Fabric is the whole decision
Style is taste. Fabric is sleep. Here's what each one does on the body, from our customers' experience over many years of selling it.
Cotton
Breathes, absorbs moisture, washes forever, softens with age. The default for anyone who runs warm at night or has night sweats. Lightweight woven cotton for summer; brushed or heavier cotton knit for the rest of the year. The one downside is it holds moisture once damp, so if you wake soaked, a second nightgown on the chair is the practical answer.
Modal and other soft knits
Modal is a smooth, drapey rayon fibre, made from cellulose (usually beech wood) rather than petroleum (Modal on Wikipedia). It's cooler and silkier than cotton against the skin and it wicks well, which makes it the other good choice for hot sleepers. It's the fabric behind most soft "sleep shirt" styles.
Flannel and brushed cotton
For cold sleepers and cold houses. Traps warmth without weight and doesn't feel clammy the way a synthetic fleece can. A flannel pyjama set from October to March is one of the easiest gifts in the shop.
What to avoid if you run hot
Polyester satin. It looks lovely, it feels lovely for the first ten minutes, and then it doesn't breathe. If you love the look of satin, look for a silk or a modal satin-weave instead, and expect to pay for it.
Style, briefly
- Nightgowns are cooler than pyjamas and easier for anyone who gets up in the night.
- Pyjama sets are warmer and better for a house with other people in it.
- Sleep shirts are the compromise: a long, loose t-shirt cut. Most people who try one don't go back.
- Robes: lightweight cotton or waffle for summer and travel, plush for a winter morning.
For a hospital stay or recovery
Front-opening. Button-front pyjamas or a nightgown that opens at the front go on and off without lifting arms over the head, which matters after shoulder, chest or abdominal surgery. Short sleeves for a blood-pressure cuff. A lightweight robe with pockets. Ask us for front-opening styles; we're asked for them year-round.
Sizing
Sleepwear is forgiving: buy your usual top size, or one up if you like room. It's the easiest thing in the shop to buy for someone else for that reason. More on buying for your mother.
Care
Wash cotton and modal warm, dry low or hang; both shrink a little in a hot dryer. Flannel pills less if washed inside out. Everything here is meant to be washed weekly for years, so if a label says "hand wash only," ask us for something else.