Flannel Pajamas

[LaylaR]

This thread will betray how exciting my life is.

I've lost some weight and my pajamas were all in bad shape, so during the After-Holiday sales I wanted to get like 3 new Flannel Pajama Bottoms.

I already had a pair of Munki Munki ones from Costco I had bought, and they had a very low rise so every time I sat down, I was uncomfortable. So I ruled those out. But I did like that they had pockets. They have them on Amazon (for twice the price of Costco): https://www.amazon.com/Munki-perfec...3G64B9H4QWYKTXFVK&refRID=H0Z3G64B9H4QWYKTXFVK

I usually buy my husband's flannel shirts from LL Bean and they are excellent quality so I bought this because the set was the same price as the pants alone with coupon: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/75772?page=cozy-pj-set&bc=&feat=flannel pajamas-SR0&csp=a&searchTerm=flannel pajamas But the quality was terrible. The flannel pants were printed not woven (flannel pattern should be woven into the fabric with different color threads not printed on the fabric with ink), the flannel fabric itself was terrible, and the tops shrunk in one direction when washed so it was now wide and short. I've bought better quality pajamas at Target. I returned these and will not be buying another set from them.

Next I went to Eddie Bauer and bought these: https://www.eddiebauer.com/product/...90?showProducts=111&color=039&sizetype=&size= The fabric is woven, and they sit at my natural waist but the fabric is thin and not winter weight. So.... I kept these but didn't order more. They washed well without shrinking much and I'll be able to wear them in spring and fall.

Then I was on the Company Store website, I love their flannel sheets, and they had a ridiculous clearance price on these pajamas (14 bucks with coupon), so I said... what the heck. https://www.thecompanystore.com/fam...el-matching-family-pajamas/60004-ps-deer.html Welp, these were super boxy, overlarge and they had a low rise. And they shrunk more than one full size. Which means I can't wear the top after washing. But the pants fit even if they are also low rise. It wasn't worth the cost of shipping to return these so I kept them. Never again though.

At that point, I was like... I'm done. Clearly this was a failed experiment and I should give up. But then I was on J Crew for my mom and I found these! https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_cate...ajama-pant-in-flannel-black-watch-plaid/K2380 They were on clearance plus 50% off with coupon so I scored them for $15 a pair. I bought 2 pairs. And they are great quality. They sit at my natural waist-- which is why I bought them at all. Another reviewer had commented that they had a nice mid-high rise. The seams and the workmanship are lovely. And so is the nice thick flannel woven fabric. They run big, so I could have sized down, but that they washed beautifully and I finally have the flannel pajamas I wanted. Only flaw is that they do not have pockets.I will be buying my flannel PJ's from here from now on.

Oh, and I love the Gap Modern T-Shirt Line, which you can get on sale for 10-12 bucks, as Pajama Tops. https://www.gap.com/browse/.do?pid=...3992&cjevent=ef227280252411e981a5004e0a1c0e0f

So that's my pajama saga, I thought someone might benefit from it so I decided to post. And yes, I know, I lead an exciting life.

 

[Karl_K]

rofl!!!!
Fun!

 

[Gussie]

I too am rofl!!! Such a cute writeup!

Simple pleasures keep me going too!

 

[missy]

Glad you got what you wanted @LaylaR. Looks beautiful and functional too.
I am the opposite when sleeping. I need very light sleepwear and like my arms and legs bare so I can feel the coolness and softness of the sheets. I sleep in Supima cotton sleeveless short nightgowns. Hahaha I have just as exciting a sleep life as you I think.

From Lands End but sadly they no longer make my favorite sleeveless short version. Luckily I have stocked up and have over 30 of the nightgowns I love lol. Here's the version they make that is the closest. Very soft and comfy and reasonably priced. They are always having sales.

 

[KristinTech]

Well, I LOVE your threads like this one. I picked up three beautiful, soft throw blankets from Land’s End from your thread from earlier this season!

 

[LaylaR]

I happy you guys got some chuckles out of it @Karl and @ceg and

I don't actually sleep in the pajamas, like you @missy I sleep in short nightshirts because my arms and legs need to be free. But when I am at home, I don't wear my outside the house clothes. I change the minute I walk in the door into lounge wear, like the pajamas. I love that nightshirt. I'm definitely going to watch those and try them out during a sale.

