If pyjamas were once strictly reserved for bedtime, they are now so much part of fashion’s wardrobe that we barely blink twice if people wear them on a Saturday night. The next item of sleepwear destined to make the transition to your out-of-the-home wardrobe? The nightgown.
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More typically worn by children and older people, and often seen as slightly old-fashioned and even just a bit dowdy, the nightie hasn’t had the nonchalance of its pyjama cousins. But its had something of a glow-up in recent times, with endorsement from the cool girl contingency.
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Kaia Gerber collaborated with Dôen last year, creating a frilled design with the sweetest of baby blue ribbons. Harling Ross, of Man Repeller fame, launched a collection of three nightgowns, with sleepwear brand If Only If. Describing herself as a 'devoted nighty-wearer since childhood', the designs — like Gerber’s — are sweet and girlish, with ribbons and frills galore. But the update? Ross is shown wearing them on the streets of New York — with the Edie, an empire line short style, looking particularly appealing over trousers, with a mac. Taking your nightgown for a walk no longer seems like such an outlandish idea. Instead, it’s a smart layering option. And, with money tight in most wallets, the night and day wear factor is not one to be sniffed at.
It’s hard to talk about any fashion item currently without referencing The White Lotus — and the nightgown is no exception. In series three, Parker Posey’s Victoria wore a long white Eileen West night gown with gathered neckline so often that it became a recurring character in and of itself, central to a look that fans playfully dubbed 'Lorazepam chic.' And her daughter Piper pre-character breakneck turn enjoyed wearing styles just like her mum's from dusk until dawn. Then, in the season finale Michelle Monaghan’s character Jaclyn joined in wearing a wafty Hermès nightgown that could easily double as a dress.
Of course, it’s not just everyone’s favourite boxset that is on board with the nightgown as the item of the summer. Sabrina Carpenter regularly wears nightwear on stage — with Depop arguing she is responsible for searches for babydoll dresses rising 90% in the last three months. The interest in the nightie is also part of the bigger shift of ultra-girly items from frivolous sweet nothings to wardrobe essentials. See also the frilled blouse, the hair bow and the bubble skirt.
This unapologetic look is on the catwalk as well as the streets — Chemena Kamali’s new look for Chloé is pure romance, the perfect mood for wispy nightgowns. See Daisy Edgar Jones' take as a case in point. Sandy Liang, meanwhile, gives the nightgown a more urban girl feel — look 27 of her AW25 show pairs one of her signature fleeces in lime green with a charming ditsy floral night gown, an idea that feels moodboard ready.
The nightgown fits with other references already there. The Regency era loved a dress in a nightgown shape and it’s — perhaps unexpectedly — back in vogue by way of Bridgerton or, for the purists, Jane Austen, a current favourite of BookTok and soon to be seen in Emma Corrin's Pride & Prejudice adaptation. Also relevant here is Sofia Coppola. The nightgown is essential to her dreamy world - whether on the Lisbon sisters in her first movie The Virgin Suicides, Kirsten Dunst in the pastel fever dream that is Marie Antoinette, or sixties style in Priscilla. All of these night gowns - if you could find them - would be a boon to your look this summer.
So, where to actually find the nightgown of your dreams, the one to take you to your reality? A saved search on Vinted or Depop is definitely worth activating (there’s a sugar pink one on Vinted currently that fulfils the ultra-girly brief very well indeed). Otherwise, Marks & Spencer - always a sleepwear staple - delivers here too. Their seersucker chemise - a steal at £18 - would work styled like Ross’ Edie, as would Toast’s floral design. Tekla’s nightshirts, meanwhile, have an arty take, and John Lewis’ white long shape works well with a cardigan. Cou Cou Intimates, meanwhile, has lured in supermodels like Hailey Bieber with their cami slip style, designed to go from the bedroom and beyond. Whichever one you choose, know this - the night gown trend is here, and it’s not one to be slept on.
M&S Seersucker Dress
Eileen West White Gown
Tekla Fabrics Poplin Nightshirt
Cou Cou Intimates The Cami Slip
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