Sleepwear

Sleepwear is the most personal category on the forum, because what people want from it varies so much. Some sleep in an old cotton shirt and want nothing else. Some like a silk slip that feels like an occasion. Most land somewhere between.

The main kinds

Nightgowns and chemises are one-piece dresses for bed. A chemise is usually short and fitted at the bust; a nightgown runs longer and looser. Pajamas come as sets: a button top with long trousers, a camisole with shorts, or a long-sleeved knit pair for winter. Sleep shirts are oversized shirts cut long enough to wear alone. Teddies and babydolls sit closer to lingerie, with lace and a short hem.

What to look at

Fabric matters more here than in any other category, since you will lie in it for hours. Cotton and modal are soft and easy to wash. Silk is smooth and light but needs gentle care. Satin made from polyester looks like silk for less money and feels slippery against sheets. Flannel is warm. Read the care label before you buy if you want to put something straight in the washing machine.

Check the waistband on trousers and shorts, since a tight elastic is the thing you notice at three in the morning. On slips and chemises, look at whether the straps adjust.

Natori started in sleepwear and still makes a lot of it, and Carine Gilson is known for silk pieces with lace set in by hand. For soft pieces you can wear around the house in daylight, see loungewear.

Members post favorite pajama sets, new slips and questions about fabrics that survive the wash.