Why I wear pyjamas to work

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I have only ever been to one sleepover in my life. My friends weren’t really into that kind of thing — I would visit their houses, but friends rarely visited my house because my parents weren’t too keen on having visitors, and I guess it was never really a problem because there wasn’t much to do at my house anyway. My friends had game consoles (better than mine, because we just had an almighty Sega Megadrive at the time), and swimming pools, and other fun equipment in their backyard which beat the swing set I got when I was six years old.

Also, my friends had broadband Internet while I only just had Internet installed at all, and it was a dial-up connection. I was about ten years old at the time, and I had just started at a new school. I had a couple of friends at my previous school, but only one really close friend. I went to her house quite frequently and she had all the latest computer games (while I predictably only had King’s Quest and Commander Keen). She was probably the only friend who visited my house, because her parents worked late and she would stay at my house from the time school finished (3:00pm) until her parents arrived to pick her up (about 6:00pm). Her older brother would stay there as well and do his homework, which was more extensive than ours, of course.

The first sleepover I had was at my friend Katherine’s house, after our junior high school prom/formal dance. I would have been fifteen years old. The idea was just to go to her place, sleep over and the next day we would head out to the shops and get brunch/lunch and a movie. At the time, I only had one pair of pyjamas.

I didn’t have proper pyjamas during my childhood — in fact, the word probably wasn’t in my daily vocabulary. I would wear some trackpants and a shirt, or in warmer months, a shirt and shorts. They were comfortable enough for sleeping, and I could still wear them around the house without feeling like I had dressed up particularly for sleeping. (Seems odd when you put it that way, doesn’t it?)

When we went to Indonesia on a family trip, I bought a lot of pyjamas for summer. It was pretty exciting to have cute shirts and shorts that I could wear to bed. Somewhere down the line, I stopped caring about cute clothes for sleeping and my mindset became, “I’m only going to be unconscious for eight hours of my day, lying down in these clothes in a clean bed, so what gives?”

Often I would find myself bothered by picking out clothes the night before, so I would wear those clothes to bed instead. Apparently, I also never get bed hair (I once didn’t brush my hair for two years) so maybe I’m just lucky I don’t move in my sleep and find myself halfway down the side of my bed, ever.

In conversation, I also found myself regularly saying, “Yeah, I slept in this, actually” — which led me to realise I was wearing my sleeping clothes out. Or wearing my work/going-out clothes to bed. Quite often, too. I have blurred the line between work attire and pyjamas; I sleep in dresses, skirts and tights. My clothes for sleeping are not much different to my clothes I wear during the day and to go out in.

And when I wore my Velociraptor band shirt to sleep, I figured it was still in fine condition to wear to work under a coat. Jeremy (of Velociraptor) said that his jeans were probably considered pyjamas by now because he has fallen asleep wearing them so much.

In the morning, most of the time, I just wash my face, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, put on a jacket or change into jeans if I’m in the mood, and head out the door.

I prioritise comfort over any other idiotic fashion trend (well, maybe except high heels on good nights out — then again, I only wear comfortable ones, and yes, there is such a thing), and that’s why I am able to comfortably merge my sleeping, home, working, dancing, and all-round boogying wardrobes.

And it’s not because I’m too busy, or too lazy, just mostly because I want to and I can. You should try it sometime.

Image by Gabrielle C on Flickr.

Comments on this post

I tend to sweat and get overall really gross when I sleep at night so I can’t sleep in my clothes for the next day. I had to once because I had to meet MRun at 5am and I went to bed at like 1, and even though those were running clothes, I still felt gross when I woke up and didn’t change. :/

I tend to wear oversized T-shirts and yoga pants to bed. I definitely don’t have specific pajamas, although I did as a little kid. But I wouldn’t wear clothes I’d wear the next day to bed! I like the feeling of putting on new clothes for the day. Makes me feel refreshed and ready to face the day.

I don’t get out much, so I pretty much wear pj’s all the time. D: And those are just bottoms and plain t-shirts. Somtimes, if I don’t feel like changing my shirt, I wear it out when I do have to go out some place, so you’re not alone.

I have tried sleeping in jeans and it’s terribly uncomfortable. Also, before I go to sleep, I take off my bra. I cannot sleep in those things, again it’s uncomfortable. Most women do sleep in them, though, but I don’t see how.

I’m not sure if any of my PJs were clothing that were meant to be PJs. Well, maybe my shorts and pants. I tend to wear jeans during the day, and then I have workout shorts/pants for home. A lot of free shirts I get are way too big since they never seem to carry women’s sizes, so I just wear them as PJs.

I’m kind of amazed you can wear clothes you slept in the next day. My PJs always look messed up and wrinkly when I wake up. Maybe I move too much in my sleep!

This is an awesome post! I actually sleep in my gym clothes so when I wake up in the morning I can just go to the gym, get it done, and go off to work after I change and shower. It’s really convenient.

I think sleep clothes are a thing of the past. I don’t know that there’s really something specific to sleep in anymore, unless you’re older and wear night gowns, hehe.

I used to have pyjamas when I was young, but now I don’t have any. I don’t like them, either. I just prefer t-shirts and track pants, too! But I do not wear what I slept outside, though, unless it’s to the market just down below my flat :)

And wow. KIng’s Quest . . . I remember playing King’s Quest VI, one of the very first adventure games I’ve playe XD;

It seems like once in a great while I will wear my clothes as PJs especially if I am really really tired. Like tonight. Whatever I wear now is what I am wearing tomorrow. Haha.

Trust me, you are not the only person. A lot of people will sleep in their workout clothes. Saves them extra step later on.

I used to sleep in jeans! And don’t remember why I stopped doing it, but I now have very comfortable t-shirts and shorts to sleep in. Unfortunately, they are not really appropriate for going outside in, so I’d never wear them to school or work. But if you can sleep in skirts and tights without ruining them, power to you!

Haha. I thought you REALLY wore pajamas to work. I own only a couple of proper pajamas; most nights I just go to bed in a tank top and shorts I had worn around the house the day before. :D No one here really bothers about changing for different situations; since you’ve been to Indonesia I suppose you won’t be surprised to see fashions merging (as you put it) everywhere you go. The result? Many panic when required to dress for an occasion.

I wear whatever I have on when I go to bed and sometimes, sometimes I wear pj’s. But not always. When I stayed at my exes house I wore undies and a singlet top because he heated up so much I had a hot water bottle next to me anyway hahaha. Any excuse to snuggle up ;-) ♥ ♥

I can’t sleep in my regular clothes. I wear jeans and those just aren’t comfortable, plus I feel like I’m getting dirt in my clean bed. I don’t really have pajamas just comfortable shorts and shirts. But I prefer to put something fresh and clean on in the morning. To  each their own.