Pajamas may not be a top priority as far as most people’s fashion choices are concerned, however that hasn’t stopped a fascinating progression of sleepwear trends from developing over the years, with popular styles including everything from barely-there lingerie to cartoon-style onesies.
And now a fashion-focused time-lapse video has revealed the most popular pajama style of each decade over the last 100 years, cataloging hot trends like the 1920s frilly and detailed dresses, the 80s sexy satin onesie and the 2000s cheeky sweats obsession.
And as the clip, created by Glamour, progresses, the drastic switch from long skirts to hiked up hemlines, plunging cleavages and belly baring bra and panty sets reveal the dramatic strides fashion has made, even if it’s just dressing up for bed.
Flapper chic! A Glamour video reveals the evolution of pajama trends starting with modest floor length dresses in the 20s such as the above beige ensemble
All in the details! Frilly eye masks and evening shawls were all apart of the 20s sleeping fashion
Fashion split: The 30s debuted daring lace necklines and sweeping sleeping skirts, but also took a note from mens fashion and introduced button down and pant sets for women (right)
Silky smooth: The 40s kept silhouettes modest with long quilted robes that included pockets (left) and elevated the mens inspired two piece set in silk material (right)
The 1920s embraced a time of modesty for women, and covering up continued into the night time, but not without decadent details of lace, embroidery and silk. The Art Deco inspired cuts often swept the floor and featured drop waist silhouettes.
The following decade creating more body hugging sleepwear with daring v-neck necklines lined with lace. But a matching robe was worn on top as a matter of modesty for the 30s look. But some ladies that preferred to have more fun, went for the rising trend of button down menswear pajamas with matching pants.
The 40s kicked it up a notch by creating silk top and wide leg pant pajama sets for a sexier version of the male nightwear set, while keeping the prior decades exterior robes in ravishing silk with quilted designs and handy large pockets.
Dior designs: The 50s was all about elegant evening gowns, with much credit to French designer Christian Dior, who designed lace and satin floor length gowns
Legs for days! The 60s opted to show some skin in high cut ‘shorties’ and matching print baby doll tops (above)
Flirty and free: The end of the 60s brought on the matching bra and panty fad (left), and as the 70s rolled around so did the draping dresses in bold and colorful prints (right)
80s baby! The following decade played with sexy one pieces called teddies (left) but kept it under wraps in quilted robes (right)
Christian Dior transformed sleepwear into a high brow elegant affair in the 50s with his floor sweeping lace night gowns to help women feel elegant post WWII.
‘There is nothing I would like better than to make every woman look and feel like a duchess,’ he said on his iconic night gowns.
The v-neck slips were tailored in lace and satin to make night time a sexy affair, not too far off from today’s returning silk slip trend that’s been revamped into a casual look.
The 60s brought in body empowerment and a free-spirited energy that led to scandalously high cut sleeping shorts called ‘shorties’ often paired with matching print babydoll dress tops, the very same look actress Janet Leigh wore in the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie.
By the end of the decade ladies wanted to show more and the 70s rang in with matching bra and panty sets, which spiraled to popularity thanks to the elusive Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.
Playful patterns, bold prints and fringe ranging animal and plants became the coolest way to dress for the evening in draping, loose fitting dress cuts.
The 80s created flirty one pieces called teddies in lace and silk as the latest form of sexy nightwear, but on top older women would often don floor-length quilted robes. The teddies gained a massive following after modeled by actress Nicollette Sheridan in Knots Landing.
Hangin’ with the boys: The 90s grunge and punk trends adopted the plaid patterns on men’s boxer style shorts, paired with simple T-shirts and tanks (above)
Comfort first: The 2000s took a colorful turn in mix and match outfits, with Victoria Secret’s PINK line gaining massive popularity for its cheeky messages along the bum
Wild side: The 2010s spun pajama wear on its head and made it into fun costumes such as animal onesies (left) and transformed traditional silk sets into chic streetwear looks (right)
With the revival of punk in the 90s, women notes from the boys when it came to nightwear fashion and opted for T-shirts and tank tops to wear to bed along with boxer shorts – often in grunge plaid flannel print.
Popular men’s brands like Joe Boxer became a hit for the comfortable and loose-fitting cotton shorts.
The 2000s saw the launch of the Victoria Secret PINK line, which became an instant hit for their colorful mix and match pajama sets that often featured shorts and sweats with the brand’s name written playfully along the bum.
2010s fashion took a twist with the rising popularity of colorful onesies that often took the form of cheetahs, unicorns, and other animal kingdom creatures – and have been worn by the likes of the Kardashians.
This past year saw the dramatic revamp of the traditional silk button down pajama shirt and pant set, which has been re-designed into chic streetwear, donned by a myriad of celebrities such as Alexa Chung, Gigi Hadid, and Rihanna as a full set with heels or separately as a silk top or drapey satin pants.