by Madeeha Khan
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to remain indoors. As a result, people now don’t want to leave their houses even for work and want to work from home. The comfort of working from home has led everyone to stay in pyjamas.
The pyjamas have become the new way of life. It is difficult to leave the house wearing denim or dresses. The explosion of athleisure has turned yoga pants and sweatpants to everyday clothing, though the use of pyjamas as casuals was already common for college students. The current generation prefers comfort above all and there isn’t anything as comfortable as pyjamas.
The demands for pyjamas are more than ever and hence the bigger brands have also started designing them. In 2016, Dolce & Gabbana hosted a celeb-filled pyjama party and are pushing fancy pyjamas for non-sleep use. Their range for men’s pyjama shirt in silk twirl starts at $1,075. Other high-end labels like Lanvin and Gucci have also started luxury pyjamas. Gucci offers one embroidered woollen pyjama at $1,210. These debonair pyjamas are more than sleepwear but less than formal wear
The west has happily adopted these pyjamas. Indian celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Rakul Preet Singh, Alia Bhatt and Malaika Arora have been enjoying their pyjama mode. Deepika Padukone in an Instagram post replied to Varun Dhawan saying that she stays in her pyjamas all day long so that she’s prepared for a nap whenever she feels like, on the other hand, Katrina Kaif said that it’s just easier and more comfortable to work in them. Many international celebrities have also worn pyjamas on red carpets.
This does not only include celebrities but also the corporate life is at ease. In this pandemic, the demand for polos and trousers has increased, as people wanted an easy-going outfit but not slack. Narresh Kukreja, the Creative Head of Luxury Holiday Label Shivan & Narresh said that their sales for men’s polos rose by 32% in Stock Keeping Units (SKU) compared with the same period last year. While the demand for knitted trousers for men and women both rose by 24% over the previous quarter. “Sleepwear as outerwear is a global trend and thanks to social media, we see its early adoption in India,” he added.
In 2014, the Indian innerwear market was worth Rs. 19,950 crore and is predicted to grow at 13% every year to reach Rs. 68,270 crore by 2024. The pricing of luxury loungewear starts at Rs. 10,000 and luxury sleepwear at Rs. 3,500. NeceSara, a bootstrapped sleep and loungewear startup claims, that it has recorded the highest sale in three years in May 2020. Riddhi Jain, the founder of NeceSara said, “Loungewear brands will include more products that can be worn outside the house. Just like skincare brands have started with sanitizers, most fashion brands have started some form of loungewear and face masks.”
The founder of Good Earth, Anita Lal says that there will be more demands for versatile clothes that can take you from morning to evening with just some add ons of accessories. She has also launched a new range of chogas, kaftans and loose kurtas, perfect for lounging. As people spend more time at home and a desire for comfort are the key drives for the dynamic growth in sales of loungewear. Samyukta Nair of Dandelion says that earlier people would wear anything worn out or old and stay under the notion that no one was seeing but now they are worried about dressing for sleep. Just like skincare routines, people are investing in sleep routines too. It is important to have a good sleep and it is only possible if one is wearing something comfortable. She also added, “ People now understand that what you wear at home is just as important as what you wear when seen out. And comfort can look good.
People Have adapted to a life where they don’t always need to worry about being somewhere. Sleepwear and ready to wear fashion merge in Bed to Street. A pyjama top and jeans would also be a to-go outfit. Even though buyers prefer comfort over the rigid rules, it is still a challenge to wear a head-to-toe pyjama outfit in public.
Image Credits:- Bloomberg