My Hunt for Fancy Prince Pajamas
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According to legend, the late Princess Margaret would begin her day at 9 a.m. by spending two hours in bed while listening to the radio, chain-smoking, and reading newspapers and throwing them on the floor. At 11 a.m., she would take a bath. At noon, she would get dressed, and at 12:30 p.m., she would appear downstairs for “a vodka pick-me-up.” As an amateur bed-rotter who believes theycould go pro, this is my perfect morning, and I’ve always wanted to recreate it. But my normal bed attire of aHanes boys’ tankwith the hem chopped off and ratty sweatpants wouldn’t suit. I needed a pair of pajamas fit for a fancy prince.
Like a child born into hereditary power, I was fussy and tyrannical about my preferences. I sleep hot, so flannel was out — I was looking at breathable cotton wovens, mostly percale and broadcloth. They had to be comfortable but elegant. Pajamas are such a silly luxury that I also wanted some element of excess: a great color, unique fabric, some unexpected twist or element of delight.
After I requested sets of from seven brands (including pairs we’ve heard about fromZoe LattaandOttessa Moshfegh), I hit an unexpected snag in my prince fantasy: laundry. Plain-woven cotton shows wrinkles, and sleeves and pant legs tangling around in the washing machine generates a lot of them. Pretty much every pair on this list emerged from the dryer so crumpled they were uncomfortable to wear without doing something to lift the wrinkles. I tried a few methods to minimize post-laundry wrinkling, and the most successful was to wash the pajamas normally then air-dry them. (A stiff shake helps loosen creases before hanging them onyour drying rack.) I’ve factored launderability into my rankings — as much as we are all little princes on the inside, we are doing our own housework — and included an image of each pair pre-steaming.
The ones that didn’t cut it
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Brooks Brothers’ cotton broadcloth pajamas were among the lightest-weight that I tested, which isn’t necessarily a problem, but the fabric didn’t feel especially supple or smooth, and these were among the most wrinkle-prone pairs, especially when run through the dryer. The set is also missing some small details I want to see from fancy pajamas — for $118, you deserve pockets in your pajama bottoms — and I found the cut of the top and sizing of the collar somewhat awkward for an XS, although it might make more sense in larger sizes.
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As a descendant of Vermonters, I have a soft spot for theVermont Country Store, and I stand behind many of its products (thebloomerswon another “Strategist Hunt,” while the store’scandy tinsmakegreat gifts). I really wanted to like these made-in-Portugal percale pajamas, but although I like the boxy cut and piped detailing, they were so consistently wrinkly out of the wash that I hesitate to recommend them to anyone who balks at the idea of ironing their PJs. After a pass with a steamer, they still looked rumpled.
The runners-up
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These Block Shop pajamas came very close to the winner’s spot. Their block-printed cotton was the most luxurious I tested — a smooth, buttery fabric that feels wonderful on your skin. The quality of the fabric made up for its middle-of-the-pack wrinkliness; these pajamas are so good that I don’t mind steaming them. However, these pajamas are made in small runs and are sold-out in some sizes, and Block Shop isn’t planning a restock until later this year. (Theshorts setsare still available in a wider range of sizes.) Sign up forBlock Shop’s emailsto be alerted when new stock arrives.
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J.Crew’s cotton herringbone pajamas fared pretty well on wrinkle resistance, the fabric is smooth and soft, and the details are well-considered and well-constructed. The main thing keeping these out of the winner’s spot is that I can’t stand the fit of these pants, which are as skinny as aGQ-approved suit from 2014. If you’re lanky and nostalgic for the silhouettes of the 2010s, though, these may be for you.
The winners
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My favorite pajamas of the bunch were these pan-collar PJs from thenightwear specialistsat Salter House. Made of Japanese organic cotton with a small woven grid pattern, they feel substantial yet cozy. Fancy pajamas can skew stiff, and these are on the slouchier side, but the fabric is so beautiful that the effect is still elegant. I’ve spent all day in these and felt princely rather than zhlubby. The only thing keeping them from an uncontested top spot is that they only come in three sizes — small, medium, and large. I found the small a hair big for me, and the large fits a 34- to 36-inch waist. I’ve included another favorite with a wider size range below.
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These Sleepy Jones pajamas performed the best on wrinkle resistance of all the sets I tested — they looked as crisp out of the dryer as when I air-dried them. They’re well-designed and well-constructed, with pockets, a button fly, and contrast navy piping. On the burgundy-and-white-striped style I tested, I found the stripes too wide and the white too stark; If I were to do it over, I’d go with a solid color, like the light-blue poplin pair above or thisazure linen-cotton set with red piping. Overall, they’re a great pick and come in a size range from XS to XXL.
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