Why Stylish Pajamas Are a Menswear Essential You Shouldn’t Sleep On
Welcome to State of the Suit, a new Robb Report series in which writer and menswear stylist Caroline Reilly examines the sartorial choices of candidates, pundits, and other movers and shakers. Whether it’s an ode to a departing president’s timeless style, a fantasy list of items we think would better suit a prominent figure or simply sage advice on how to up your game, she has plenty of thoughts.
Much has been written about the import of sleep health, the countless gadgets you must buy and the substances you must avoid to achieve the ideal 8 hours a night. Admittedly, I’m not particularly militant about my sleep health. I’ve always had a relatively easy time dozing off and aside from taking an hour or so every night to read some depraved Scandinavian thriller and always having fresh flowers in the bedroom, there are few seep “rules” I follow. That said, the one thing I absolutely cannot abide is subpar sleepwear.
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Perhaps it’s the Italian in me or the fact that I’ve always been a 95-year old woman at heart, but I’ve never been able to stomach some slovenly oversized t-shirt or ratty flannel bottoms. I was raised on the notion that what you wear to bed is as integral to your sense of style and self respect as what you wear out and about. As we break down what menswear says about who men are, their inner lives, their power, their politics, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to opine about the wonders of luxury sleepwear and the depressingly scarce art of sleeping in style.
Here at Robb Report, we’re no stranger to the intricacies of nightwear. My colleague, Eric Twardzik, did a deep dive into why a flannel robe was a perfect lockdown essential—and that remains true post-lockdown, as does his evergreen analysis on the allure of old school dressing gowns. Classic and contemporary media abound with exemplary sleepwear: everything from Brick’s iconic terry robe and pajama set in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to the silk numbers in Scorcese’s The Irishman, to a garish paisley dressing gown in Ripley, the recent Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Each moment provides a blueprint not only for how to style sleepwear, but what wearing proper sleepwear says about the man under the covers.
Make no mistake, it’s also an integral part of living like a gentleman offscreen. Just ask menswear connoisseur and content creator Giorgio Giangiulio. “A true gentleman takes care of himself and is well-dressed 24 hours a day,” says Giangiulio. As a woman, I can attest. I revile few things more in a partner than seeing them come to bed in something thoughtless or worse for wear—it telegraphs a disrespect for both of us. But even solo, I believe in the ritual of men dressing for bed with a similar effort to that put forth when they present themselves to the world.
“The night is my favorite time of day,” says Giangiulio. “When I indulge in my passions like reading a good book, listening to music, or watching old movies, nightwear marks the beginning of relaxation.” For Giangiulio, luxury sleepwear is an integral part of a nightly ritual that also includes skincare and a fragrance that he uses solely at night, on his sheets. We remark this might also be a convention of our Italian heritage (I was raised to always have a fragrance that I wear exclusively to bed).
Everything from vintage robes to silk pajamas comprise Giangiulio’s sleepwear collection. “For silk pajamas, I exclusively use Serà Fine Silk, which are by far my favorites,” he says. “However, I also enjoy wearing pajamas and robes from Ralph Lauren and Derek Rose. The range of fits and styles they offer are exquisite and very comfortable while lounging before bed and sleeping.”
While I understand that not every man may be inclined to don silk pajamas or a nightshirt a la Ebenezer Scrooge, the market is saturated with luxury lounge and sleepwear to suit any sartorial taste.
Years ago, when I interviewed actor Donald Sutherland about his fashion must-haves, he was kind enough to share that he swears by the Swiss brand Zimmerli, which carries everything from modal blend loungewear to the finest quality boxer shorts. Brands like Olatz (a favorite of pajama aficionado Julian Schnabel) and the Austrian label, P. Le Moult, offer traditional tailoring made modern by bold colors and contrast piping. If you’re partial to modal or jersey-like fabrics, look no further than Eberjey and Shan.
Italy, of course, is an epicenter for luxury lounge and sleepwear with firms like Telerie Spadari in Milan, and Schostal in Rome (providers of the papal socks) which both make beautiful sleepwear sets, robes, and nightshirts in everything from lightweight cotton to flannel. The former can also create a custom ensemble in the fabric of your choosing (be sure to pick up some Venetian friulane slippers while you’re at it). Few things are sexier than when a man sleeps in a simple pair of poplin boxers like these from Telerie Spadari. On the other end of the desirability spectrum (possibly so far that it swings back around to attractive) are the nightshirts from Schostal.
London is also, unsurprisingly, a wonderful place to source nightwear given the sartorial savoir faire of Savile Row and Jermyn Street. Budd makes beautiful, timeless, pajama sets—with detailing, like that found on the shirt sleeve cuffs—that rivals much ready-to-wear menswear on the market. For the ultimate in sleep luxury, a set or a dressing gown from Turnbull & Asser is all you’ll ever need.
For many, dressing for bed feels like an outdated practice. The act of wearing a matching pajama set, investing in sleepwear that is as finely crafted as a bespoke shirt, and regarding the man you are behind closed doors with the same attention to detail that you do publicly feels almost like an act of rebellion in these relaxed times. Giangiulio and I agree that this is one tradition that any modern man of style would be wise to maintain. “One should always be ready for anything,” he says.
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