I am a BIG fan of pyjamas. I will happily pop them on at about 6pm and relax for the evening. After Charlotte shared her favourite nightwear over on Rock My Style it is apparent from the comments that I’m not the only one. There was a lot of PJ love going on.
I also appear to have passed this love on to the girls. They love getting ready for bed and are fascinated by which pyjamas they will be sporting that night. For that reason I always try to make fun choices where I can. Often this means that they are their favourite characters from Peppa Pig to Disney Princess but I’d rather they were sporting them to bed than being decked out in them all day long. Mean mummy I know!
Given the long evening’s at the moment I thought I would share my favourite nightwear for children so that they can feel lovely and cosy all night long. I can’t promise it will make them sleep better but we can try.
Zara
I love Zara for kids nightwear. They always have some great fun designs and at a really reasonable price.
Their latest offering features the most fabulous unicorn design for little girls which I adore. These may already have been purchased. Did I mention they were glow in the dark? Yep, what kid is not going to love going to bed in glow in the dark pjs?
Also in the glow in the dark offering is this robot design and pretty princess pyjamas.
Marks & Spencer
M&S are always my own go to for my own nightwear so it’s great to see some fabulous designs for the littles as well.
They have gone quite bold and graphic this season with lovely designs such as this cheery rainbow print for girls or super star print.
I would never have chosen this myself as am not a huge fan of tutus and sparkles for bedtime but I have honestly never seen Molly as excited about night time as when my brother gave her this Elsa nightie for Christmas! She wore it all day for 2 days. She also accessorised it with a necklace and crown!
Dressing gown wise the Unicorn theme is going strong across all stores and M&S have this quirky design which girls will adore. In a similar style little boys will have so much fun being a Yeti for the evening in this cosy gown.
Next
I really rate Next for nightwear. They always pull out some amazing designs but also do loads of multi packs which make for excellent value. Miss Mabel was bought one of these bunny 3 packs by her Nanny for Christmas and Charlotte says the quality and fit is fantastic. They do them in a range of great prints including cute cats, bright stripes and this fabulous Comic print set.
I adore these cute bird face PJs. I prefer looser woven bottoms for Alice so these will be ideal and I think she will really like the birdy face.
The girls both have these bunny slippers and love them for cosy toes in the morning.
Boden
Boden is at the pricier end of the scale but I have numerous pairs and they are some of the only ones that haven’t eventually shrunk or become misshapen after numerous spins in the tumble dryer. Just keep an eye out for the inevitable deals.
Their twin packs of cosy long johns always have the sweetest prints for girls and boys. I’m not sure if anyone else has experienced this but I found them quite tight so would recommend buying a size up.
John Lewis
The usual great selection of nightwear can be found in John Lewis. Charlotte often buys the twin packs for Mabel. She finds the fit slightly generous which is great as Mabel gets a bit more wear out of them.
I think these Knight print PJ twin pack would be great for imaginative bedtime dreaming and this cosy striped dressing gown would complete the look.
For fans of the onesie this space print one is rather fun. They can even have matching glow in the dark slippers!
Who said Dinosaurs were for boys? This floral dinosaur pyjama set puts a girly spin on things.
Now Molly is a bit older she really likes nighties. Probably as they are like a dress and she is the ultimate girly girl. This rabbit print design is just adorable.
Sainsburys
Tu do some great value nightwear options for the kiddies and even better if you keep your eyes peeled they often have a 20% off offer on.
These Cat Nap pyjamas even have sequin ears which most little girls will love.
I adore proper old school style pyjamas for my girls and this bunny pair may be making their way in to my trolley during the next weekly shop.
These knitted boot slippers look so cosy. I wonder if they have my size?
For Dino mad kids this twin pack is great value for only £11 or I’m pretty sure most would love this storm trooper pair.
Have you spotted any great nightwear that I need to check out?
