Nightwear

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Nightwear is one of the oldest categories of clothing, yet most people give it almost no thought. What you put on before bed carries centuries of social meaning, legal regulation, and cultural difference - all compressed into a few inches of cotton or silk. A survey conducted in 2004 in the United States found that only 13% of men actually wear pajamas or nightgowns to sleep. Women were far more likely to wear them, at 55%. Those two numbers sit at the heart of a fascinating divide - one that played out very differently in the UK just eight years earlier. How did a piece of clothing become a site of safety law, gender custom, and quiet personal expression? The answers stretch from children's flammability codes to the lace-trimmed negligee to the simple question of whether anyone wears anything at all.

• 2. A World of Variants

  ›

  The babydoll is a short, sometimes sleeveless nightgown for women, generally designed to resemble a young girl's nightgown. It sits at one end of a remarkably wide spectrum. At the other end is the adult onesie - an all-in-one footed sleepsuit worn by adults, similar to an infant onesie or children's blanket sleeper, and usually made from cotton. Between those two extremes lies the full landscape of nightwear. The nightshirt is a loose-fitting shirt reaching to below the knees. Pajamas are traditionally loose-fitting, two-piece garments. The nightgown is a loose hanging garment for women, typically made from cotton, silk, satin, or nylon. Then there are garments built around a more particular kind of appeal. The negligee is loose-fitting women's nightwear intended to have sensuous appeal, usually made of sheer or semi-translucent fabrics and trimmed with lace or other fine material and bows. The chemise is a delicate, loose-fitting, sleeveless, shirt-like lingerie garment for women, typically intended to feature a provocative appearance. The peignoir is a long outer garment for women, usually sheer and made of chiffon; it is frequently sold with a matching nightgown, negligee, or panties. Not everyone reaches for a dedicated sleepwear garment. Gym shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, sweatpants, and underwear are all commonly worn for sleeping, even though none of them are exclusively nightwear. Sleeping in the nude is also common, especially in warmer climates.

• 3. What the Numbers Reveal

  ›

  In 1996, a survey by the BBC The Clothes Show Magazine mapped sleepwear habits in the United Kingdom, and the results were striking. Among British men, 47% slept in nothing at all, while only 6% wore pajamas. Women were quite different: 37% chose pajamas, and 33% wore a nightdress. Another 17% of British women slept nude. The most common response in the "other" category from men was shorts; from women it was outdoor clothes. The 2004 United States survey told a different story. American men were split almost evenly: 31% slept nude, 31% wore underwear, and 21% chose shorts or a t-shirt. American women leaned heavily toward pajamas or nightgowns at 55%, with 25% opting for shorts or a t-shirt, and only 14% sleeping nude. The warmer the climate, the more nudity figures across both surveys. Style choices in nightwear are not fixed - warmer styles are worn in colder conditions and vice versa, meaning season drives selection just as much as personal preference.

• 4. Children's Sleepwear Safety

  ›

  On the 22nd of December 2011, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a formal letter to manufacturers, distributors, importers, and retailers across the apparel industry. The letter reminded the industry of the enforcement policy around children's sleepwear and loungewear. Under the commission's regulations, children's sleepwear covers any wearing apparel in sizes 0-14 - nightgowns, pajamas, robes, and similar items - intended to be worn primarily for sleeping or activities related to sleeping. There are three specific exceptions: diapers and underwear, infant garments sized for a child nine months of age or younger, and tight-fitting garments that meet specific maximum dimensions. All children's sleepwear and loungewear sold in the United States must comply with the Flammable Fabrics Act, specifically the flammability standards set out in 16 C.F.R. Parts 1615 and 1616. Beyond that, sellers must also meet the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which brings in requirements for tracking labels, a certificate of compliance, limits on lead content and surface coatings, and restrictions on phthalates. The tight-fitting exemption matters because a garment that fits snugly against the body leaves less trapped air, which reduces the fabric's ability to catch and spread flame.