The Bed Jacket Revisited

 

In winter my standard sleepwear outfit consists of a pair of tartan flannel pajama bottoms that I sew myself, and a thrift shop long-sleeved t-shirt in a coordinating colour. It costs me under $25 and a few hours of work to put together a new pajama set, and I usually have three sets on hand, each of which will last for years. The pajama bottoms usually wear out first, and if my replacement pair of bottoms isn't the right colour to go with the shirt that went with the last pair, I can reassign the shirt to the dresser drawer that holds my daytime wear long-sleeved t-shirts. Sometimes, if I have one in just the right colour, I'll take a long-sleeved t-shirt from my daytime wear drawer and pair it with the new pajama bottoms I've just sewn. In other words, my pajama bottom and t-shirt combination is a cost, material, and work-efficient sleepwear choice. The one drawback is that it isn't is quite warm enough for a 1912-built house in Toronto winter weather.

I spend most of my evenings sitting up in bed knitting or working on some other needlework and watching movies or TV shows on my laptop, and during the winter months I was finding myself becoming uncomfortably chilly at the above-blanket level, and sometimes had trouble staying warm enough when sleeping too. I tried wrapping an afghan around my shoulders but it wouldn't stay in place owing to the kind of arm movements my needlework efforts entailed. I began wearing my bathrobe, which worked better, but given its length it was awkward to sit up in bed and to sleep in it. I could have worn a hoodie or sweatshirt, of course, but their hoods, strings, and/or zippers irritated me when I was trying to sleep, and the ill-assorted look of them bugged me whenever I caught sight of myself in a mirror. I decided that I wanted a warm, comfortable layering piece to put on that coordinated with my pajamas.   

I began thinking about bed jackets. Bed jackets are one of those quaintly charming articles of dress and appointment that have all but fallen by the wayside (see also: dress clips, hat pins, chatelaines, pocket watches, muffs, cloaks, parasols, and train cases). These days, most people just wear a hoodie or a sweatshirt or their bathrobe over their pajamas if they want an extra layer.

In Marjorie Hillis's classic manual for the single woman, Live Alone and Like It, originally published in 1936, she prescribes in detail what nightwear a woman should own:

 

We would also like to say a few words about your bedroom wardrobe. This is no place to be grim and practical. Don't worry about whether your nightgowns will wear if you are sure that they will flatter. We can think of nothing more depressing than going to bed in a washed-out four-year-old nightgown, nothing more bolstering to the morale than going to bed all fragrant with toilet-water and wearing a luscious pink satin nightgown, well-cut and trailing.

Next, of course, you'll need negligees -- at least two, one warm and one thin, and as many more as you can afford. Have them tailored or chi-chi according to your type, but have them becoming. And don't think that four bed-jackets are too many if you belong to the breakfast-in-bed school. A warm comfortable one for every-day use and a warm grand one for special occasions. A sheer cool one for summer mornings, and a lacy affair to dress up in. You can make the last two yourself out of remnants in practically no time at all. For the others, have one of quilted silk or Shetland wool, and another of padded satin or velvet in the shade that makes you most beautiful. 

 

I prize my copies of Hillis's two books Live Alone and Like It and Orchids on Your Budget, and often re-read them, mostly for their bracing tone, which has an excellent effect on me. Her practical tips offer food for thought, but usually take some adapting to make them usable for life in 2025. I totally agree with Hillis's dictum that attractive and comfortable bedroom attire is important, even if it's only seen by its wearer. Worn out, ugly, and/or unflattering lingerie is demoralizing, and who needs that? 

However, I do differ with her on what my nighttime wardrobe should look like. While I'm sure that Hillis wouldn't approve of my pajamas, they're standard sleepwear these days. I do concur with her stance on negligees, or what we more commonly call bathrobes, housecoats, or dressing gowns. It's a sound idea for a woman who lives in a four-season climate to have one long, warm, plush bathrobe (for winter) and one short, light, silky one (for summer and "special occasions" all year round). As for her prescription for bed jackets, I don't want any summer bed jackets, as my short cotton nightgowns are all I can bear to have on me in hot weather, but I agree that I could definitely use a few nice warm bed jackets for winter wear.

I wondered if there could be a modern equivalent to the bed jacket, and I did some googling, and fell down something of a rabbit hole. Amazon does offer a reasonable selection of bed jackets, ponchos, and capes in fleece, velour, and flannel, but of course I'm trying to avoid shopping on Amazon, given how they treat their workers and Jeff Bezos' compliance with Trump. I looked on Pinterest, and after realizing that bed jackets could be knitted, on Ravelry.

 

 

 

I found some exquisite examples of the bed jacket, such as the one above, which dates from the 1930s and would definitely meet with Marjorie Hillis's approval, but one like that wouldn't work with my pajamas, or even one of my cotton nightgowns. However, by the time I'd climbed out of the bed jacket research rabbit hole, I knew what I wanted in a bed jacket: it needed to be warm, it needed to be comfortable for both sitting up in bed and for sleeping in, it needed to go with my pajamas, and ideally it should also elevate the look of my pajamas a little. 

 

 

 

I decided I would need to sew a bed jacket, and visited Simplicity.com to see what patterns they had that would fit my criteria. I wound up selecting the pattern depicted above, Simplicity S9210, deciding that the cowl- necked top would do very well if made in a fleece or velour. It wouldn't be a bed jacket exactly, but something that could be more accurately described as a "pajama pullover". I decided to make three: one in cream, one in dark brown, and one in a colour. I bought cream fleece and spring green fleece, and ribbons to go with each. I couldn't find a brown fabric I liked in any of Toronto's fabric stores, but then I got the idea of scouting the household linens in thrift shops to look for fleece or velour blankets that could be used to make the brown pajama pullover. 

 

 

I soon found a large brown plush throw for $7.50.  

I made the cream pajama pullover first, and have been wearing it awhile. I'm wearing it right now as I type these words. It's been very satisfactory. It looks well over my pajamas and over my one flannel nightgown. I am now quite warm when I sit up in bed in the evenings, and while simultaneously eating breakfast and writing in bed in the mornings, and I can sleep in it very comfortably at night. I found the ribbon needed constant retying, which annoyed me until I got the idea of hand stitching the centre of the bow. The ribbon stays in a perfect bow now.

The brown pajama pullover got made next. I opted not to put the ribbon in this one. I like it even better than the cream one, as the colour is better on me. Wearing it over my tartan nightshirt and pajama bottoms makes me look and feel more like some sort of half bear, half hunter hybrid than an elegantly attired bachelorette, but then Canadian winters can make the most stalwart stylist care more about warmth and comfort than fashion. I used less than half of the brown blanket to make this, but I suppose I can use the rest up gradually by making some cuddly stuffed bears and bunnies for baby shower gifts.

I ended up deciding not to make the spring green pajama pullover. It would have only gone with one pair of my pajamas, and what happens when those wear out? Also, the knitted bed jacket patterns I had browsed through when researching bed jackets were calling my name. I have picked one out and plan to knit it in 2026. The spring green fleece fabric can instead be used to make a zippered jacket for daytime wear around the house in winter, as it will go very well with the five pairs of dark brown yoga pants that I basically live in during the cold season.

So, I now feel that I have winter sleepwear that is, if not quite Marjorie Hillis-approved, certainly Marjorie Hillis-informed, and also comfortable.