Yes dinousaurs can be for girls….but so can robots, stars, yetis, storm troopers and comics! It’s a shame to see so much gender stereotyping when usually RMF is not somewhere I expect to see this. I do understand however that if you have a “girly girl” then things might be different…..although I have always wondered how a girl becomes “girly” – I have a toddler daughter and she is showing no signs of being “girly” yet!
Anyway……..for sleepwear I find Gap pyjamas to be brilliant. The quality is superb and they wash really well. They are very snug-fitting which I like, and I never buy them unless they are on sale! Which is always – and because I am a regular customer I often have an email for an extra 20% off etc. I always look in both the boys’ and girls’ sections (as you would expect from the above rant!)
Other than that I found in the past that the multi-packs of sleepsuits from Tescos have actually been really good! Wash nicely and although the cotton isn’t very thick, that actually makes them ideal for the summer or if their room is warm, they can sleep without any covers.
I always find we can never have enough PJs so I may be clicking the links later in my lunch-hour to have a browse!
Hi Sophie. I have absolutely no idea how Molly ended being so undeniably girly. This is a girl who comes down in the morning dressed in a full on party dress, necklaces and a crown (she’s 4!). As a little one she had every type of toy going and we never went out and bought things like dolls. However, for some reason that was what she gravitated towards and has always loved. Alice loves playing with trains but is equally as happy playing princess. I guess with Molly she doesn’t stand a chance. When I used to work near a Tesco I’d often pop in for the girls but haven’t been in for years so must check it out.
I am simply curious! I have friends who “push” girly stuff on their girls and I am often the odd one out / butt of many a joke at dressing my child “like a boy” or giving her “boys’ toys” which makes me both upset and angry.
I am glad that the gender separation has been picked up by others – there is nothing wrong with presenting a wide selection of lovely items but I think the concern comes when they are labelled as “boys” and “girls” – even if the manufacturers label them as such. I am also heartened to see the comments from other mums that don’t wish to dress their children in traditionally gender-defined clothing, so thank you for provoking the debate, and let me know if you want any contribution to a future article on this!
Sophie x
Another vote for GAP PJs here. Especially love the organic cotton range, so soft with very cute designs.
Ive heard good things about the organic range Martha. I love the stuff from Gap as they always have such fun quirky designs. x
I love pyjamas so was excited to see this post coming up but a bit disappointed by the girls and boys separation to be honest. For tiny kids I like bright colours for both genders and I don’t understand why dinosaurs would have to be girly-fied to be acceptable. I love the supermarkets for brightly coloured purse friendly pjs and gap ones are lovely and soft and wash well (and there’s always some kind of discount on). i like some of the selections above but the ‘this is for boys, this is for girls’ is a shame. I have a daughter but if I only bought her clothes in the ‘girls’ section I would go bonkers from the onslaught of pink frills and glitter. Equally if I ever have a boy i think I’d find it hard how quickly things move to dull colours and utilitarian style.
Hi Fiona, So sorry that you are disappointed in the selections. I too adore bright colours for the girls so this was by no means intentional, I have simply picked from the different sections of various stores. My absolute favourite PJs for them are the little bird at Mothercare ones which are a sort of 70s trip of bright colours and characters. Unfortunately the new ones haven’t been released yet so was unable to include them in the post. Can highly recommend you check them out when the new ones hit if you haven’t already. xx
Yes I love Little Bird, sorry Lottie wasn’t meaning to be negative, probably the timing of me reading it cooncided badly with a woman on the bus this morning telling me off because my daughter wasn’t dressed like a girl. Argh! She had tights on! I’ve just been generally frustrated recently by the received wisdom of things being for a girl or for a boy rather than everything being open to everyone. Here’s probably not the place to vent my wider frustration though so sorry!!
