People wear nightgowns everywhere except bed!

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - This is no ordinary nightgown from your grandmother's days. Or maybe it really is! The same style that was once intended only for sleeping, has now become a symbol of summer elegance, and the essence of this year's fashion.

Reformation's "Holly Sleep Dress" is short and light, featuring 1950s-inspired details and ruffled edges, inspired by "vintage nightgowns that would probably be worn outside the home," according to the brand's website. Likewise, Damson Madder, known for its modern style, noted that the Elspeth Nightdress, which features soft floral embroidery and an embroidered lace hem, is “easy to wear from night to day.”

On the other hand, the British brand If Only If, which designed the striking nightgowns worn by Megan Stalter in Lena Dunham's Netflix series "Too Much," relies on photo shoots showing models wearing these dresses with straw bags, in the markets or in the lap of nature. On TikTok, the number of videos using the hashtag #nightgown has increased by 200% over the past year.

On Instagram, the same enthusiasm is evident, as the influencer Bridget Brown said in a recent video to her 99,000 followers: “I can’t stop buying old nightgowns,” while she was opening a box containing an embroidered cotton nightgown with a round neck and a length below the knee, which she had bought used from Facebook Marketplace. She jokingly added: "That's sexy for an Edwardian nightgown!"

Wearing underwear outside the home is not a new thing. In the late eighteenth century, the French artist Elisabeth Louise Viguet-Le Brun painted a painting of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, wearing a straw hat and a “chemis” dress, which at the time was considered underwear. The painting was first displayed in 1783, but it was quickly withdrawn because a nightgown was considered inappropriate for display. Over the years, designers have tried to bring back this boldness by displaying pieces such as corsets, bras and nightdresses on the fashion catwalks.

At his Spring/Summer 1992 London show, John Galliano focused on the romantic and feminine style of nightgowns from the 19th century. The show was titled “Napoleon and Josephine,” and included transparent nightgowns that revealed the chest.

At Calvin Klein's spring/summer 1995 show in New York, silk nightgowns with lace edges in different colors appeared, worn by models such as Kate Moss and Stella Tennant. If Galliano's show was more dramatic and imaginative, Klein presented elegant designs that are sometimes even suitable for work.

In 1997, Stella McCartney presented her first show with Chloe, which featured nightgowns with thin straps and soft colors, similar to what could actually be worn to sleep. Even Princess Diana wore a dark blue Dior "sleep dress" dress decorated with black lace at the 1996 Met Gala.

But while nightgowns were previously used as a visual symbol of seduction, with their revealing cuts and silky fabrics, the current trend leans towards old and simple cuts, closer to the historical than the sexy. Rachel Tashjian, fashion critic for The Washington Post, owns an old cotton nightgown from the late 19th century that she likes to wear while walking her dog in Central Park.

She told Ofoq News that the shirt's fabric is a bit tough and resembles the packaging of a wedding cake, and she believes it belonged to her husband's great-grandmother. She added that clothes from that period, especially underwear, include beautiful details such as lace and small pleats.

As for Sandeep Salter, founder of the Salter House brand in New York, she says that organic cotton nightgowns and pajamas are their most popular, adding that people in New York know them for these designs, and they continue to launch new designs. Some of their designs are inspired by old nightgowns she had when she was little, or the nightgown in the movie “Peter Pan.”

One of her most famous designs is a wide white dress with a square neck called “The Lamb,” inspired by old French underwear. Salter points out that customers wear these dresses as everyday wear, with a cardigan tied at the waist, or with Mary Janes with small heels or ballet flats, and an elegant bag.

As for her, she likes to wear a nightgown with a large scrunchie and a baseball hat. Perhaps the reason behind the spread of this fashion is comfort.

After the Corona lockdown in 2020, people became accustomed to comfortable clothes such as pajamas and sweatpants. Even after life returned to normal, rest remained important.

“It feels comfortable,” Salter says, and Tashjian adds that a nightgown is a more stylish and comfortable option than baggy pants. The popularity of the sleepwear trend is not limited to women. At Milan Men's Fashion Week in June, Dolce & Gabbana presented designs inspired by loungewear, such as oversized suits and striped shirts and pants that resemble pajamas.

Are these new trends linked to the return of some conservative ideas to society? “It depends on how the person wears it,” says Tashjian, noting that there is an aspect of this fashion that resembles the “traditional wife” style, such as peasant dresses, wide skirts, and shirts with puffy sleeves.

But many young women today deal with this old style with a kind of joke or rebellion. And Prada's spring-summer 2023 show, a case in point, featured sheer nightgowns and house coats in outfits that looked conservative, but were styled with high-heeled shoes and tightly clutched mini bags.