Forget your old university sweatshirts and saggy leggings. Post pandemic, there’s a whole new category of clothing emerging specifically created for wearing inside, rather than outside, the house.
Homewear, rather than ware, comprises items that fall somewhere between loungewear and nightwear. Pieces comfortable enough to binge Netflix in but equally presentable enough that you don’t panic when a delivery driver knocks on the door.
In the place of jogging trousers come house dresses, robes, shoes and even pyjamas that you wear round the house before putting on your actual pyjamas for bed.
“It’s all about the ethos of slowing down,” says Laura Shippey, head of womenswear at Toast. “There’s a ritual around putting on comfortable clothes with beautiful fabrics, just for inside.”
The brand has seen a huge upsurge post pandemic in demand for its wear-at-home pieces.
Among its latest offering are roomy cashmere and striped linen dresses, relaxed linen herringbone suiting and cotton jumpsuits.
The category taps into the wider global nightwear market valued at more than £8bn in 2019 and projected to reach more than £14bn by 2027, according to Allied Market Research.
Homewear is quite specific in its purpose. You wouldn’t do the cleaning in a velvet robe from Olivia von Halle, but one might wear one while sipping a cocktail at home. Or at least that’s what stylists are aiming for.
The British-based designer, who founded her brand in 2011, says its Lila silk pyjamas, which are reimagined in different prints each season, continue to be a bestseller. For winter, the Fifi pyjamas with detachable faux-fur cuffs are also proving popular. Equally, the Ukrainian brand Sleeper’s feather-trimmed PJs aren’t just for napping in.
Meanwhile, the French designer Jacquemus, worn by Rihanna, teamed up with Tekla Fabrics, a cult Danish textile brand. The limited collection features “sleepwear-inspired pieces” such as striped shirts and pants with matching bedspreads.
As for feet, out are slippers for shuffling around; in are shoes with arch support and structured soles. The luxury e-tailer Yoox reported the best-selling shoe of 2022 was the Boston Clog from Birkenstock. Its taupe suede version continues to be sold out.
UGG’s Tasman slip-ons with a sheepskin lining are also in high demand, as are insulated padded versions from The North Face. On TikTok, Gen Z style theirs with thick socks from Uniqlo. An aspirational lifestyle where one is so wealthy they can forgo outdoor clothing.
