Pajamas

{{Short description|Soft clothing originated from the Indian subcontinent}} {{Other uses}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} <noinclude>[[File:Muslim girl india1844 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A Muslim girl in India wearing pajamas and kurti (lithograph from Emily Eden's ''Portraits of the Princes and People of India'', 1844)]] alt=|thumb|Two-piece men's pajamas

'''Pajamas''' (American English) or '''pyjamas''' (Commonwealth English),{{efn|Pronounced variously as {{IPAc-en|p|ə|ˈ|dʒ|ɑː|m|ə|z|,_|p|ɪ|-|,_|-|ˈ|dʒ|æ|-}} {{respell|pə|JAH|məz|,_|pih|-|,_|-|JAM|əz}}.}} sometimes colloquially shortened to '''PJs''',<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pjs | title=PJs | publisher=Dictionary.com}}</ref> '''jammies''',<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/jammies | title=Jammies | publisher=Dictionary.com}}</ref> '''jim-jams''', or in South Asia, '''night suits''', are several related types of clothing worn as nightwear or while lounging. Pajamas are soft garments derived from the Indian and Iranian bottom-wear, the ''pyjamas'', which were adopted in the Western world as nightwear.

==Etymology==

According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the word pyjama is a borrowing via Hindustani from Persian. Its etymology is: <blockquote>Urdu pāy-jāma, pā-jāma and its etymon Persian pāy-jāma, pā-jāma, singular noun < Persian pāy, pā foot, leg + jāma clothing, garment (see jama n.1) + English -s, plural ending, after drawers.<ref name=oed-pyjamas>{{citation|title=Oxford English Dictionary|chapter=pyjamas or pajamas, n.|publisher=OED Online|edition=3|year=2022|url= https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/155351?redirectedFrom=pajamas|access-date=2 May 2022}}</ref></blockquote>

OED's earliest evidence for '''pyjamas''' is from 1801, in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asiatic_Journal_and_Monthly_Register_for_British_India_and_Its_Dependencies|The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and Its Dependencies] 1800.

==History== thumb|US government advert during World War II, female nightwear The worldwide use of pyjamas (the word and the clothing) outside the Indian subcontinent is the result of adoption by British colonists and soldiers in the Indian subcontinent in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the British influence on the wider Western world during the Victorian era. Pyjamas had been introduced to England as "lounging attire" as early as the seventeenth century, then known as ''mogul's breeches'' (Beaumont and Fletcher) but they soon fell out of fashion. The word ''pyjama'' (as '' pai jamahs,'' ''Paee-jams'' and variants) is recorded in English use in the first half of the nineteenth century. They did not become a fashion in Britain and the Western world as sleeping attire for men until the Victorian period, from about 1870.<ref>Lewis, Ivor. 1991. ''Sahibs, Nabobs and Boxwallahs: A Dictionary of Words of Anglo-India.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. 266 pages. {{ISBN|0-19-564223-6}}. "They were introduced in England as lounging attire in the 17th century but soon went out of fashion. About 1870 they reappeared in the Western world as sleeping attire for men, after returning British colonials brought (them) back ...."</ref>

''Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases'' (1886) summarizes the state of usage at the time (s.v. "pyjammas"): <blockquote>Such a garment is used by various persons in India ''e.g.'' by women of various classes, by Sikh men, and most by Mohammedans of both sexes. It was adopted from the Mohammedans by Europeans as an article of ''dishabille'' [highly casual clothing] and of night attire, and is synonymous with Long Drawers, Shulwaurs, and Mogul-Breeches [...] It is probable that we English took the habit like a good many others from the Portuguese. Thus Pyrard (c. 1521) <!--serving as apothecary in the Portuguese royal hospital in Goa--> says, in speaking of Goa Hospital: "''Ils ont force ''caleçon'' sans quoy ne couchent iamais les Portugais des Indes''" [fr., "They have plenty of the undergarments without which the Portuguese in India never sleep"] [...] The word is now used in London shops. A friend furnishes the following reminiscence: "The late Mr. B&mdash;, tailor in Jermyn Street, some on 12 years ago, in reply to a question why pyjammas had feet sewn on to them (as was sometimes the case with those furnished by London outfitters) answered: "I believe, Sir, it is because of the White Ants."<ref>{{Cite book | last1=Yule | first1=Henry | first2=A.C. | last2=Burnell | title=Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases | year=1886 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Z5iAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA748 | page=748 |quote=''Hobson-Jobson'' glosses "white ants" as "The insect (''Termes bellicosus'' of naturalists) not properly an ant, of whose destructive powers there are in India so many disagreeable experiences, and so many marvellous stories.}}</ref></blockquote><!--Hobson-Jobson cites spelling as ''Paee-jams'' (1828), and ''pyjama'' (1881).-->

