LA! I’m hosting a pop-up to celebrate the launch of my ceramics collection with Valsa Home on Sunday, September 7th at Botanica in Silver Lake! Stop by, shop the collection, have a coffee and a pastry with me, and leave with a bouquet of flowers. A perfect Sunday! More details here.
There’s just something about opening my drawer each evening to find neatly folded rows of matching pajama sets, like little sleep uniforms waiting to be worn for a night of rest. Pajamas are very much *my thing*, so much so that you’ll often find me wearing a pair of boxers with a chunky sweater to work from home or a poplin set with some loafers to bop around town.
I pride myself on my encyclopedic knowledge of loungewear details—from types of piping to various collar shapes to bed-friendly fabrics—thanks to the fact that I actually designed pajamas at my old job for a little while. So, in addition to the fact that I’m about to launch a line of ceramics inspired by pajamas, I think that makes me an authority on the subject, and I figure it’s time I share everything I know.
Let’s get the hardest bit out of the way, and then I’ll take you through a list of my favorite pairs to wear, some sets on my wish list, and a long, long list of loungewear brands to shop yourself.
A NOTE ON PAJAMAS OUTSIDE
As you know, I am an advocate of wearing pajamas to bed, but also to any other place your heart desires. Some of you love the idea of leaving the house in loungewear, and some of you hate it (and love to tell me so.) I realized that I need to make a few clarifications:
By pajamas, I don’t mean any pajamas. Do not wear your flannel plaids or your Snoopy prints past the threshold of your front door. We’ve all seen those high school kids at Starbucks wearing Uggs and baggy pajama pants or, much worse, full-grown adults wearing pajamas to the airport. THIS IS NOT WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.
The outfit doesn’t stop at the pajamas. The best looks involving loungewear include carefully chosen shoes, bags, jewelry, and sunglasses that say “I did not wake up like this.”
It’s a balance, though, because there is a version of this look that’s painfully corny. Think back at 2017 and you’ll remember everyone from Gigi Hadid to Kourtney Kardashian to Alexa Chung was wearing silky pajamas styled with stilettos and a bright red lip. It was too much, and it scared some of you off the idea forever.
This is what I mean when I say we should be wearing our pajamas outside:
A pair of baggy cotton pants paired with a crewneck cashmere sweater and Birks.
A tailored set worn with loafers and a structured handbag.
A breezy silk set layered under an oversized trench.
A striped top and bottom with sunglasses, a bag, and flats in pop colors.
All of these looks play with proportions—none of these pieces are fitted or tapered. They all use fabrics like cotton or silk, not polyester, flannel, or jersey. They vary textures by layering PJs with knits and outerwear and styling them with accessories you’d normally wear with your favorite jeans and a tee. None of them are wrinkled or look like they’ve just been slept in. They could pass for not-pajamas, like they’re simply an Oxford shirt or a pair of cotton trousers, but their details (piping, stripes, boxer-style tags) give them away.
You don’t have to wear your pajamas outside! You can just wear them inside! It’s fine! I just needed to clear the air.
PAJAMAS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
So, now that I’ve convinced you that even your unconscious self deserves to look and feel good, I’ve compiled a list of pajama brands on my radar, noting which I own and love and which are on my wish list. It’s a long list, so buckle up—you may need to click “expand” to read this in your browser.
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