Sleep clothes track seasons from onesies to babydolls
Nightwear, also called sleepwear or nightclothes, is made to be slept in and shifts warmer or cooler with the weather. Yet a 2004 American survey found only 13 percent of men wore pajamas or nightgowns to bed, while nearly a third slept in underwear and another third wore nothing at all.
Nightwear is clothing designed for sleeping. What people choose tends to follow the seasons, heavier in cold weather and lighter when it is hot, and some garments are picked as much for their looks or erotic appeal as for comfort.
The catalogue is long. Pajamas are traditionally loose two-piece outfits, and a nightshirt is a loose shirt that falls below the knee. Women's nightgowns hang loosely and come in cotton, silk, satin, or nylon; a babydoll is a short, sometimes sleeveless version modelled on a young girl's nightgown; a negligee uses sheer fabric trimmed with lace and bows; and a peignoir is a long, usually chiffon outer layer often sold with a matching gown. Adults can wear footed cotton onesies much like an infant's blanket sleeper, finished off, if they like, with a warm nightcap and novelty bunny slippers.
Plenty of people skip dedicated garments altogether and sleep in gym shorts, T-shirts, sweatpants, underwear, or nothing; sleeping nude is especially common in warm climates. In the 2004 United States survey, 13 percent of men chose pajamas or nightgowns, 31 percent underwear, and 31 percent nothing, while among women 55 percent chose pajamas or nightgowns.
Children's sleepwear is regulated in the United States. The Consumer Product Safety Commission defines it as garments in sizes 0 to 14 intended mainly for sleeping, such as nightgowns, pajamas, and robes, leaving out diapers, underwear, clothes for babies nine months or younger, and certain tight-fitting items. These garments must pass flammability standards under the Flammable Fabrics Act and meet the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's rules on tracking labels, compliance certificates, and lead content. On 22 December 2011 the commission wrote to manufacturers, importers, and retailers reminding them of those obligations.
Source: Nightwear