==Types==

===Traditional=== [[File:Utility Underwear- Clothing Restrictions on the British Home Front, 1943 D13099.jpg|thumb|British Utility Underwear Clothing Restrictions on the British Home Front, 1942. 11 year old girl wearing wool pajamas as nightwear.]] ''Traditional pajamas'' consist of a shirt-and-trousers combination made of soft fabric, such as flannel or lightweight silk. The shirt element usually has a placket front and sleeves with no cuffs.

Pajamas are usually worn as nightwear with bare feet, and can be worn with or without undergarments.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Borresen |first=Kelsey |date=2 May 2023 |title=Should You Sleep In Underwear Or Go Commando? Doctors Have Thoughts. |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/should-you-sleep-in-underwear-or-go-commando-doctors-have-thoughts_uk_6450eb72e4b011a819c9923f |access-date=18 October 2025 |work=Huffingtonpost.co.uk}}</ref> They are also worn for comfort by people in their homes.

===Contemporary=== thumb|370x370px|Pajamas with a drop seat Contemporary pajamas are derived from traditional pajamas. There are many variations in style such as short sleeve pajamas, pajama bottoms of varying length,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190717204546/https://pijamasdeanimales.com/pijamas-antiguos/ "Harriet Traynham (R) and her guests still wearing their pyjamas at 3:15 pm,"] ''Life'' magazine, August 1951 (Photographer: Lisa Larsen)</ref> and pajamas incorporating various non-traditional materials. Often, people of both sexes opt to sleep or lounge in just pajama pants, usually with a t-shirt. For this reason, pajama pants are often sold as separates. Stretch-knit sleep apparel with rib-knit trimmings are common, mostly with young children.

Although pajamas are usually distinguished from one-piece sleeping garments such as nightgowns, in the US, they have sometimes included the latter or a somewhat shorter nightshirt as a top. Some pajamas, especially those designed for infants and toddlers, feature a ''drop seat'' (also known as a ''trap door'' or ''butt flap''): a buttoned opening in the seat, designed to allow the wearer conveniently to use a toilet.

== Fire safety == In the United States, pajamas for children are required to comply with fire safety regulations. If made of flammable fabric, such as cotton, they must be tight fitting. Loose-fitting pajamas must be treated with a fire retardant.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Childrens-Sleepwear-Regulations | title=Children's Sleepwear Regulations | work=U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> Regulations in the United Kingdom are less stringent; pajamas which do not comply with fire safety standards may be sold, but must be labelled "KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.safekids.co.uk/clothesfireflammability.html | title=Children's Clothes and Fire Safety | website=www.safekids.co.uk | first=Danise | last=Tyler | date=May 27, 2011 | access-date=February 11, 2022 | archive-date=February 11, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211044937/https://www.safekids.co.uk/clothesfireflammability.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Society and culture== [[File:Pajamas on Sunday.jpg|thumb|People wearing pajamas on Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, on a Sunday morning|right|225 px]] Pajamas in the Western world have been regarded as essentially indoors wear, or wear for the home, whether treated as daywear or nightwear.

A 2016 article in the Phoenix ''New Times'' relates that "When the actress Bette Davis turned up in her 1942 [''sic''] film ''Old Acquaintance'' sporting her beau’s pajama top as a nightie, it caused a fashion revolution: I. Magnin clothing buyer Bertie Strausser told ''The New York Times'' that she sold out of men’s sleepwear the morning after the movie opened, and all of it to young women."<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/stop-wearing-pajamas-in-public-now-8052621 | title=Stop Wearing Pajamas in Public — Now | first=ROBRT L. | last=PELA | work=Phoenix New Times | date=February 15, 2016}}</ref>

Since the late 18th century some people, in particular those in the US and to some extent Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, have worn pajamas in public for convenience or as a fashion statement.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/now-theyre-shopping-pyjamas-shanghai-3462155 | title=Now they're shopping in pyjamas in Shanghai! | work=Liverpool Echo | date=January 17, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/jan/28/tesco-bans-shopping-bananas-pyjamas |title=Tesco bans shopping for bananas in pyjamas ... or bare feet | first=Helen | last=Pidd | work=The Guardian |date=January 28, 2010}}</ref>

