Pyjams Pyjamas

3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PYJAMAS

1. Pyjamas were originally only for the rich and royal

In the middle ages, it was only monarchs and those of noble birth who wore pyjamas. Inspired by Indian, Asian and Roman Costumes, they would be decorated in elaborate designs and patterns with wide sleeves. While those that were poor wore a shapeless smock when they went to sleep.

2. Is it spelt Pajamas or Pyjamas?

The great debate! Not really, but your old English teacher will appreciate you getting this right. The word “pajamas” used in America, wasn’t always spelt that way. In fact, in Australia and England, they are still pyjamas. The origins of the word pyjama comes from the word “pae-jama” in Hindi which means leg clothing or leg garment and dates as far back as the 13th century Ottoman Empire.

Pyjamas were traditionally loose trousers or drawers with a cord or drawstring to tie around the waist, and these were worn by both women and men throughout the Middle East and South Asia, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, and southern India.

3. Menswear pyjamas didn't exist until 200 years later

From the early 1600s to the mid-1800s, nightshirts or bed shirts were similar in appearance to their day shirts, with a folding collar and a deep neck opening in the front. Fancier nightshirts were trimmed with lace down the sides of the sleeves and the neck. It was only by the late 1800s that nightshirts became available in a variety of fabrics, including flannel, long cloth, cotton, linen, and plain or coloured silk.