Life in Pajamas

What Do I Think About the Possible Louisiana Ban on Pajamas in Public? Glad You Asked!

When the headline first appeared in my Google Alerts that a parish in Louisiana was attempting to enforce a ban on wearing pajamas in public, I barely gave it a second glance. Unfortunately, wearing pajamas in public seems to be a hot topic these days. Even today's  Wall Street Journal tackles the topic. We've heard recently of schools banning its students, or even parents, from wearing pajamas on its premises and now this prospective anti pajama legislation in Louisiana.

 

But as I read more about Caddo Parish District 3 Commissioner Michael Williams’ attempt to push through an ordinance that would prohibit anyone from appearing in public wearing “a garment sold in the sleepwear section of department stores,” I realized this was emblematic of a more concerning trend in our country.

 

Now, I’m not just saying this because I happen to own an online store which sells only sleepwear apparel. I am saying this because I believe clothing is one of the greatest forms of personal expression in our modern world. And personal expression is something that must never be limited in a successful democracy.

 

I founded The Pajama Company eight years ago because after a career in the fashion industry in New York and living and traveling abroad working for an international women’s NGO, I realized pajamas were my favorite type of clothing. After two decades of wearing power suits and dresses, I found pajamas were what I wore to feel my most creative, to feel my most comfortable and to express myself most fully. I've done my best work in pajamas.

 

That kind of power should never be taken away from the people.

 

Now perhaps you are reading this news and agree that kids wearing plaid pants in public is distasteful. Chances are you would also frown upon boys wearing baggy pants or girls in short skirts with heels. I personally am not a fan of men in basketball shorts or women in leopard print. Fortunately, in America we all have the right to make our own judgments, to share our thoughts with our friends or our social networks. We can celebrate the ridiculousness of the fashion choices of people we see on the street on sites like People of Walmart or on shows like What Not To Wear. But we would never walk up to those people and tell them to change their clothes. We would be dismayed to see them charged with a crime based on their choice of apparel.

 

As we learn from TLC’s Stacy and Clinton any item of clothing can be manipulated to look either tacky or stylish. For me, there is nothing better than putting on a crisp pair of pajamas with mascara and a great pair of boots or flats.

 

And I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Pajamas and items sold in the “sleepwear section” of stores have recently been worn on the red carpet by the likes of style icons Rachel Roy and Ryan Gosling and highlighted by fashion columnists and bloggers. In November, Marie Claire ran a slide show touting the latest trend of pajamas in fashion with a subhead reading “there’s nothing sleepy about this timeliness trend: Loungewear wakes up to luxe.”  Glamour instructed its readers to look fashionable by staying in pajamas over the weekend. Even Prada designed a line of high end pajamas, which are definitely not meant to be concealed in the bedroom.

 

And how dangerous can pajamas be when a pastor of a church in Toledo sponsored it's second annual "Pajama Pants Sunday" last week?

 

Williams cited citizens’ uncomfortableness with the trend of public pajama wearing as his reasoning for the ban.

 

For a child of the 1960’s like myself, there is something especially uncomfortably familiar with an authority figure attempting to ban youth from exhibiting a fashion trend for fear of what it represents. 

 

How is this different than schools and businesses banning young men from wearing their hair long in the 1960’s or schools preventing kids from wearing denim in the 1950’s? For that matter, it is even reminiscent of a time when women wearing pants was frowned upon in public. 

 

It's nice to see that Commissioner Williams doesn't feel the "crime" of wearing pajamas warrants jail time, merely community service. Who joins me in cheering pajama clad citizens who already affect good in our society, who already volunteer in their local communities?

 

Last year a high school in Vermont banned pajamas in school claiming pajamas inhibited students’ work ethic.

 

I imagine the legions of bloggers and those who work from home would take issue with that statement.

 

Whether you think pajamas are appropriate daily attire is for you to decide. As for me, please excuse me while I put on my pretty striped cotton pajama pants and get back to work.

Today We Are Standing for Mothers and Maternal Health...in Pajamas

Today is Monday and at The Pajama Company it's our first Maternal Health Monday. I started my pajama business six years ago because I love pajamas and love to celebrate the happiness pajamas bring to families. Yes, we lounge in pajamas. We celebrate in pajamas. We work in pajamas. Today, we are doing something important in pajamas. We are taking a stand for Maternal Health. We are saying it's unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Eighteen years ago, in my 8th month of pregnancy I was told my baby was breech...upside down in the womb. I was calmly reassured that all was well and I would have a scheduled Cesarean section. I was in London at the time and despite my anxiety at the news, my doctor put me at ease with his description of the procedure. He was right, all went well. I'm well aware that were this scenario playing out in an earlier time, my outcome would not have been bright. 

