Like most of you, I suspect, and for all the obvious reasons that I won’t repeat here, I have bought hardly any clothes this year. But, dear readers, pretty much straight after having this photo taken, I bought the outfit I am wearing here. It turns out that I can happily get through two seasons without replacing my old jeans, or buying a new coat, or falling for another pair of ankle boots – yet I absolutely cannot resist a set of satin evening pyjamas with feathered cuffs and hems. Lol. But then nothing about this year makes any sense.
Party pyjamas are the after-dark update on sweatpants, and partying from home is the new WFH. At the time of writing, it’s not entirely clear what the rules will be on the day you read this. Or how different they may be depending on where you are reading it. Maybe we’ll be dragging the extra chairs out of the cupboard for a Christmas Day get-together; maybe we’ll be pulling crackers over the garden gate. But it’s safe to say that the overall vibe of this festive season is going to be on the quiet side.
If we can’t dress to go out-out, let’s dress to stay in-in. Any upside, however tiny, is to be cherished and celebrated. We don’t have to battle across town in uncomfortable shoes. No one is going to spill their drink on your frock in a crowded bar. Party pyjamas lean into the nice things about celebrating at home: the cosiness, the comfort, the intimacy. Your party pyjamas could be feathered, like these, or they could be a classic button-through pyjama set in silk or satin. The fire’s on, so you don’t need to wear tights. You can sprawl on the sofa rather than perching on a bar stool. And when you are hanging out with people who see you in your dressing gown, a pair of fancy PJs counts as making an effort once you add an earring.
Full disclosure. Even if they lifted all the rules – frankly, even if they laid on a street party with free champagne – on the Saturday before Christmas, you would only ever find me at home. I’ll be where I always am, on the sofa watching the Strictly final – a festive tradition that is well worth getting dressed up for. That’s one rule that never changes.
• Jess wears top with feather trim, £40, and trousers, £45, riverisland.com. Shoes, Jess’s own. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Kiehl’s and Laura Mercier. Styling assistant: Peter Bevan
