Nightwear Buying Guide
Pyjamas & Nightwear
What style of nightwear should I choose?
In the market for some new nightwear but not sure what to choose? Here are some pointers to help you.
Fabric
The fabric you choose impacts not only the way you look and feel, but also the way you sleep. Natural fibres are always better, because of the way they help you regulate your temperature as you sleep. That means you sleep better and wake up refreshed. Silk is a luxurious fabric that will make you feel indulged, while cotton feels fresh, practical and comfortable to wear. Knitted fabrics such as viscose have extra stretch and a subtle drape making them luxuriously soft as well as slightly stretchy for extra comfort.
Sleeve length
If you tend to feel the cold at night, you'll be better opting for nightwear with long sleeves as your arms and upper body are often exposed while you sleep. If however, you feel the heat, shorter sleeved or camisole style nightwear will mean extra airflow around your arms and upper body to help you keep your cool.
Leg length
Similar to sleeve length, if you feel the cold, you'll be better opting for longer leg trousers. If you're more likely to overheat then shorts or a nightdress will be a better option.
Which fabric is best for nightwear?
Natural fabrics are best for nightwear because they help your body regulate its temperature while you sleep; cotton, linen, silk and viscose are all great choices.
What are jersey pyjamas?
Jersey pyjamas are pyjamas made with a jersey knit fabric. Jersey is a soft, stretchy fabric that is knitted rather than woven. It can be made with cotton, viscose or synthetic blends.
What are the benefits of silk pyjamas?
Silk pyjamas are certainly a luxurious choice, but that's not the only reason to treat yourself to a set. Silk has a host of benefits that you might not have considered.
Silk's incredible smoothness makes it a fantastic choice for anyone with sensitive skin. Because it has hydrophobic qualities, it doesn't take moisture from your skin, making it ideal for people with dry skin and believed to contribute towards its reputation for preventing wrinkles.
As well as skincare benefits, silk helps you regulate your sleeping temperature at night - it's especially effective for helping prevent overheating making it perfect for warmer weather or people who find they get hot at night.
What pyjamas keep you cool?
Getting too hot at night? Then choosing the right pyjamas can make a difference. There are two factors to think about when choosing pyjamas that will help you stay cool at night - the style and the fabric.
First, the style. In the same way that short-sleeved tops and shorts help you keep your cool on a hot day, the same is true of pyjamas. Choose pyjamas with shorts and either a camisole top or a t-shirt style top. Loose-fitting pyjamas are also a good choice. The extra airflow allows moisture to evaporate from your body more easily, helping you stay cool.
Now, onto the fabric. It almost goes without saying that fleecy or fluffy pyjamas are not a great choice if you want to stay cool at night. The best fabrics are those made from natural fibres - cotton, linen, silk and viscose. The natural fibres help regulate your body temperature more easily by allowing moisture to evaporate from your sleeping body. Be wary of fabrics that look like silk, but are actually man-made fibres. Despite looking cool and silky, they trap the heat and moisture, leaving you feeling extra warm - quite the opposite of staying cool!
How to style pyjamas?
If you're getting ready for bed, you don't need much more than your pyjamas to sleep like a dream. That said, if you style your pyjamas with an eye mask and cosy bedsocks, you'll stay extra cosy and be able to block out the light for an even more blissful night's sleep. If you have long hair, why not perfect your bedtime look with a cute silk scrunchie or hair wrap to keep your locks at their best no matter how much you move in your sleep.
Of course, PJs aren't just for bed. If you're pulling on your PJs early in the evening or wearing them on a lazy weekend morning, you might want to think about a few extra details. A bralette is a must-have for bigger busted ladies, helping you feel supported no matter how relaxed your outfit. You may also want to pair your pyjamas with a dressing gown or bathrobe for extra warmth and modesty - just the job if someone unexpectedly rings at the door or video calls you! And of course, no lazy day PJ outfit is complete without some cosy slippers.
Eye Masks
What eye mask is good for dark circles?
Dark circles can be caused by all sorts of things; too little sleep, dehydration, age and genetics. For this reason, the best way to combat dark circles is to get a good night's sleep and care for the delicate skin around your eyes. One of the kindest fabrics to your eye area is silk - its smooth texture means almost no friction on the skin around your eyes and its hydrophobic qualities mean it keeps the moisture in the skin around your eyes. But the best reason to use a silk eye mask is to help you get a better quality of sleep - by blocking out the dark, you should find you sleep for longer and more deeply - and that will help reduce dark circles under your eyes too.
Should you sleep with an eye mask?
Yes, you should sleep with an eye mask if you find your sleep disturbed by either artificial or natural light.
Eye masks are designed to help block out the light and help you get extra sleep. Our bodies need darkness to produce melatonin, the so-called sleep hormone. Light can disturb your sleep, even if you have your eyes shut - it's your body's way of making sure you wake up and seize the day! However, modern life means light can interfere with sleep. It might be your partner reading until late while you want to hit the hay, it could be streetlights outside your bedroom window keeping you awake. It might even be daylight - if you work shifts, it's especially difficult to get the darkness you need to sleep well if you're catching your zeds during the daytime.
Slippers
What slippers have the best support?
