How an Indian garment became the West's essential nightwear
In short: Long before they were a staple of modern loungewear, pajamas were known as 'mogul's breeches.' This soft, two-piece ensemble traveled from the Indian subcontinent to the West, evolving from colonial adoption into a global fashion phenomenon that even Hollywood stars helped mainstream.
The etymology of 'pyjamas' reveals a deep linguistic connection to South Asia. The word is a borrowing from Hindustani, derived from the Persian 'pāy-jāma.' This breaks down into 'pā' (meaning foot or leg) and 'jāma' (meaning clothing or garment). While the term appeared in English records during the first half of the nineteenth century, the earliest documented evidence of the word in the 'Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register' dates back to 1801.
The transition of this garment into Western wardrobes was driven largely by British colonial and military presence in India throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Interestingly, the clothing had a brief, earlier appearance in 17th-century England as 'mogul's breeches,' but it fell out of fashion until the Victorian era. Around 1870, the garment finally established itself as standard masculine sleeping attire in Britain and the wider Western world.
The evolution of pajamas also includes notable fashion shifts and regulatory shifts. In 1942, actress Bette Davis sparked a revolution when she wore a man's pajama top as a nightgown in the film 'Old Acquitance,' leading to a massive surge in sales of men's sleepwear among women. Today, the garment's usage varies by region; for instance, US regulations require children's cotton pajamas to be tight-fitting for fire safety, whereas UK standards allow loose-fitting versions provided they carry a specific warning label.
Despite their ubiquity, the wearing of pajamas in public has faced various social and institutional pushbacks. From Shanghai discouraging their use during Expo 2010 to the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah banning them for government workers in 1976, the boundary between 'indoor' and 'outdoor' attire remains a point of cultural negotiation.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Pajamas
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