Gosh, how rude of that lady, that’s ridiculous. And please don’t apologise. RMF is a place where we want everyone to be free to express their opinions and everything is valid. It was probably me expressing which section I had chosen them from as inevitably most shops still split by boy and girl. I love bright clothes for the girls and do get frustrated that most high street stores have such an abundance of pink and sparkly. Unfortunately for some reason unknown to me my girls are ridiculously girly. Molly wears a full on party dress over her clothes every day (I am not even joking) and I have no idea how she came to be that way. I purposefully refuse to by her sparkly pink clothes which my sister thinks is very mean. Alice not so much but maybe I’ve over compensated for Molly by dressing her in non girly things. The poor love gets far too excited when I do pop a dress on her!! I actually think this could be a great discussion post for the future … x
That’s appalling and I am so sorry you had to deal with that. What an awful woman and a terrible message to send to children. It sometimes upsets me so much that our children are growing up in this kind of world, I thought attitudes had moved on but sometimes it seems they are going the other way.
You are not the only one to be driven mad by pink frills and glitter, so keep up the good work!
Oooh Fiona. The new Little Bird Pjs have been released on the website today, along with lots of new clothes. The apple print is really rather lovely! Not that I am spending my Friday shopping (obviously!!) x
Fab will check that out, thanks for the tip. Was disappointed recently when I tried to get the gnome vests they had at Christmas in the sale but they only had newborn left. I very nearly bought one ‘for a future baby’ but checked myself just in time….
Another vote of surprise at the gender separation here today. I follow “let clothes be clothes” and they have raised the “floral dinosaur” set there and its caused a myriad of discussion. I personally can’t see why girls need pink dinosaurs and boys need blue and green dinosaurs. I thought all dinosaurs were green and brown non?
I also favour old fashioned style cotton sets – I got a great set at Gap. The White Company is another favourite – washes well. Looser cotton bottoms for the win.
I must admit that I don’t like the Next ones – whilst the patterns are great I don’t like the way that they are elasticated at the bottom.
Hi Rebecca. Apologies on the gender separation perception. As you said, not sure there were pink floral dinosaurs roaming the planet! I just thought they were cute hence the inclusion. Old fashioned ones are my favourite but they are always in short supply I find. Will have to check out Gap to see if there are any still. x
I’m a big fan of the John Lewis pyjamas like Charlotte; we currently have the stripes and London buses twin pack sets. They are roomy enough to let Hector move about without being too constricted but still slim fitting to be snug and not wrinkle up or down after a night of wriggling around his cot. I’ve heard brilliant things about Gap pjs from friends though so will probably check them out. I recently bought some from Boden which although are excellent quality and fantastic prints are just too much on the snug side despite ordering up two sizes! I’m thinking Hector must just be big for his age!
Lolly, I got the girls some of the twin pack Boden ones before xmas and Alcie’s arm wouldn’t even go in. I thought it as just her! x
Ooh just so gorgeous and cosy! We have the bunny slippers but may have to head online for a bit of pj shopping….it’s getting colder by the minute!
Bunny slippers are the best Sophie! I think I need some myself today. It’s freezing!! x
Perhaps we just have big kids Lottie!
Ha ha ha! I tried Alice in the 4-5 that I had bought for Molly and they were still tight. She’s 2!!! Whereas they fitted Molly perfectly. They are both quite tall I guess so maybe Hector is going to be an over 6 footer x
Love love love this article. I too am a fan of a snuggle in my pj’s and my children definitely follow suit. I have both a boy and girl and ‘Santa’ was a fan of M&S this Christmas. Like you’ve said they have a great selection for both boys and girls there! I’m glad you’ve shared so many other cool designs – I will be able to spend some more on kiddy pj’s now! Just need to find the space to store them.
Great stuff – thanks for sharing! Xx
You’re welcome Beckie! xx
Ooooooo lots of lovely PJs to choose from. I especially like the Unicorn ones and the Bunny sainsburys pair, such a great price!! May have to purchase those for my friends bunny mad daughter. x
The Sainsburys ones are amazing value aren’t they? Definitely worth a peek when grabbing the bread and milk! x
I noticed that you have taken some of the references to “boys” out of the original article so I guess all of these comments must have struck a chord? Not sure that altering the original copy to make it appear less gender segregated/stereotyped is particularly honest, but I assume that you did it in response to the disappointment of your readers so in that sense I take it as a positive.