@KristenTech I do too! I find them interesting and helpful. Especially with all the online shopping out there. I am happy you love your throws. I am happy with the ones I bought too.

I should do a low-carb thread...

 

[yssie]

How do they do with fur @LaylaR?

I'm always on the lookout for comfy clothing that is moderately animal-hair-resistant. I'm willing to squint quite a bit to avoid seeing the fur - I just don't want to feel like I'm acquiring new layers of insulation every hour! So far these bottoms have done quite well:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FVCR2HJ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're not warm though!

 

[LaylaR]

Hi Yssie, I've found that color is the most important factor with fur. The JCrew ones, considering they are really dark, have handled it surprisingly well and don't look as hairy as I thought they would. They are 100% cotton and the weave on the fabric is high quality. But the Gap Modern V-neck Shirts I wear with them in Navy and Black are just hair magnets and look terrible in 2 minutes. The Rayon pajamas from Costco, despite having coloring that should hide hair well seems to attract a lot of hair too, and I think its because they are not 100% cotton. The LL Bean were awful for hair as well, partially from the fabric being rough, partially because they were printed and the ink seemed to make the fabric stickier, and finally because they were red, which I've found is the worst color for hair.

The Eddie Bauer ones I think the best for hair. The fabric also has a nice weave that is soft without being clingy. I have the Artic White pattern which is a cream background with grey and red stripes so that also hides the hair well. And I wear it with the heather gray Gap Modern V Neck and it never looks bad in terms of hair because of the color.

My cats are 4 orange and white (2 dilute). And one black and orange tortie. 2 solid black. And one solid white. I find that medium beige and medium to light grey are the best colors to wear around them, light/medium blue is also good. Black and Navy are bad if the fabric is sticky. And red seems to be bad regardless of fabric or anything.

 

[mary poppins]

I'm super excited about the flannel pants I got during the past month. A friend gushed about them online which piqued my interest because I was in need of new work (from home) pants, they are cute, and have elastic plus drawstring waistbands. I normally don't shop at Old Navy because I'm not fond of most of their styles and think a lot of their clothes are meant for short term wear (poor quality) but for $7.00 the week before Christmas ($19.00 full price) I figured might as well take a chance. I started out with Christmas cats and sloths, then, loving them so much, after the holidays got ski dogs, penguins and stars for sub-$5.00. I also got some for DH and he likes them. Women's have no pockets but men's do. What a pisser.

They are soft and comfy. My sweatshirts attract more hair and fur (2 cats) than the flannel pants. They run long and, at 100% cotton, shrink a bit. They aren't as thick as the LL Bean flannel robe I got for DH. I don't sleep in them, so can't attest to that experience.

A lot of prints were out of stock at different times, but there's a good selection now. Here's a link:
https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=290770182&cid=96998&pcid=96964

 

[LaylaR]

Hi Mary Poppins, those are cute! I have an Old Navy near me, if they have some I'll go check them out. They sit below the waist, so they might now work for me, but at that price they might work for others. Thanks for adding your recommendation to the thread. Anyone else? The more the better.

 

[monarch64]

^My Old Navy pajama pant experiences have far exceeded my J. Crew ones as far as quality and longevity. J. Crew is very hit-or-miss these days, and doesn't offer tall inseams in pajama sets or pants, which is why I began buying pj pants from Old Navy about 6-7 years ago. I cannot stand to wear pajama pants that end at or above my ankle. Old Navy's are a 36" inseam and I have to roll them up if I'm puttering around the house in them, but as a Tall this is a priceless feeling. We rarely "have" to roll sleeves or hems, and instead are mostly feeling a bit "short" or uncovered at the wrist or ankle. ( I am not even *that* tall--only 5'10"!)

