Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Pyjamas - A Forgotten Pleasure

Growing up, pyjamas were a part of everyday life. I don't think there was a time when I didn't own a pair and they managed to see their fair share of wear on early weekend mornings and lazy snowy afternoons.

But as I got older, they seemed a bit old fashioned. They were the sort of thing you saw on old television shows where the husband and wife slept in separate twin beds, not the sort of thing you'd expect to find being worn in the current films of the day. So began to wear them less and less. Sure I still had a pair on hand, the bottoms being the only part seeing use, unless a girlfriend managed to steal a top when I was expelled to my couch in the course of an unexpected overnight stay.

But times change as do we. And as I grow older I find that those old pyjamas of yesteryear, still hold a very important and crucial place today as they ever have in my past.

Saville Collection Pyjamas from Derek Rose

Now, all pyjamas are not created equal. Even if they may seem essentially the same, there is a great range of style and qualities available. And there is something uniquely satisfying in wearing a pair of crisp well made pyjamas.

Derek Rose has been in the business of making gentlemen's nightwear in 1926, and continues to this day with the third generation of the family running this Saville Row based company. As a side note, it was Derek Rose which supplied the pyjamas for Harry Potter at Hogwarts in the first film of the film series.

My personal favourite is the Saville Collection Pyjamas from Derek Rose. Made of a lightweight cotton, it features a piped collar, pocket and cuff, a single breast pocket, side elastic only providing more comfort on the front and back due to the flat fabric, and deep hems creating the traditional weight and hang of trousers.

Derek Rose now also makes pyjamas for women, though a review of them is a bit outside my wheel house.

The great advantage of pyjamas is that you are dressed not only for bed, but for any unexpected visitors, either late at night or earlier in the morning than planned. I hurried trip to the curb before the collectors arrive is much easier when you need only throw on a dressing gown and shoes, as is answering the door to an unexpected visit by a tradesman on the morning of a forgotten appointment. In both cases you are still dressed, in many cases better than many people who leave their homes each day.

Those pyjamas of the past still do their job, and when a pair of quality pyjamas are given the chance today, they are really something still to be cherished and enjoyed.

More information about Derek Rose and their products can be found at Derek Rose.

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