Sadly, in 2011, for many women around the world, the basic right of bringing a child safely into the world remains a luxury. I know that in many parts of the world a woman facing a breech birth today would most certainly die. In fact, today a woman will die every 90 seconds from complications of pregnancy. This is why we have chosen to partner with Every Mother Counts, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on increasing education and support for maternal and child health around the world. Today we are donating 10 percent of our sales to Every Mother Counts.

Today my daughter is 18 years old. She is thriving. Today pregnancy is the biggest killer of women ages 15-19 in the developing world. Nearly 70,000 young women die every year because their bodies are not ready for parenthood. Incredibly, every year an estimated 10 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18. If current rates of child marriage continue, 100 million girls will be wed in the coming decade. Excluded from education and other opportunities to develop their full potential, they and their children will be poorer as a result.

Join our Maternal Health Monday campaign and help change the lives of women and their families across the globe...and yes, we're doing it in pajamas.

I Love Being Lazy

Today my husband purchased some weights for our upstairs home gym. The weights now join the treadmill, a crunch chair, a yoga ball and an antiquated stairmaster that everyone detests. The problem with our upstairs gym is that it's in the same room with a quite large TV and a very inviting leather sofa with fluffy pillows and super soft fleece blankets. . 

Six years ago I launched my website selling pajamas.  I've loved pajamas all my life and have always loved being lazy.  In the early years and once last week, I denied my true love of lazy and fained a slight interest in gym equipment. I must have been peer pressured. But, 99% of the time I'm not shy about embracing who I really am.  I'm lazy.  Just plain lazy.  I don't say this like it's a bad thing.  For me it's exhilarating, it's liberating. I even boldly wrote it on a medical form last week in answer to the activity level question.

Last spring I wandered into a yoga apparel store and found the clothes to be really cute for lounging.  I know that's not the intention of the design but from my point of view, it was all about comfort.  I started to look through the assortment and was interrupted by a sales person asking me quite enthusiastically what was my sport.  I said actually I don't have a sport but I still find the clothes really cute.  She seemed slightly surprised and after a bit of an awkward silence I quietly mentioned that I occasionally walk my dog. (I do play golf but insist on riding in the cart so decided not to get into that.) Anyway, she perked up at that and began to suggest a few options for me.  I left the store with some cute yoga pants and a sweatshirt.  I was happy.  I spend a lot of time in pajamas but switching to yoga pants and sweatshirt for an outing is perfect.  I was recently at the grocery checkout when the woman behind me complimented my outfit and asked me where I do yoga.  I said "Actually I don't do yoga, I just really like the clothes." The fact is I don't do yoga and really can't recommend a local place.  But, for anyone looking  to be comfy, I can recommend a great spot to buy yoga clothes and of course a great place to buy pajamas.

I feel strongly about embracing our passions. I have friends and family who love to work out, who love to run, walk, jog, lift weights, go to pilates class, spin class, yoga class, kick boxing class.  I know for many the thought of lounging seems just unpleasant.  For many, being lazy is considered a character flaw.  For me lazy is defined in many ways.  Being lazy is curled up on the couch napping, being lazy is sitting in my favorite chair with a stack of magazines or reading my friend Meg's best selling thriller.  Being lazy is reading the Sunday paper with a piping hot cup of coffee in my favorite mug.  Being lazy is watching TV or surfing the web in my cozy pajamas.

Jerome K. Jerome exclaims in his essay "On being Idle" that "Idling always has been my strong point. I take no credit to myself in the matter—it is a gift. Few possess it." Jerome goes on to say:  "It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen." How true.

Winnie the Pooh famously said “Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." Yet again, Pooh, you are right. 

Today I'm not planning on using the new gym equipment and probably tomorrow I'll just be a little too busy doing what I love most. Working in pajamas and maybe taking a short break to be "idle."

 

 

 

10 Things To Do In Pajamas...Plus 2 More

Here are 10 things to do in Pajamas. What would you add to the list?

1,  Write a Blog Post

2.  Shop...online!

3.  Garden

4.  Cook

5.  Watch Seinfeld reruns

6.  Work all day

7.  Go on a date...a pajama date

8.  Take The SAT

9.  Dream

10.  Sleep

+1 Open presents on Christmas Morning

+2 Pose for Christmas Picture in Matching Family Pajamas

It's Bedtime - Let's Party!

If you’re like many women today, you have a core group of long-time friends that help you make it through the day. Away from husbands, children, jobs and the everyday chores of life, these friends sustain you, entertain you and keep you sane.

You’d like to show these women how much they have enriched your life. Hubby is out of town and Grandma’s willing to watch the kids. Why not treat your friends to a pajama sleepover?