Sophie
Even though it now makes those of us who left feedback look like we were making a fuss over nothing!!
Sophie, taking our readers feedback and altering how the post is potentially interpreted accordingly is not dishonest. After the comments on the content being perceived as gender stereotyping, which was clearly not the intention at all, Lottie re-read her piece and took out certain wording that after reflection and consideration, she felt required updating.
Perhaps my wording was clumsy, I had not meant to suggest dishonesty although with hindsight I can see how it could be interpreted as that. I just thought it might be confusing to those reading comments subsequently as they would wonder why a number of us made the comments we did! I’d also offered thanks previously for stimulating the discussion on what I happen to think is an important subject and Lottie herself suggested it could be a subject for a future post. In fact I’d have preferred the copy to have been left and for a separate post to have done just that – tackle this subject. It could’ve started with Lottie (or someone else) explaining what a sensitive subject this is and how important it clearly is to many of your readers, rather than brushing it under the carpet as it looks like you have done now.
I am sorry if my previous comments upset Lottie or anyone else as this was not my intention at all.
I think it’s great that you have taken the feedback on board and adjusted the article. As our baby hasn’t arrived yet, I can’t comment so much ok the pjs as such but I find the gender divide in clothes quite frustrating. I also find that it seems to be worth in the UK – when I visit family on the continent or see pictures of their little ones, there seem to be much nicer options for both genders!
Sorry – my phone’s autocorrect is on high form today…
*on the pjs
*worse in the UK
Oh no you have just sent me over to the Zara website and I have purchased those fab Unicorn pj’s. Isabella is completely obsessed with all things unicorn and horse related so needless to say I HAD (!!!) to buy these 🙂 she will be over the moon especially with the fact they glow in the dark!! Whoops, along with a cool little top for the little man too! I love NEXT for pj’s too and their clothes for girls are sooo cute when the spring / summer season comes out!! I’ve had to control myself not to buy most of it, now she’s started school she doesn’t need so many clothes! Sad face! xx
Ooops. Sorry for the enabling. They are seriously the best though. I have had the exact same thought about Molly starting school this September as realised it means she mostly only needs her uniform. I think that justifies a big spend for the remainder of the year! x
Lovely selection of kids jammies, quite fancy a few of these myself!
Me too! x
Boden long john fan over here. I used to order in a set for each of my children for birthdays and Christmas but my boy, in particular, doesnt seem to grow. I posted a picture on facebook of him one morning dressed in 8 pairs of PJs at once and my friend pointed out that he had rather a lot so I’ve since slowed down and moved over to gap as they don’t come in sets of 2! Boden ones do seem to wash so much better. I’ve found a few things from gap going a bit bobbly quickly.
Gosh the gender stereotyping thing is quite a tricky issue isn’t it. Personally, I don’t have any problem with RMF reporting what is available for boys and girls when it is the shops who have made that division -it helps us to know where to find it at least. Maybe it’s something that needs to be addressed and changed in shops but I know I’d struggle if they took away the mens and ladies sections and everything was just a big merge.
I would really like those rainbow ones for me though. They’re amazing!
You can never have too many PJs Amanda! I also work on the basis that kids are likely to spill their breakfast/juice/anything down them on a daily basis so I need a vast supply before I can get through all the washing. That’s my excuse anyway. Thanks for your comments on the gender issue. Such a tough one. As you say, shops split clothes in a certain way and I doubt that will be changing anytime soon. I agree it may be a bit of nightmare if it was all together. May cure my shopping though as I wouldn’t be able to find anything!! Have a fab weekend (in pjs I hope) x