Suddenly, pajamas filled and overwhelmed social media and everyone's lives around the world. They even came to dominate daily conversations among families and friends during this pandemic period. Filling shopping catalogs, clothing, daily items; even Christmas catalogs. Some made their use unavoidable. The pajama is living its best moment, in quarantine in every corner of the planet.
After this exhausting, impossible, unlikely year, why not give this garment a chance beyond just wearing it to sleep? Pajamas are a step beyond athleisure and loungewear. They are not so much a symbol of abandoning the facade of responsible adulthood as a surrender to confinement. They are great and comforting garments.
An increase in covid-19 cases, a second lockdown, winter, summer, and vacations have brought the opportunity at this moment to continue wrapped in cotton poplin and buttery knit fabrics or in a luxurious silk garment.
Most adults in pajamas since late 2019 have discovered that sleepwear has another functionality besides that. A couple of years later, this garment still holds its peak moment, and in some cases, variations in men’s pajamas have been included, making them more attractive and breaking the myth that only old men wear them. The new but classic versions feature a buttoned jacket with collar and trim, elastic-waist pants, both made of soft jersey or silk, wool, or satin.
The truth is that nothing has driven the use of this garment as a serious alternative to standard homewear more than the home confinement. So far, pajama sales have soared more than 300 percent in the last year and a half; at least in Europe. In many ways, the virus has forced many to look inward; the positive side is a change of pace, a gift of time that many have greatly valued and made the most of.
It has made many understand, through that introspection, the need to have quality time, and one of the most valued factors in that quality time is the comfort of the outfit that offers greater security and privacy at home. That is where the pajama comes into play.
Hard times demand soft clothing; that is why it could be said that it is the time and moment for the Pajama Look. These are times to invest more in the home and in what is worn there. If you are inside all day, the value of what you wear as an outfit changes, as does its importance.
The Rise of Luxury Pajamas
And then, the rise of luxury pajamas has also appeared, and for those lucky enough to afford them and work from home; they are fortunate using this term relatively, in a year when everything is relative.
It is well known, the opinion of a huge mass of people who claim that no one needs pajamas. All you need is a worn-out t-shirt, old socks, a good blanket, and that’s enough. But if you apply the same analogy, then no one needs jewelry either. Pajamas are about comfort and desire. They offer the gift of looking much more comfortable and homey than you really are nowadays. This current situation may have been an emotional disaster for many, but at least pajamas have united millions.
Sleepwear, along with sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks, and other garments collectively considered comfortable clothing, is projected to make up almost a third of all clothing sales in 2020. Clothing websites have added keywords like “cozy and comfort” in their sales scripts. It’s about selling warmth and togetherness.
During the December holidays, many of the pajamas bought were, are, and will be red. The vast majority of sales are influenced and driven by the need to share family photos in matching Christmas sleepwear on social media, due to the inability to gather with other relatives because of pandemic restrictions.
To this trend, add strategies including YouTube music videos, which cleverly found a way to quadruple sales of clothing that traditionally has a ridiculously short lifespan.
Pajamas can be trendy at some point, they can even become fashionable, which is part of their appeal. At a time when many have avoided the formality of daily wear, and although many still wear it despite working from home, the pajama becomes the best ally to maintain that formality and comfort, based on the endless variety of styles available. “Essentially, there is something for every taste.
Regarding designs, it is a standard. At the end of the day, the human silhouette does not change. This textile product category is easier to design, offering products of optimal and appreciated quality, to the point of customization. In short, aesthetics continue to win. The change in pajama design is so solid and strong that adding elements outside the classic in any piece (jacket or pants) represents a pleasant innovation.
Pajamas are another gift to the Western world from the East. Originating in India and adopted by almost the whole world thanks to the British, it is a reality that came to this side of the world to stay, and today it is stronger and more present than ever.
Pajamas are such noble garments that they offer the opportunity to dress daily without losing order in dressing and comfort for home or office activities, now done from home. They are popular as gifts because it is not necessary to know the exact measurements of the recipient. They are the antithesis of tight jeans, looking practically the same on everyone.
On the other hand, they also bring a wave of change in fabrics and prints, allowing those who wish to break from tradition. Often, the wilder and more extravagant, the better; surprisingly, these are the most in demand. They have a gentle cut, often with an expressive pattern. In such liberal times as these, people wear prints once considered whimsical but that express the feelings and emotions of a generation that grows stronger every day.
Being at home, whether for vacations or every day as this pandemic has made it, has on one hand been a blessing thanks to pajamas. It has allowed many people to find moments of introspection and connection with their own homes, embracing life with simplicity, returning to the origins of simplicity and joy in sharing with close friends and beloved family in hard times.
If you visit our website El Búho Nocturno, you will find the pajama that suits your tastes and needs.