Pyjamas always find a distinct place in every collection by Crow, including the latest, Roos and Fleur. pyjamas as a garment imbibe in them,all the values that crow, as a brand aims to Inculcate for in each one of it’s garment. It is to their great level of comfort and added design details in each collection that makes them relevant at all times and thus a sustainable garment in the true sense. The pyjama, an everyday item, remains unmoved in fashion after all these years, and is a reflection of the changing times.
Pyjamas or pajamas sometimes shortened to PJs, jammies, or Jim-jams, are several related types of clothing originating from the Indian subcontinent. In the Western world, pajamas are soft, warm, and traditionally loose garments derived from the Indian daywear pajamas. They were worn for sleeping, working from home, and lounging.
WHAT ARE PAJAMAS ABOUT? – THE FIT AND FABRIC
While pajamas are traditionally viewed as utilitarian garments, they are often a reflection of the fashionable silhouette and the image of the exotic. Pajamas were traditionally loose drawers or trousers tied at the waist with a drawstring or cord, and they were worn by both sexes in India, Iran, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Pajamas could be either tight fitting throughout the entire leg, or very full at waist and knees with tightness at calves and ankles. They were usually worn with a belted tunic extending to the knees.
While men's pajamas were invariably made of cotton, silk, or flannel, women's examples were often made of brightly printed silk or rayon and trimmed with ribbons and lace. Early examples featured a raised or natural waist with voluminous legs gathered at the ankle in a "Turkish trouser" style, while later examples featured straight legs and dropped waists, a reflection of the 1920s silhouette.
Pajama has many varieties – both modern and traditional and is today commonly worn by the womenfolk of India in a myriad ways. The most popular variations of the pyjama are the ‘salwar’ and the ‘churidar’. While the former is a loose and trousers that are worn with a ‘kurta’ and ‘dupatta’- the latter is loose above the knee and tightens up at the calf. There are many other variations to the salwar that are worn by the youth of the country such as ‘patiala salwar’, ‘Jodhpuri salwar’, ‘Sidha Paijama,’ ‘Shalwar’, ‘Kalidar’ and ‘Afghani Salwar’
TRACING THEM BACK - ORIGIN
The word pyjama was borrowed into English c. 1800 from the Hindustani pāy-jāma, itself borrowed from Persian,meaning 'leg-garment'. The original pyjāmā are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands and worn by many Indian Muslims, as well as Sikhs and Hindus, and later adopted by Europeans during British East India Company rule in India. In fact, Pajamas were not new to the world in the 1600s as he mentions that the Portuguese always wore it while going to bed- hence, it was gaining its status as a popular night wear in the 1600s.
OVER THE YEARS
Pajamas began to be adapted into fashionable dress in the early years of the twentieth century when avantgarde designers promoted them as an elegant alternative to the tea gown. French couturier Paul Poiret launched pajama styles for both day and evening as early as 1911, and his influence played a large role in their eventual acceptance.
Beach pajamas, which were worn by the seaside and for walking on the boardwalk, were popularized by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in the early 1920s. Finally, in the year 1920, there seemed to be a massive ‘Pajama boom’ the world over. In 1924, it was recorded that both men and women wore colorful. Pajamas made out of rich fabric to the Lido. This was the extent to which the Pajamas were in vogue during those times. Evening pajamas, intended to be worn as a new type of costume for informal dining at home, also became widely accepted during this decade. Evening pajamas would remain popular throughout the 1930s and would reemerge in the 1960s in the form of "palazzo pajamas."
GLOBAL RELEVANCE AND IMPACT
The worldwide use of pyjamas in fact is a direct result of British presence in India in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Imperial influence in the West at that time.The pyjamas were first introduced in Britain in the 17th century, originally known as mogul’s breeches, but they only became popular as loungewear for men from about 1870. With the British gradually adopting Pajama as casual lounge wear in the 1800s, the costume started gaining a lot of popularity in London owing to their sheer comfort. In 1989, British merchants started advertising Pajamas and made them in vogue as the latest fashion wear.
Gamines looking to make a statement embraced the pyjama as a uniform, and for women of the jet set, the pyjama became the perfect cover up for the beach.
The look continued its success in trend setting circles and everyone who was anyone would own and wear one, from Greta Garbo to Joan Crawford. During the War, the pyjama, much like other fashion statements, became less important, until the Georgian Princess, model and PR for the Sorelle Fontana Atelier in Rome Irene Galitzine brought it back to the fore. Her love for the pyjama influenced many of her designer connections from Schiaparelli to Givenchy, and thus the pyjama lived a second life as part of the post war fashion renaissance.
THE ROLE IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
The streamlined, often androgynous fashions during the 1920s helped to popularize the wearing of pajamas by women. The liberation of the pyjama in fact can in many ways be associated with the “liberation” of women, with pioneers in both fashion, and feminism making brave pyjama based statements. The most eminent name in terms of both fashion and the women's movement in the twenties and thirties was of course Coco Chanel, French designer, feminist, and one of the biggest influences in modern fashion. She herself was often snapped in pyjamas, accessorized with her signature pearls and effortless elegance. The 1934 film It Happened One Night, which featured a scene in which Claudette Colbert wears a pair of men's pajamas, helped to popularize the menswear-style pajama for women.