Make it unique with stylized invitations, an unusual focal centerpiece with games and gifts galore! Grab some flannel from the yardage store and cut out cute little pajama pants. Draft your invite on the computer, cut and glue it to the flannel and you have a custom-made invitation that can be delivered or mailed.

Make your decorations unique and fun. We know it's summer but if you have an aluminum Christmas tree sitting down in the basement, haul it upstairs and decorate it for your sleepover. You can use toothbrushes, samples of shampoo, conditioner and soap, disposable razors, and mini-sized stuffed animals to decorate the tree. Use the biggest pair of slippers you can find as a tree topper. If you choose to put lights on the tree, choose a blue soothing color that can be used as a giant nightlight.

If Christmas in June is just a little too "out there," you can create a party theme around a single item like a teddy bear. Spread them around the room, use them as a centerpiece and have one ready for each of your guests to take home.

If you want an unusual activity, plan a game personalized for your guests. Play a game called Who Know Who Best? Make up a whole bunch of questions about your friends. The possibilities are endless.

What was the name of their secret crush?
Who had the first date?
If they were going to be an animal, what would they be?
Who was in labor the longest with their first child?

Divide the women into two teams, give them a piece of paper and a pen and grace the winning team with a prize. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleasersand one that brings back fond memories and lots of laughter.

Or you can plan a scrapbooking activity. Take pictures of everyone in their pajamas, add some old photos, make copies and let your friends go to town with mini-albums, loads of colorful trims and paper and everyone can create a special memento of the night.

If you would rather create an old time slumber party, have lots of drinks ready to serve along with popcorn and chick flicks. You can always play charades, the blindfolded makeup challenge or tell ghost stories before lights out.

Party gifts can range from a new set of pajamas to a fun-filled goodie basket of bath soaps and lotions. Personal items like manicure sets, vanity mirrors and mini-massagers are great as party favors too.

Whatever your plan, have a breakfast set up for your guests in the morning before they head out the door. It’s a pajama party that will go down in the annals of your friendship as one of the best nights ever!

What Does Mom Really Want for Mother's Day?

 

I've been doing a little research on that always baffling question "What do Moms really want for Mother's Day?"  It's her day and families want to get it right.  Is it jewelry, flowers, chocolates, dinner out, a party? Finding the perfect gift is always a struggle.  I'm a Mom and I think I've cracked the code on what Moms really want on Sunday and it is one word...Sleep! We know that a staggering percentage of Moms are chronically sleep deprived, not getting enough sleep most nights of the week. Moms of young children are particularly sleepy but Moms of teens and 'tweens are also affected.  The thought of having one morning to sleep in is the perfect gift. Undisturbed sleep...period.  So look no further than a comfy pair of pajamas, a soft pillow and a dark, quiet bedroom for the perfect Mother's Day morning, afternoon or however long it takes for Mom to wake happy and refreshed for this one day of the year....and when she wakes say a simple "Thanks for being a great Mom."  Sweet dreams to all Mothers on Sunday!

 

 

 

Wondering What to Wear to Watch The Royal Wedding? Pajamas...Of Course!

With Royal Wedding coverage starting as early as 3am EST pajamas seem the most appropriate attire for the occasion, wouldn't you agree?  I like the idea of pajamas with a bit of a British theme.  Our "Teacups" 100% cotton set from PJ Salvage are my top pick for setting the mood for an English Royal Wedding. 

Fluff up those pillows on the bed or grab a few extra blankets for the couch, get some bubbly ready and enjoy the festivities.  Have you chosen your pajamas yet for the wedding?  If not, The Pajama Company can help!

Movies Are Better in Pajamas

Movies are better when you lounge around with family and friends in your pjs. If you are ready for an evening of Hollywood magic, get the popcorn, make sure everyone is outfitted in comfy pajamas from The Pajama Company, and turn off the lights. Need some help choosing a film to watch? Try one of the titles on our short list of Best Movies to Watch in Your Pajamas.

Thrills and Chills
*”The Sixth Sense.” Bruce Willis stars as a child psychologist working with a boy who claims that he can see dead people. If you haven't seen this film, get ready for an excellent surprise ending.

*“Signs.” Mel Gibson and Joquain Phoenix star in this tense drama of a widower struggling with his painful past and trying to protect his family from some awfully angry aliens. A clever film that, surprisingly, owes a lot to Alfred Hitchcock's classic, “The Birds.”

Girl's Night In
*“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” A strong cast makes this tale of four friends determined to stay a part of each others' worlds despite the divergent paths of their lives make this film a joy to watch—especially with your own best friends.

*“Dirty Dancing.” Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze portray a pair of star-crossed lovers from two very different sides of the tracks in 1960's New York. Spend an evening with friends and relive the great dancing and the unforgettable on-screen chemistry.