Notes:
--I sleep in my pj pants. I can't stand to have my legs directly touching and I'm a side sleeper so I need a buffer. Is that weird?
--I don't care if my prints are yarn-dyed or not, and Old Navy sometimes is, sometimes isn't.
--I can't recall any flannel garment I've owned attracting more or less pet hair. I suspect it's about the nap (how thick/sticky the brushed part on top of the fabric is) causing hair to become entrapped. You could potentially cut down on this with one of those sweater shaver things meant to remove pills from sweaters, OR use a new disposable razor to "scrape" off some of the nap. What you need to repel hair is a very smooth fiber AND weave with no intentional nap created and you're most likely to find that with synthetics.
(By the way, if the insides of a bra's elastic straps develop pills, a disposable razor works WONDERS to remove them.)
--Back to throws for a minute: I purchased and gave a Pendleton Westerly (same pattern/brand as The Dude's sweater in The Big Lebowski) throw to my SO for Christmas and it was so well-received and is so unbelievably warm and soft that I want to upholster all of my furniture with it. Probably not pet-friendly, though.

Victoria's Secret used to make a lovely pajama set called Mayfair and it came in petite, regular, and tall sizes. I haven't shopped VS for years and have no idea what they offer now, but I remember being extremely satisfied with a set of white cotton pajamas that lasted several years.

Before Nick & Nora sold out to Target, I purchased their super fun printed pj's at Von Maur. Quality changed a ton when they morphed into a Target thing, and in fact I haven't seen N/N at Target for a few years now.

This thread has me thinking about making my own now. It's a very simple pattern with minimal work involved if you know what you're doing. Where is @Cozystitches ? I need a tutorial and source for material.

 

[mary poppins]

@LaylaR, I wear my Old Navy flannel pants at or above the waist and so does DH, so they I think they will tick that box for you.

Old Navy website has an option to pick up your order from the store (choose that option before putting each item in cart) pretty soon after ordering. That way, you can be sure they'll be there (no wasted trip) and return them immediately if they don't suit you. Alternatively, if you don't find what you're looking for while there. a salesperson can help you order them onsite and have them shipped to your home without shipping charges. Super easy either way!

@monarch64, glad to hear your Old Navy pj pants experience was good regarding quality. Sounds promising.

 

[Cozystitches]

This thread has me thinking about making my own now. It's a very simple pattern with minimal work involved if you know what you're doing. Where is @Cozystitches ? I need a tutorial and source for material.

I hadn't been paying attention...thanks for the tag.

I'll confess...I normally wear store bought pjs. When I was first sewing (like a few years ago), my pjs were my failed tops. I like sleeping in modal (actually I just like wearing modal all the time) and it's pricey as fabric so I save it for the tops to wear to work or out of the house. This thread reminds me that I REALLY need to make some more clothes! My issue is that I want to make tops (and undies) but then I won't have my pretty fabric...LOL

Ok, simple patterns for pants: There are several Patterns 4 Pirates has a free one (I think it's called walk the plank) They're great if you get Joann's flannel on sale (the pants run big, but use a woven fabric)

Tops: Well, Laundry Day Tee by Love Notions is great (and its free if you're in their FB group). I think the Agnes by Halla Patterns is also free if you're in their FB group.

There are a TON of free patterns out there, but also some really good ones that range in the $1-$10 range (depends on when you hit a sale).

Some of my favorite designers:
Halla Patterns
Stitch Upon A Time (My favorite for my undies and pants!)
Patterns For Pirates
Love Notions
DuckButt Designs (has a way cool raglan that's way different from others)
George & Ginger

I LOVE making my own clothes and very rarely go into a store to buy clothes. I have my exceptions: bras (because I'm a bit scared still, even though I have patterns, materials, and group that will be helpful) and socks (can't get them to fit right, I've tried, I think it's more of a materials issue than anything else). PJs is another that I'm ok with buying, in fact the last clothing items I purchased were PJs from Dillards on wicked clearance.

 

[monarch64]

Thanks @Cozystitches ! You are a wealth of sewing information!

 

[Karl_K]

DF must be sleeping at the keyboard again.
@Dancing Fire

 

[LaylaR]

Hi Cozystitches,

I grew up with my grandmother making my pajama bottoms. No pattern needed, she just used the previous pants as patterns when they wore out. I could make my own, I have everything I need. And I used to love shopping for fabric for them. I always bought fine shirting cotton fabrics that were probably silly to use for pajamas but they just felt the best next to the skin and my grandmother indulged me. Maybe I'll give it a shot next time I'm near a good fabric store like Britex.

Monnie and Mary, I'll give the Old Navy pajamas a shot next year as they are out of my size right now in all three patterns I like. Shipping them to the store is an excellent idea. I love doing that. Thank you both!

