IT was a pleasant surprise when I had a last minute appointment with the branch manager of my local Homebase at 8am this morning.
I only had 20 minutes to run to the hardware store and I felt incredibly satisfied that I didn’t have to get dressed.
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A third of adults wear their pyjamas to the shops. Both on the catwalk and the red carpet, pyjamas are increasingly seen as outerwear, with everyone from Selena Gomez to Chrissy Teigan opting for both style and comfort.
But I’m probably one step ahead of the trend, because I no longer go out in my pajamas, but get dressed the night before.
My wardrobe is so focused on comfort and loungewear that these days I can often leave the house to make an early appointment or drink a carton of milk in the outfit I slept in.
Today I was ready to go in a Majestic Filature black cashmere cardigan and a Loop Cashmere sweater and pants.
Tomorrow night I’ll get dressed for the next day in my khaki velvet lounge suit from John Lewis, so I can jump out of bed and out the door at any time.
I love going to the shops in my loungewear that I wore to bed the night before, I just throw on my trench coat and pumps and go.
I don’t have to worry about how to get dressed ‘nicely’ until 1pm, after I’ve made lunch.
For those who want to follow in my very casual footsteps, I recommend loungewear or slouchy clothing
Buttonless trousers, sweaters and loose cotton T-shirts or cashmere cardigans for extra comfort in bed.
It’s understated and lo-fi: much of my ‘daybed wardrobe’ also comes from the local thrift store.
Before I discovered that velvet loungewear and luxurious cashmere are just as comfortable in bed, I once wore my real striped pyjamas to an M&S store.
Never again – I felt naked, exposed and vulnerable.
I could literally feel the cool wind outside blowing against my bum, the fabric was so thin.
The only real downside to my sofa bed wardrobe is that I find the fabrics so nice to the touch that my partner really needs to be reminded to change me after a day.
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But according to the designers, I’m not the only one who longs for a bridge between day and night.
Mark Finerty, head of design at John Lewis, tells me it can also be a seasonal look, particularly suited to those chillier evenings: “Autumn is a great season to invest in some loungewear pieces.
“As the weather gets colder, we want to dress warmly and choose clothes that look good both indoors and outdoors.
“For example, silk pajamas that you can wear neatly and still wear, or velvet loungewear sets that you can put on sneakers under and quickly go to the store with,” says the fashion designer.
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Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Megan Watkins, head stylist at online fashion website SilkFred, agrees that today’s versatility has blurred the lines between day and nightwear.
Speaking to Fabulous, she says: “Style these days is all about versatility: day-to-nightwear blurs the lines between casual and chic, allowing you to go from morning meeting to night out effortlessly. It’s not just what you wear, but how you wear it.”
“The rise of day-to-night-to-day dressing in recent years reflects changes in both lifestyle and fashion priorities. Post-pandemic, many of us were looking to shed our tracksuits and start putting together interesting outfits again.”
“Furthermore, the shift to flexible work environments and hybrid workplaces can lead to more unpredictable schedules, and a more dynamic social life means that what you wear needs to be versatile and adaptable to different occasions. The desire for fewer, higher-quality pieces that combine function and style has fueled the popularity of day-to-nightwear.”
Megan’s best tips…
Blazer -A tailored jacket instantly elevates any look, from slouchy trousers and a T-shirt by day to a dress or tailored trousers by night.
Little Black Dress (LBD) –A classic cotton LBD can be dressed up with ballet flats and a cardigan for the day, and dressed up with heels and statement jewelry for the evening. For a night out, you can also wear it comfortably for a good night’s sleep.
White cotton T-shirt – White cotton has a fresh look for daytime wear and is a comfortable basic under pyjama bottoms for bedtime.
Silk camisole – A tight cami dress can be worn during the day under a blazer or cardigan, but also looks great on its own during a date or a drink at work. You can also wear it with pajama pants for bedtime.
Birkenstock sandals– Crafted from durable suede and leather, these timeless loafers can be worn during the day with summer dresses and over socks in your living room as comfortable slippers
Statement jewelry – Give your casual loungewear a boost with stunning necklaces and statement earrings.
I suffer from a serious mental health condition, schizoaffective disorder and psychosis. According to Liz Ritchie, a psychotherapist at St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton who works with patients like me, comfort is the most important thing.
She tells me: “I think comfort is really important and it’s so important that we can relax in our clothes and say: this is me.
“Comfortable clothing helps patients shut out the world and return to themselves.
“With loungewear we are investing in a time where we are not stuck in the cycle of life – we can be who we want to be and accept ourselves as we are – which is very positive for us.”
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