Dressing like you just rolled out of bed is hardly a new concept; in fact the very thing that makes this idea feel fresh is that these days we so rarely dress for bed.

So many garments reminiscent of a more formal mode of dress; house coats, smoking jackets, velvet slippers and the silk lounge suit (or pyjama), have often been neglected by a change lifestyle. Worn to bed in the thirties, to dance in the fifties and, well, to host drinks in the seventies, the pyjama makes the occasional appearance, but generally entertains at home. Certainly there is a joy in making a ritual of rare relaxation, and allowing clothes to play costume, but in a relentless life it is perhaps better to take a relaxed approach to the outside world as opposed to taking sanctuary from it. And so begins my argument for wearing your silks outside...

Stella McCartney took fine prints, clean lines and the occasional paisley in restraint, into soft silks and slightly more tailored outerwear. Louis Vuitton rescues a piped pajama look from the nursery with a touch of lilac leopard, while Fendi keeps it cool with a stylised polka dot and yellow piped pj set that would pair perfectly with its negative in the form of J Crew’s yellow piped navy polka dot shirt. Alexa Chung prefers a palm tree to a polka dot with an interiors printed pyjama that pokes a little fun at prep, and JW Anderson plays with a bright and pretty paisley, while Equipment and Olatz Schnabel keep it cool with a classic contrast pipe and pocket that will breeze over a pair of pointed pumps. Taking a cue from menswear doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice femininity- the pyjama look is as far removed from androgyny as it is from stitched up boudoir restraints. Whether you’re more about smooth silk or crisp cotton, why not dress like you’re ready for bed, instead of like you just stepped out of it- there’s got to be something a little sexy in that.



1. Céline black & white shiny fluid stripe pajamas
2. Clemets Ribeiro FW11
3. Louis Vuitton Resort 2011/12
4. Stella McCartney SS12
5. Alexa Chung for Madewell silk pajamas
6. The Row 'shore' cotton pajamas
7. Lanvin catwalk printed silk pajama set
8. Tucker pajama-style silk shirt
9. Fendi pajama pants
10. Olatz silk pajama set
11. J. Crew nightshirt in end-on-end cotton
12. Equipment Avery pajama set
13. ONE by Ari Dein Boutique Hotel Pajamas Set
14. Steven Alan cropped pajama top
15. Malene Birger hazima arabian fleur pant
16. Rag & Bone racine pant
17. J.W. Anderson paisley printed silk shirt
18. J.W. Anderson paisley printed silk trousers
19. Paul Smith feather print shirt
20. H&M Trousers
21. Piamita pajamas