup:

These things are only in the stores here around Christmas :-(. Score them in the post-Christmas sale before they get away!

Maybe it's Hugh Hefner's fault these have disappeared. Kind of creepy seeing him with those 19-year-olds...

[Snargle]

Senior citizen here and don't wear PJs (or anything else) in the bed...but I do put on a set before I go downstairs to retrieve the newspaper and make coffee! :blink:

If you're looking for comfort, check out Calida...a Swiss company who makes very nice, high-quality nightwear. They're pretty expensive, but I frequently find excellent deals on Calida clothing at Sierra Trading Post (http://www.sierratradingpost.com/).

[Leche]

In the buff, if I sleep with a shirt I feel like it's trying to strangle me. Maybe it's my wife though, I've never looked. In the cooler months I pull out the down comforter.

[Brush_with_Fame]

Hunting for beer in NYC...
And yes, this IS how I go out... :)

[Blue Raccoon]

I always sleep commando.. but prior to climbing in the sack I can be found in LLB fannels in the winter and in whatever shorts and tee I happen to have on during the day in the summer.

[Pontoppidan]

Boxers and a duvet, all year round.

[Zephyr]

Saturday and Sunday mornings: Classic cotton pajamas, black cotton bathrobe and wool slippers, nice and relaxing when drinking the morning coffee and smoking the the first cigarette or pipe.

Sleeping: Usually boxer short only, except of the coldest nights, for those nights I put on my pajamas.

[duotone]

I have one pair of the style you describe (Cost me about £20) I often wear the bottoms but often just wear a t-shirt instead of the matching top as I find it can be too warm. The top does have the pocket like you describe but I never use it, does anyone? One thing I miss with the bottoms is that they dont have pockets in.

In the evenings though its usually a pair of thick jogging bottoms, t-shirt with a warm long sleeve check shirt over the top & a thick pair of socks with my Guinness slippers. If its really cold (and I stay up online until 2/3am) then its a hoodie on top. Then I will change into the pyjama bottoms & t-shirt combo right before getting into bed.

[Walker]

My PJ's are Ralph Lauren bottoms either my Plaid ones or the softer Fleece type ones and usually a t-shirt. I wear a robe if the house is a little chilly.

[commanderkeen]

Boxers.

I find everything else somehow restricting/constricting. If I get cold I just cover up with extra blankets/comforter.

I always wondered as a kid about the funny looking PJs actors would wear in movies... none of that for me!

[Gerald_G]

spotted this today browsing Lee Valley for other stuff

http://www.leevalley.com/en/gifts/page.aspx?p=58278&cat=4,104,62587&ap=1

[TenorClef]

I quite enjoy these Noel Coward Pyjamas, but hey I'm British-

http://www.darcyclothing.com/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/w/nw421l.jpg

[DonLafontaine]

Great lookin' pajamas TenorClef, I can just picture Noel sporting them on the lanai at Goldeneye in Jamaica, sharing a morning cup of coffee with Mr. Fleming, reading the daily.