It seems that this pandemic has not only brought bad news; on the contrary, the most comfortable and perhaps sensual item of clothing has finally been cleared for going out as well: pajamas.
Let's face it, for many of us this is a dream come true, feeling as comfortable as at home even during an evening at a restaurant or happy hour with friends.
Of course we are not talking about the flannel pajamas or the worn-out jumpsuit that has been with us since we were little girls or that we stole from some ex-boyfriend, the line between frumpy and chic is very thin but the one between bedroom and public occasion is now gone.
The trend has been catching on for a while now, in fact there are numerous celebrities who tread the city streets wearing pajamas or robes, but let's go back a bit and look at the history of pajamas. From being a garment of Indian origin and introduced to the world by the British, it was strictly reserved for men who used it in relaxing situations under heavy bedroom jackets and remained so until the mid-twentieth century.
The first to constitute the look by using it in public was the very refined and irreverent Coco Chanel, who with great courage wore men's silk pajamas on several occasions, having her photograph taken several times. She did not remain alone for long indeed, among the divas of Hollywood and beyond, such as Zelda Fitzgerald or Marquise Luisa Casati, and the artists of the time such as Dali, no one hid their passion for silk or velvet pajamas even on informal occasions.
Comfort was no longer confined within the home, but it still remained a somewhat snobbish and little-used trend outside of sophisticated and avant-garde circles.
For some time, with the war, the luxurious and refined pajamas disappeared from the spotlight only to make a powerful comeback with Princess Georgiana Irene Galitzine, model and PR for the Atelier of the Fontana Sisters in Rome. The Princess and the Atelier got no small amount of attention thanks to this new trend and became inspiration for some well-known brands, such as Schiapparelli and Givenchy.
In the 1970s again back in the limelight, robes and kimonos, colored by oriental and psychedelic patterns, adorned with fringes were used as jackets by the rock and hippie jet set of the time. In a seesaw of light and shadow, the history of pajamas outside the home finally makes a powerful comeback even today.
For many seasons already, the big names have been offering us elegant, revisited or downright extravagant versions of the classic pajama.
Dolce and Gabbana have always been great admirers of it and have paid homage to it in all its facets, from an old Hollywood inspiration to a repurposing of their beloved Sicily, with colorful and garish prints. Even Prada, which has made uniforms its language, has used pajamas as one of them. We also saw this thanks to the beautiful Matilde de Angelis who at the last edizionde of Sanremo (2021) decided to delight us with fabulous pajama outfit, signed Prada of course.
Not only Italian celebrities and signatures have welcomed loungwear with open arms, indeed the list of international stars spotted in pajamas, robe or slipdress is almost endless. Back in 2013, director Sofia Coppola wore stunning pajamas designed by Marc Jacobs at an occasion that was anything but informal-it was the Met Gala. Gigi Hadid, Victoria Beckam, Zendaya, Rihanna, Kim Kardashan and many others decided to match their bedroom outfits with stiletto heels and precious clutches.
All the big national and international celebrities love to show themselves on the street, on social media or at big events, as someone would say in the old-fashioned way "in desabiles" either made up for big events or in slippers to stay comfortably on the couch and enjoy a nice relaxing evening without ever forgetting style.
Comfort and style in fact are the cornerstones also of Onirica, a young, female and all-Italian reality. So we thought of our pajamas, classic and comfortable, with clean and refined cuts, enriched by prints, embroideries and satin borders in contrasting colors, to be worn on any occasion, from the bedroom to the restaurant downtown. From the sleep dress to the robe, each garment is perfect for any occasion, to give a touch of elegance and style to all situations, because it's not right to give up comfort outside the home and a bit of glamour inside the home.