There is a large range of slippers on the market, some of which have specific arch support which is perfect if you have flat feet or plantar fasciitis. However, if you don't suffer with foot problems, you may find that a sheepskin slipper lined with wool fleece is supportive enough for you. The springy wool acts as a natural arch support while keeping your feet naturally pampered and at the perfect temperature thanks to the temperature-regulating powers of wool.
How to stop slippers smelling?
Slippers do have a habit of starting to smell after a month or so of wearing. To keep them at their freshest, we'd recommend:
- wearing them with socks instead of with bare feet
- washing your feet everyday as part of your daily hygiene routine
- using 'bicarbonate of soda balls'. Fill an old pair of socks with bicarbonate of soda and tie the ends with an elastic band. Pop these into your slippers when you're not wearing them. This will absorb any whiffs and stop smells building up.
Bed Socks
What are bed socks?
Bed socks are socks dedicated to keeping your feet extra snug in bed. Unlike regular socks, they have looser elastic around the ankle and are thick and fluffy. Because they are designed to be worn while sleeping, they tend to be delicate and should not be worn for extended periods as this can damage them.
How to wash cashmere socks?
Wash your cashmere socks carefully and they will give you many nights of cosiness. We'd recommend you handwash your cashmere socks, here's how:
- Fill a washing bowl with cool water and add a squirt of specialist wool detergent. Swirl the water around to mix the detergent into the water and create some bubbles.
- Put the socks in the water and swirl them around gently to make sure they get completely wet. If they have dirty patches on the soles, gently rub at the dirt to help shift it.
- Leave the socks to soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and remove the socks, gently squeezing them to remove the excess water.
- Refill the bowl with clean, cool water. Return the socks to the bowl, gently squeezing them to remove the soap.
- Continue to drain and rinse the socks until they are soap-free and clean.
- Remove the socks from the water and gently squeeze out the water.
- Wrap the socks in a clean towel and squeeze the towel to get the rest of the water out of the socks.
- Remove the socks from the towel and reshape if necessary. Leave them to dry on a towel, away from direct heat or sunlight.
Bathrobes
Can I use a bathrobe instead of a towel?
Wondering if you can use a bathrobe instead of a towel? The answer is yes! While many people prefer to dry themselves off after their bath or shower using a towel, a bathrobe gives you the chance to dry yourself as you wrap up your whole body and stay warm at the same time. Because bathrobes are made with terry woven cotton, they're very absorbent and will help dry you off in no time. Just put it on when you get out of the bath or shower and let it dry you off as you brush your teeth, have a shave or moisturise.
What is the difference between a bath robe and a dressing gown?
Bathrobes and dressing gowns can be used in very similar ways, but the key difference is in the fabric that the two are made of. A bathrobe is made with absorbent towelling fabric such as terry woven cloth or a waffle woven fabric, while a dressing gown can be made from a variety of other fabrics such as silk, cashmere or synthetic fleece.
Hair Accessories
What are the benefits of a silk hair wrap?
A silk hair wrap protects your hair as you sleep in three ways. First, it stops hair from drying out and becoming frizzy or difficult to manage. That's because silk is hydrophobic. Instead of drawing moisture out of your hair in the way that other fibres do, silk helps keep your hair's moisture in place. Second, a hair wrap keeps your hair protected against the friction we put our hair through as we sleep. This prevents tangles, hair breakages and split ends from forming. Finally, if used in a certain way, a hair wrap helps you keep your hair looking smooth, preventing the need for extra heat styling when you wake up - that's less damage on your hair and more time in bed!
How to wrap hair at night?
Wrapping your hair at night is about helping it sit smoothly around your scalp so you can benefit from beautifully smooth hair when you wake up. Here's our guide to wrapping your hair at night:
- Start by brushing your hair thoroughly to remove any knots or tangles.
- Part your hair at the centre of your scalp.
- Starting from either side at the front of your head, use a paddle brush to smooth your hair around your head. If it starts falling out of place, you can secure it with a kirby grip. Keep brushing your hair around your head until you have gone as far as your hair will reach.
- Start the same process from the other side of your head, but this time start from the back of your head. Continue until your hair is wrapped all the way around your hair, using kirby grips as needed.
- Once your hair is fully secured, you can use a silk scarf or, easier, a silk hair wrap to keep your hair in place and protect it as you slumber.
How to wash a scrunchie?
Scrunchies are very easy to wash and dry. Here's how we'd recommend you wash our silk scrunchies:
- Fill a washing bowl with cool water and add a squirt of specialist silk detergent. Swirl the water around to mix the detergent into the water and create some bubbles.
- Put your scrunchies in the water and gently swoosh them around to make sure they get completely wet..
- Leave the scrunchies to soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and remove the scrunchies, gently squeezing them to remove the excess water.
- Refill the bowl with clean, cool water. Return the scrunchies to the bowl, gently squeezing them to remove the soap.
- Continue to drain and rinse the scrunchies until they are soap-free and clean.
- Remove the scrunchies from the water and gently squeeze out the water.
- Wrap the scrunchies in a clean towel and squeeze the towel to remove the rest of the water.
- Leave them to dry on a towel, away from direct heat or sunlight.