Family Features
*“The Incredibles.” Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, retired superheroes, find themselves called back into action when a villain with a connection to their family threatens the world's safety. If you have not seen this wonderful film, get everyone into their pajamas and watch it tonight.

*“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”Ron Barrett's classic picture book comes to life in this animated adaptation from Sony Pictures. Creative and well-written, this is a great film for the entire family to enjoy together.

Just for Laughs
*“The Wedding Singer.”Adam Sandler and Drew Berrymore bring the 1980's back to life. The film will bring a smile to anyone who remembers the era of shoulder pads, leg warmers, and New Wave pop.

*“Hitch.” Will Smith, a man who helps hopeless guys win dates with their dream girls, needs to follow some of his own advice when it comes his relationship with Eva Mendes. Watching this fun film in your pajamas is the perfect way to spend a relaxing evening.

We suggested eight great movies, but there are tens of thousands of titles that can make your movie night great. All you need is a comfortable couch, a good entertainment system, and a comfy pair of pajamas. Which movies would you add to our list?

This Valentine's Day, Let Your Gift Tell Her How You Feel

This February, celebrate love by setting aside time on Valentine's Day to spend with the most special person in your life. Plan a romantic evening and carefully choose a gift that expresses your true feelings. Even if you are not great with words, you can let her know exactly how you feel. After all, great gifts speak a language all their own. For example, a pair of pajamas from The Pajama Company says:

“I Really Know You.”
When you select the perfect pair of pajamas for your special someone, you let her know that you really understand who she is in her most relaxed, unguarded moments. Everyone at the office may know that your love's favorite color is green or that she enjoys reading, but a gift like this something only you could give.

“I Was Thinking of You, Not Just Checking a Valentine's Day Gift Off My List.”
While millions of women around the world will receive yet another heart-shaped box of chocolates purchased at the last minute from the local discount store, your love will experience the thrill of opening a gift tailored to her. From the fabric and style to the print, your care in matching a great set of pajamas to her personality is something she will recognize instantly and appreciate.

“I Love the Kid Inside You.”
Pajamas are fun gifts. Give your love a pair of footie pajamas and watch her eyes light up. Your thoughtfulness, as well as great memories of being a child, will bring a smile to her face. It's like giving her permission to put away her 9 to 5 personality for a few hours and just play.

“Let's Spend Time Together.”
A comfortable, warm pair of pajamas symbolizes days spent relaxing together at home. Your love will understand that in your eyes, everything else can wait. Today is about just the two of you. It is about enjoying one another's company and getting to know her even more deeply. It is a way of telling her that in your eyes, being with her is what life is all about.

“I Want to Take Care of You.”
When you give your love a comfortable pair of pajamas for Valentine's day, you are expressing your wish that every night's sleep is deep and every morning's pace is relaxing. Your love will realize that instead of trying to find something glitzy or showy—a bauble that is really more about you than about her—you wanted to get something to make her life more comfortable and enjoyable.

If you read this post and found yourself thinking “Uh oh,” you probably have a box of chocolates and a teddy bear wrapped up and waiting for Valentine's Day. Relax. You can fix this. Just visit The Pajama Company and order your love some fun gifts, the kind that she deserves. Your care and originality will make her smile. As for the chocolates and the teddy bear, we hope you saved the receipt.

The Benefits of Laziness

Time for a quick history lesson: Sociologist Max Weber's book "The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" first appeared in English in 1930. Upon its publication, Type A personalities around the world to probably cheered—even though they didn't have time to read it. Today, the cult of incessant productivity still reigns supreme. That is too bad because a little laziness can be a glorious thing.e to get back to work, the renewed clarity of your thoughts will amaze you.

Of course, laziness does not mean having to let your thoughts drift. Spending a slow Saturday morning lounging around the living room is also a great time to think deeply about issues you care about. On these kinds of days, it does not matter what errands you have to run, when the report at work is due, or how many practices the kids have on Monday. Laziness allows you to settle back and live in the moment, contemplating what you want life to be instead of the quickest way to burn through your to do list.

While you are spending your time thinking deeply about life, you are also allowing yourself to relax and rest. Call it lazy if you like, but honestly, there is nothing better for your health than the occasional afternoon spent relaxing around the house in your pjs. You will feel great enjoying a stress-free day, but your body will be hard at work rebuilding its reserves of strength and stamina.

Finally, laziness can be a gift shared with the entire family. Most of us struggle to make the time to spend with the ones we love. Doing nothing more strenuous than sitting around the living room and enjoying a family movie marathon is a great way to say, “My time with you is valuable. See, I've cleared my schedule.” It is the perfect method for building the bonds between family members.

So, if you are ready to benefit from a little laziness, make sure you are prepared. All you will need is a rainy afternoon, all the people you love, and some comfortable loungewear from The Pajama Company. Your body, soul, and family will thank you.