MEN'S PAJAMAS and DRESSING GOWNS

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Do any of you Gents out there like to wear pajamas and robes from the 30's and 40's etc?

I have a good collection of vintage robes and pj's from the 30's 40's and 50's, and love the whole pajamas with robe look. I know it steers away from the suit and fedora look, but when you see men in old movies dressed in pj's and robes they look fantastic. I have some old vintage PJ and Robe patterns and have had a pair made by a family friend but she didn't do them too well. I recently bought a pattern off ebay for some lounging pj's from the 30's, one a russian cossack style and the other a regular coat cut style. Both have belts which is typical of the 30s and 40s styles. Also love the pajama tops that button to the neck with the button hidden under the collar. It gives a nice dressed up look with a robe over the top. You see this look a lot in vintage pattern covers. I will try to provide some examples so that you can see what I mean. To me it is a very classy vintage look.

Some movies that come to mind include Cary Grant in Mr Blandings Builds His Dream Home, Spencer Tracy wore them a lot in his movies and I think they look great. Of course they all look freshly pressed when climbing out of bed which is one of those Hollywood things. I have never had a pair of pj's that aren't badly wrinkled when I wake up in the morning, but put a robe over them and they look great!

I also love the look of a robe instead of a suit coat when a man came home after work. You could still see his vest and tie and i think it is a great look and very comfortable

What do you gents think?

 

[Zach R.]

I love the look and use it often, though the robe and pajamas I have aren't vintage.

All I need now are a decent pair of slippers.

 

[flat-top]

I have a large collection of vintage pajamas, mostly from the 50's. I love em!
My prized pair: a leopard print pair that I got deadstock, with the original sales reciept in the pocket from 1952!!
flat-top

 

[Braxton36]

Don't forget nightshirts!

...not as elegant as smoking jackets, pajamas or robes but definitely from "that era" if not even earlier. I have a red flannel one and a white cotton summer one. They take a bit of getting used to but they're actually quite comfortable. But, I admit that they're rarely worn around my house. Brooks Brothers carries them.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Aaaaahhhh...no. No PJs or robes here. It's Tighty Whities and a Wife Beater shirt to bed for me.

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Here is a photo of the pajama patterns I just bought on Ebay. The Russian look ones are actually quite rare so it is quite a find. Both would be considered lounging pajamas.

 

[John in Covina]

International House

I seem to recall W.C. Fields wearing one of the hi necked PJ's in this movie.

International House.

"I'm sitting on something!" "Yes, i lost mine in the Stock Exchange!"

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Here is another vintage pattern showing a robe and pajamas

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Patterns and PJ Links etc

Hello Gents,

so do you guys have any great sites/links etc where you can get vintage pj's. I'm always checking out ebay, but if you know of any good vintage stores that sell them would appreciate the info.

Cheers

 

[Senator Jack]

This is one thing I never seem to find. I have had and gone through more than a few vintage robes and smoking jackets over the years, but I've never found a great pair of vintage pajamas. (or, if you prefer the vintage spelling, pyjamas - ah, let's call the whole thing off) That Russian set looks killer, Slicked. Someone should reproduce them - Perhaps Indy Magnoli?

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Not a problem! I've got a good collection of silks to choose from. If anyone is interested, feel free to e-mail me.

I've already looked into doing a proper dressing gown, fully lined with shoulder pads, etc... but it turned out to be somewhere in the region of $400 to do! If anyone's got the dough... let me know! I'd love to see one of these made, I just can't afford to fork out the capital to do it myself.

Kind regards,
Indy

 

[Veronica Parra]

Gentlemen:

Do you wear pajamas? I mean the old-fashioned, classic kind whose bottoms have drawstring waists and whose tops button up at the front?

Also, do you have (and use) an old-fashioned dressing gown? These are shiny silk or rayon robes, often with satiny lapels. (Hugh Hefner comes to mind.)

 

[Tomasso]

Do you wear pajamas? I mean the old-fashioned, classic kind whose bottoms have drawstring waists and whose tops button up at the front?

Absolutely!

 

[Sefton]

Pajamas, yes. I don't have a dressing gown (yet) but I would love to get a vintage 30s type. A friend of mine goes back a little farther in his sleeping attire; night shirt and sleeping cap...

 

[Zach R.]

I wouldn't wear them to sleep, but I would really like a good set of vintage-esque pajamas--all I seem to be able to find are the flannel types.

 

[skinnychik]

Ooh! Now I need a pattern for one of those!

Not that I want my man to look like Hugh Hefner....maybe James Bond though. Smoking jackets are very cool.:cool2:

I do have some nifty retro PJs from Target. They're by Nick & Nora and they have cherries all over them. Here's something similar.

 

[Tomasso]

Smoking jackets are very cool.:cool2:

Very Continental

 

[Marc Chevalier]

fftopic: lol

Men's old-fashioned pajamas and dressing gowns. Those are the topics, kids.

.

 

[Barry]

I wear pajama bottoms sometimes. I have an old nightshirt around here too but I kinda feel ridiculous wearing it.

I'm trying to think of a good caption for this old 1930's pattern....

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Regarding PJ's, actually, yes we do. We were visiting friends for Christmas in Palm Springs last year. The year before, we'd all gone to see Polar Express. One of the gifts for our hosts this year was the DVD and book. Being the nut that I am, I found some great retro PJ's by a company called Nick & Nora (now a subsidiary of Target) so everyone got a pair from me. One set was Vintage Vegas, another Martini Madness, another had rubber ducks, another something about cocktail parties, mine had mouses on them made of chocolate, another was 50's style horses and cowboys, another had penguinsm and so forth. None of the liquor or gambling ones, of course, for any of the kids. Everyone went absolutely nuts over them. Way better reception than I really thought they'd get. The only thing I regret is that we didn't get pictures of this whole motley mob on Christmas morning in their flannel jammies - I insisted everyone open their present from me on Christmas Eve shortly after we arrived. I went "deer in the headlights" on the flight back when asked, "So - how are you going to meet or top jammes NEXT year?"

I bought a couple more of the bottoms since for schlubbing around the house in. I'm self employed and work at home and I used to be up, showered, shaved & dressed and at my desk by 9 every morning, but now, every once in a great while, it feels really decadent to be on the phone with clients mid-morning in my "jammies" and a t-shirt.