Urdu pāy-jāma, pā-jāma and its etymon Persian pāy-jāma, pā-jāma, singular noun < Persian pāy, pā foot, leg + jāma clothing, garment (see jama n.1) + English -s, plural ending, after drawers.[3]
US government advert during World War II, female nightwear
The worldwide use of pajamas (the word and the clothing) outside the Indian subcontinent is the result of adoption by British colonistsin the Indian subcontinent in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the British influence on the widerWestern world during theVictorian era.Pajamas had been introduced to England as "lounging attire" as early as the seventeenth century, then known asmogul's breeches (Beaumont and Fletcher) but they soon fell out of fashion. The wordpajama (as pai jamahs,Paee-jams and variants) is recorded in English use in the first half of the nineteenth century. They did not become a fashion in Britain and the Western world as sleeping attire for men until the Victorian period, from about 1870.[4]
Such a garment is used by various persons in Indiae.g. by women of various classes, bySikh men, and most by Mohammedans of both sexes. It was adopted from the Mohammedans by Europeans as an article ofdishabille [highly casual clothing] and of night attire, and is synonymous with Long Drawers, Shulwaurs, and Mogul-Breeches [...] It is probable that we English took the habit like a good many others fromthe Portuguese. ThusPyrard (c. 1521) says, in speaking ofGoa Hospital: "Ils ont forcecaleçon sans quoy ne couchent iamais les Portugais des Indes" [fr., "They have plenty of the undergarments without which the Portuguese in India never sleep"] [...] The word is now used in London shops. A friend furnishes the following reminiscence: "The late Mr. B—, tailor inJermyn Street, some on 12 years ago, in reply to a question why pyjammas had feet sewn on to them (as was sometimes the case with those furnished by London outfitters) answered: "I believe, Sir, it is because of theWhite Ants."[5]
British Utility Underwear Clothing Restrictions on the British Home Front, 1942. 11 year old girl wearing wool pajamas asnightwear.
Traditional pajamas consist of ashirt-and-trousers combination made of softfabric, such asflannel or lightweightsilk. The shirt element usually has aplacket front and sleeves with nocuffs.
Pajamas are usually worn as nightwear withbare feet and withoutundergarments. They are often worn for comfort by people in their homes, especially by children, especially on the weekend.
Contemporary pajamas are derived from traditional pajamas. There are many variations in style such asshort sleeve pajamas, pajama bottoms of varying length,[6] and pajamas incorporating various non-traditional materials. Often, people of both sexes opt to sleep or lounge in just pajama pants, usually with at-shirt. For this reason, pajama pants are often sold as separates.Stretch-knit sleep apparel withrib-knit trimmings are common, mostly with young children.
Although pajamas are usually distinguished from one-piece sleeping garments such asnightgowns, in the US, they have sometimes included the latter or a somewhat shorternightshirt as a top. Some pajamas, especially those designed for infants and toddlers, feature adrop seat (also known as atrap door orbutt flap): a buttoned opening in the seat, designed to allow the wearer conveniently to use atoilet.
In the United States, pajamas for children are required to comply with fire safety regulations. If made of flammable fabric, such as cotton, they must be tight fitting. Loose-fitting pajamas must be treated with afire retardant.[7] Regulations in the United Kingdom are less stringent; pajamas which do not comply with fire safety standards may be sold, but must be labelled "KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE".[8]
People wearing pajamas on Wilshire Boulevard, Sunday morning
Pajamas in the Western world have been regarded as essentially indoors wear, or wear for the home, whether treated as daywear or nightwear.
WhenBette Davis wore her husband's pajama top as a nightie in the 1943 filmOld Acquaintance, it caused a fashion revolution, withI. Magnin selling out of men's sleepwear the morning after the movie opened, and all of it to young women.[9]
Since the late 18th century some people, in particular those in the US and to some extent Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, have worn pajamas in public for convenience or as a fashion statement.[10][11]
One reason for the increased wearing of pajamas in public is that people no longer face the samesocial pressure as in the past.[12]
In January 1976, the gulf emirateRas Al Khaimah,UAE introduced a strict dress code for all local government workers forbidding them from wearing pajamas to work.[13]
In May 2010, Shanghai discouraged the wearing of pajamas in public duringExpo 2010.[15]
In January 2012, a local Dublin branch of the Government'sDepartment of Social Protection advised that pajamas were not regarded as appropriate attire for clients attending the office for welfare services.[16]
Many school and work dress codes do not allow pajamas. In 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, an Illinois school district set remote learning guidelines which state that pajamas should not be worn while studying remotely and students should follow the same dress code as they normally would at school.[17][18]
Schools sometimes designate a "pajama day" when students and staff come to school in their pajamas to boostschool spirit.[19]
In movies and television, characters are often depicted wearing pajamas in bed, as a more proper alternative to other forms of nightwear. These are commonly pajama pants with a shirt or t-shirt.[citation needed]
^Lewis, Ivor. 1991.Sahibs, Nabobs andBoxwallahs: A Dictionary of Words of Anglo-India. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 266 pages.ISBN0-19-564223-6. "They were introduced in England as lounging attire in the 17th century but soon went out of fashion. About 1870 they reappeared in the Western world as sleeping attire for men, after returning British colonials brought (them) back ...."
^Yule, Henry; Burnell, A.C. (1886).Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases. p. 748.Hobson-Jobsonglosses "white ants" as "The insect (Termes bellicosus of naturalists) not properly an ant, of whose destructive powers there are in India so many disagreeable experiences, and so many marvellous stories.
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