 

[missy]

I don't actually sleep in the pajamas, like you @missy I sleep in short nightshirts because my arms and legs need to be free. But when I am at home, I don't wear my outside the house clothes. I change the minute I walk in the door into lounge wear, like the pajamas. I love that nightshirt. I'm definitely going to watch those and try them out during a sale.

@LaylaR they are having a 30% off sale now. Not their best sale but not bad and I am not sure when they will be doing 40 or 50% off so just wanted to give you a heads up. Here's a link to their supima cotton (so soft) nightwear.

https://www.landsend.com/search?initialSearch=true&q=nightgown supima

 

[LaylaR]

I ordered one of the nightgowns! Thanks Missy.

 

[missy]

I ordered one of the nightgowns! Thanks Missy.

@LaylaR it just occurred to me that I haven't bought any of their nightgowns for a year or so since I have so many stocked up from them. I hope the quality is the same and that you find them comfy and soft. Please let us know. If not they obviously take returns but I sure hope you don't have to go to that bother. I feel responsible since I so highly recommended this to you and now I realize I have not bought any from them for so long. Fingers crossed you like it.

 

[KristinTech]

I bought the long sleeved flannel knee-length nightgown! I’ll report back!

 

[mary poppins]

@LaylaR, I wear my Old Navy flannel pants at or above the waist and so does DH, so they I think they will tick that box for you.

Old Navy website has an option to pick up your order from the store (choose that option before putting each item in cart) pretty soon after ordering. That way, you can be sure they'll be there (no wasted trip) and return them immediately if they don't suit you. Alternatively, if you don't find what you're looking for while there. a salesperson can help you order them onsite and have them shipped to your home without shipping charges. Super easy either way!

@monarch64, glad to hear your Old Navy pj pants experience was good regarding quality. Sounds promising.

Old Navy flannel pants are back and there's always a sale! I think they were on sale last year for about $9 a week or two before Christmas and $5 after. Selection wasn't necessarily fantastic at that time, though, because apparently they are very popular.
https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/cate...pbyCategory_Pajamas_Loungewear&clink=15682852

 

[VRBeauty]

In hear you on the difficulty of finding comfy PJs that are at least a tiny bit flattering! That’s why I’m still babying my old Nick and Nora flannel PJs from Target. I think I have three sets, plus one that I haven’t even worn yet. Other than that, my go-to for summer weight PJ bottoms, when I need them, is Marshall’s/TJMaxx. I pair the bottoms with a layering cami from Eddie Bauer’s. In less formal () settings, the summer PJs are a layering cami and cotton boy shorts.

 

[KristinTech]

I bought the long sleeved flannel knee-length nightgown! I’ll report back!

I never reported back! I love mine and I’ll model it once the weather cooperates!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

flannel is the best part of winter
enjoy @LaylaR

 

[yennyfire]

I happy you guys got some chuckles out of it @Karl and @ceg and

I don't actually sleep in the pajamas, like you @missy I sleep in short nightshirts because my arms and legs need to be free. But when I am at home, I don't wear my outside the house clothes. I change the minute I walk in the door into lounge wear, like the pajamas. I love that nightshirt. I'm definitely going to watch those and try them out during a sale.

@KristenTech I do too! I find them interesting and helpful. Especially with all the online shopping out there. I am happy you love your throws. I am happy with the ones I bought too.

I should do a low-carb thread...

YES! I do the same thing Layla! And I think your write up is blog worthy....entertaining AND informative (and cost conscious too!)....the trifecta in my book!

 

[AGBF]

I have gotten and worn many of the brands mentioned above in this thread and several others. I had a long Lanz of Salzburg nightgown love affair at one time. My all time favorite pair of PJs was a brand I cannot even remember. I bought them for my mother and after she died, I inherited them. They were a thick Portuguese flannel in a beautiful yellow and white Tattersall or plaid. Now I rely on Karen Neuberger, but I am careful choosing the fabric that I like. There are only a couple of fabrics that she uses that I find really comfortable and they are not traditional flannel. When I find the fabric I love, especially in a gorgeous print, I jump on it!

PS-Do you all know Garnet Hill and The Vermont Country Store?