One reason for the increased wearing of pajamas in public is that people no longer face the same social pressure as in the past.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/19/living/pajama-pants-stretchy-clothes-fashion/index.html | title=Pajamas in public: The battle of 'appropriate' vs. 'comfy' | first=Ann | last=Hoevel | work=CNN | date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

In January 1976, the gulf emirate Ras Al Khaimah, UAE introduced a strict dress code for all local government workers forbidding them from wearing pajamas to work.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6200045.stm | title= Pyjama ban for UAE civil servants | work=BBC News | date=December 21, 2006}}</ref>

In January 2016, the Tesco supermarket in St Mellons, Cardiff, United Kingdom, started a ban on customers wearing pajamas.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8484116.stm | title=Tesco ban on shoppers in pyjamas | work=BBC News | date=January 28, 2010}}</ref>

In May 2010, Shanghai discouraged the wearing of pajamas in public during Expo 2010.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Gao | last=Yubin | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/opinion/17gao.html | title=The Pajama Game Closes in Shanghai | work=The New York Times | date=May 14, 2010 | url-access=limited}}</ref>

In January 2012, a local Dublin branch of the Government's Department of Social Protection advised that pajamas were not regarded as appropriate attire for clients attending the office for welfare services.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/01/24/meanwhile-in-blanchardstown/ | title=Meanwhile, In Blanchardstown | work=Broadsheet.ie | date=January 24, 2012}}</ref>

Many school and work dress codes do not allow pajamas. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Illinois school district set remote learning guidelines which state that pajamas should not be worn while studying remotely and students should follow the same dress code as they normally would at school.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/us/pajamas-school-springfield-dress-code.html | title=No Pajama Pants Allowed While Learning From Home, Illinois District Says | last=Wright | first=Will | work=The New York Times | date=August 8, 2020 | url-access=limited | issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pajamas-ban-students-learning-home-draws-mixed-response-n1236150 | title=Pajamas ban for students learning from home draws mixed response | first=David K. | last=Li | work=NBC News | date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>

Schools sometimes designate a "pajama day" when students and staff come to school in their pajamas to boost school spirit.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.toronto.com/blogs/post/5515450-pajama-and-other-spirit-days-mean-a-better-school-climate-says-classroom-insider/ | title=Pajama and other spirit days mean a better school climate, says Classroom Insider | first=Sylvia | last=Chiang | work=Metroland Media Group | date=March 25, 2015}}</ref>

In movies and television, characters are often depicted wearing pajamas in bed, as a more proper alternative to other forms of nightwear. These are commonly pajama pants with a shirt or t-shirt.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

==Gallery== <gallery widths="190" heights="190" perrow="4"> File:JessiePyjamas.jpg|Girl in short-sleeve pajamas, doll in traditional. File:Kids in pajamas.jpg|Boys in stretch-knit pyjamas. File:American sleepers1.jpg|Toddler in footed pajamas. File:Attendant indian camp1844.jpg|Courier in white pajamas, India, 1844. File:Cheetahs nawab oudh1844.jpg|Men in white pajamas with hunting cheetahs, India 1844. File:Muslim men bombay1867.jpg|Muslim men in pajamas (various styles), Bombay, 1867 File:Muslim girl sind1870.jpg|Muslim woman, in Sind, India, in salwar-style pajamas, 1870. File:Hindu girl karachi.jpg|Hindu woman, in Sind, India, in shalwar-style pajamas, 1870. File:C. A. Herpich Söhne, Berlin, Modewaren 1910 (Prospekt)21.jpg|German advert with genuine English "Schlafanzüge (Pyjamas)", 1910 File:I love lucy pajamas 1953.jpg|1953 American advert for his and hers day pajamas, ''I Love Lucy''-style File:Russische kunstmaan passeert Nederlanders, mensen in pyama staan te kijken, Bestanddeelnr 909-0359.jpg|A Dutch couple viewing Sputnik 1, 1957 File:Saint Laurent Rive Gauche + Halston pajama sets.jpg|Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, c. 1970 (left), Halston, c. 1976 (right) </gallery>

==See also== *''Bananas in Pyjamas'' *Blanket sleeper *Sleepover *Nightgown *Sleep

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Pyjamas}} {{Wiktionary}}

{{Clothing}} {{Nightwear}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Indian clothing Category:Iranian clothing Category:Nightwear Category:Suits (clothing) Category:History of Western fashion Category:History of fashion Category:History of Asian clothing