Sleepwear Glossary
"Sleepwear", is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. Nightwear usage is seasonal, i.e. different weights for different seasons or it is only worn in winter. Examples of types of items of nightwear, or nighties, include:
Babydoll
A babydoll is a short, sometimes sleeveless, loose fitting nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a Bralette for cleavage with an attached loose fitting skirt falling in length between the hips and the belly button. The garment is often trimmed with lace, ruffles, appliques, marabou fur, bows and ribbons, optionally with spaghetti straps. Sometimes it is made of sheer or translucent fabric like nylon or chiffon or silk. The garment's hemline is usually about six inches above the knee like a minidress and may have a scoop-neck. Usually panties are worn underneath.
It is said the name was popularized by the 1956 movie Baby Doll starring Carroll Baker in the title role, which essentially marked the beginning of the enduring popularity of the style for adults.
Chemise
In modern usage the term chemise generally refers to women's fashions that delicate, and usually provocative. Most commonly the term refers to a loose-fitting, sleeveless, shirt-like undergarment or piece of lingerie or a "nightie". It can also refer to a short, sleeveless dress that hangs straight from the shoulders and fits loosely at the waist.
There is a similar type of lingerie/sleepwear known as the babydoll. Both terms describe short, loose-fitting, sleeveless fashions. Typically, though, babydolls are more loose-fitting at the hips and are generally designed to more resemble a young girl's nightgown
Negligee
The negligee (or négligée, French: négligé, literally meaning "neglected") is a form of womenswear intended for wear at night and in the bedroom. It is a form of nightgown; first introduced in France in the 18th-century, where it mimicked the heavy head-to-toe style of woman's day dresses of the time.
By the 1920s it began to mimic woman's satin single-layer evening dresses of the period. Although the evening-dresses style of nightwear made moves towards the modern negligee style (translucent bodices, lace trimming, bows, it was only after World War II that nightwear changed from being primarily utilitarian to being primarily sensual or even erotic; the negligee emerged strongly as a form of lingerie.
Modern negligees are often much looser and made of sheer and semi-translucent fabrics and trimmed with lace or other fine material, and bows. Multiple layers of fabric are often used. The modern negligee thus perhaps owes more to woman's fine bedjackets or bed-capes, and up-market slips than to the nightgown. It spread to a mass market, benefiting from the introduction of cheap synthetic fabrics such as nylon and its finer successors. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the trend was for negligees to become shorter in length (e.g. the babydoll of the 1970s). Negligees made from the 1940s to the 1970s are now collectible vintage items.
The word comes from the French négliger, meaning to neglect, to disregard or to overlook.
Nightgown
A nightgown (also called a nightdress or nightie) is a loosely hanging item of nightwear nowadays mostly for women. Its length may vary from hip-length (babydoll) to floor-length (negligee) but is typically knee-length.
A nightgown, or nightie, is manufactured of e.g. cotton, silk, satin, or nylon. It may be decorated with lace appliques or embroidery at cups and hem.
A short nightgown is often called nightie. A slip nightgown may be used as a nightgown or as a
full slip. A shortie nightgown is a functional short nightdress (often just a long or short T-shirt). A nightgown is often worn with a matching outer garment, a robe, sheer chiffon peignoir or dressing gown.
Nightshirt
A nightshirt is a garment intended for sleeping in. It is somewhat longer than most regular shirts, reaching at least down to the thighs, but usually shorter than a dress or robe, leaving some of the legs uncovered. It is generally loose-fitting to avoid restricting the wearer's movement while sleeping.
As a bedtime garment, the nightshirt is the successor of a type of long undergarment used by many Europeans through the 19th Century. This undergarment was worn all day under outer clothing. At night the outer clothing was removed, and men and women slept in the long shirt-like garment. This smock was longer for women than for men, more resembling a dress. Upon arising in the morning, the outer garments were again put on over it.
In modern usage the nightshirt usually functions as an alternative to other specialized sleepwear, such as pajamas, in that it is removed after arising and put away for use during the next sleeping period. It may also be used in private and intimate settings as comfortable attire for relaxation.
Peignoir
A peignoir is a long outer garment for women usually sheer and made of chiffon. Peignoirs are sets sold with matching nightgown, negligee or panties but are often worn with no underwear.
Also described as a garment worn when brushing the hair, from French peigner, to comb the hair, from Latin pectinare, from pecten, pectin-, comb. This depicts a dressing gown or robe.
Pajamas
Traditional pajamas consist of a jacket-and-trousers combination made of soft fabric, such as flannel; the jacket has a placket front and its sleeves have no cuffs. In colloquial speech, these are often called pjs or jammies. They may be variations of style only, such as short sleeve pajamas, pyjama-bottoms of varying length, or, on occasion, one-piece pajamas. Even more generally, Pajamas may refer to women's combination daywear, consisting of short-sleeved or sleeveless blouses and lightweight pants; examples of these are capri pajamas, beach pyjamas, and hostess pajamas.
Pajamas are usually loose fitting and designed for comfort, using softer materials such as cotton or the more luxurious silk or satin. Synthetic materials such as polyester and Lycra are also available.
Pajamas often contain visual references to a thing that may hold some special appeal to the wearer. Images of sports, animals, balloons, polka dots and other things may all be used to decorate them. Pyjamas may also be found in plainer designs, such as plaid or plain gray, but when worn in public, they are usually designed in such a way that makes their identity unambiguous.
Pajamas are usually worn with bare feet and often without underwear, although these vary by personal preference. They are often worn as comfort wear even when not in bed, and are also sometimes worn as a fashion statement.
