Ok, I couldn’t resist a terrible pun – I mean, right there in the title, it’s just impossible not to give in. I won’t even apologize; this is, after all, a post about the parameters around wearing the “pajama trend” out of the house. We’re not finding a cure for the common cold here, but good news: you don’t need the excuse of being sick to wear your pj’s out and about, because they’re trending. The trend’s been on my radar for awhile now, since 2017 or so, and I finally got around to trying it out.
Last week I threw on this Thakoon pajama-style top over my ripped-up jeans and a velvet bralette went out to lunch with a friend. We keep it casual, usually going to In n’ Out (and order a #1, protein style, no onions, a Diet Coke, and fries light-well, TY) or Fenton’s (straight fries, curly fries, black and tan in a boat, Diet Coke). This particular day, we went to Fenton’s, which meant I actually had to exit my vehicle to eat – how un-American. But it felt right that were I to wear what I felt like wearing – PJs – I could spice it up a little. Make it look intentional and not slovenly, maybe even … elegant? … even if that’s a stretch of the word?
Should you want to wear PJs in public, let me recommend a few things:
- Don’t wear the PJ trend to work, unless you work at either a very casual office or a very creative one. Context is key – what may feel like a fun fashion choice may read as irreverence.
- Look for silky textures – at least to me, cotton PJs really just look like you, well, rolled out of bed and couldn’t care less. If that’s your intention, I support you, although arguably, you aren’t tapping into the heart of the PJ trend. You’d just be living your best life in your pajamas (a fine line between the two, for sure). For me, what’s captivating about the trend is its unexpected – whimsically so – elegance.
- Definitely try out just the PJ top on it’s own first. I should clarify: wear pants, just not the full PJ suit. Go for distressed jeans or leather leggings instead if you feel like top-to-bottom PJs are too much of a leap or if the setting isn’t formal enough.
- If you are going to wear a head-to-toe PJ look, I refer you back to #1: context is key. I would 100% do full-body pajama trend if I were going to an evening fashion event (or another creative-type event), with very slick stilettos and equally slick hair. Tone down the ragamuffin-sleepover-vibe and turn up the “I’m wearing sexaay silky separates” vibe.
- Shoes are important here: to my eye, a stiletto works best because it balances the down-home quality of the pajamas. There are definitely fashion-y people who like to drive home the comfort message by wearing clunky sneakers; in my opinion, this is a great way to get Phil Oh to photograph you because it’s exceedingly avant-garde. But sometimes the “avant-garde” and “look good” Venn diagram produces a meager overlap, if not simply meeting each other on the tangent.
I get it; this trend isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but try it out and see how it feels. You may surprise yourself.
Anything you’d add to the list?
love,
Stig
