Something I am finding a bit of a trauma at the moment is finding nice sleepwear.
It is, of course, entirely possible that I am just fussy as hell. I can’t sleep in pyjamas, I want a nightdress. Satin looks nice and moves easily on sheets, but I don’t want it to cling to me like cheap satin does and make me a fire hazard. I also want something below knee length and without those razor sharp spaghetti straps that they will insist on making everything with these days. Something with a touch of the 1930s boudoir about it.
Given my fussiness I have conducted an online hunt for nightdresses that fit the bill. I’ll still want to see these in person before I commit, but they certainly look the part so far.
I will just add that these were astonishingly hard to find and few and far between! I can’t be the only person who wants attractive sleepwear, warm knees and finds spaghetti straps have a tendency to dig in? Calling all nightwear and lingerie designers, make something beautiful, sexy, but practical. I’ll love you forever.
On The High Street
Ivory Embellished Full Length Night Dress – £22 – Debenhams
This kind of night dress does occasionally show up in the bridal section, and although I’d prefer colours other than white or ivory, this one does tick the boxes.
Scoop Neck Floral Lace Long Nightdress – £22.50 – Marks and Spencer
I expected Marks and Spencer to come up with a couple of options, and they did. This looks very pretty, with straps slightly wider than the normal spaghetti strap
Rose Print Long Nightdress – £25 – Marks & Spencer
Another from Marks and Spencer. The floral fabric is nice and summery, but I’d love some plain options too.
Rose Print Satin Night Dress – £20 – Bon Marche
I told you not to discount those “old lady” shops on the High Street. This is actually very pretty. Zoom in on the actual site and it has lovely pleat detailing at the bust too.
Finally, my hunt threw up a website called Sleep Pretty Nightwear. It’s prices are way out of my league, sadly, but they have some beautiful nightdresses that just needed to be shared.
Yes, I know, £339 for a nightdress, but at least it’s actually made to measure. I think this might be my dream night dress, though not sure how the capey bits would be to sleep in? (who cares!)
Vintage Style Satin Midi Nightdress £79.99
In the *slightly* more affordable section of non made to measure night dresses they have this gorgeous vintage style midi length.
Wine Red Long Satin Night Dress £109.99
Finally on the more vampy side they have this full length dark red satin dress with lace detail and a side split
Funnily enough this is an issue I’ve been having lately too. I did manage to get a beautiful blue satin long nightdress with feather print on it from BHS the other day, £11 in their sale. I’m also waiting on a 1940s sewing pattern for a dressing gown to arrive… Once I’ve made that I’ll be swishing around the place. X
These are beautiful – thanks for the links! I had a nosey round Boux Avenue’s site the other day and they had some lovely nightwear. Can’t remember if it was spaghetti straps, but it’s nice to have somewhere else to look for these things.
Wow, the wine and lace one is beautifull! I found some nice ones in Debenhams too.
I can’t sleep in anything, I get too wrapped up in stuff, so for me it’s all about lounging wear and PJs do me fine but I do agree it’s hard to find a nice nightie, I have looked when i’ve been going away for the weekend and wanted to lounge more glamourously (is that a word?!!)
These are all so pretty.
For sleeping, I am obsessed with PJs not nighties, and like you I am v fussy. I like a proper drawstring not cheap elastic, and either a nice ‘man’ style buttoned set (in brushed cotton, for winter) or something a little bit elegant and silky. I do NOT want a pair of badly made shorts and a flimsy t-shirt. Grrr.
Hello all,
Good to see so many are fed up with the current nightwear market! I’m not always keen on the lacy bits that are supposed to look sexy…
I used to never need a nightie, until I had my daughter, it suddenly became a bit weird…. And also it seems I’m colder more easily, at night. My solution first was a lovely vintage straight lacy silk jersy silk slipdress, then the man PJ’s came on the scene, specially ones with a bit of an edwardian feel(had watched the 39 steps..). But in summer I like something cottony and cool and a bit more bare, also I hate tiny straps. Since I am a bit booby, it looks silly and drab. I can’t do the ones with the bra-look, because they’re never in the right place(ahem), or won’t always stay in place and make me look like something out of an old folks home(no offense!). So, again in keeping with the 39 steps, (well, almost) I did a bit of research, and found some post WWI slipdresses, from when the hemlines got shorter: I made a straight tube from thin cotton, with some cotton lace at the top, and some WIDE straps. There are two inserts, on both sides,at the hips, which makes it wider where needed, just pleated and squared in, also with a bit of lace in between. Originally there are supposed to besome undie thingies attached, but those I omitted….And it’s great, and looks pretty too. If it weren’t so thin I could even sit outside for an early cuppa…Maybe you should find a lovely granny to make you such a thing…
Wow how wrong is it that I would wear a couple of these as evening gowns? I love the most expensive one the most OF COURSE. Very reminiscent of Greta Garbo in ‘Camille’.
I’ll start saving now…
Pattern makers like Vogue and McCalls have gotten wise and started putting vintage re-print patterns for sale again. I have been frustrated with “modern” pajamas for years but recently have decided that paying someone to make me a vintage repro is better than hours hunting for something new in the department store. I buy vintage fabrics like gently used flat sheets in pretty patterns from the resale store. I have gotten lovely florals and solid colors for lining robes and usually the thread count is quite high so you get a very luxurious feel to it at a lower price than buying new. My favorite so far is a 70’s print with brown and orange butterflies on a tan background. It is being used to make me a vintage bathrobe and I added a new paisley calico for contrast details and we lined it with a goldish buttercup colored material. It looks…expensive. And is really luxurious. Well the moral of this long comment is that you can spend the same but have twice the quality.