

Shown: Paul Frank
Womens Sleepwear
Womens sleepwear encompasses a wide variety of apparel because women sleep in whatever they want, from slinky chemises to their boyfriends boxers. Traditional womens pajamas were much like mens pajamas – a two-piece garment consisting of a jacket and trouser. Some womens sleep wear is still fashioned after the traditional, but generally womens pajamas feature feminine detailing like lace trim or thin, clingy fabrics.
Womens sleepwear is likely derived from the same original pajamas found in Southeast Asia that eventually made their way into British culture during the times of British colonial presence in these places in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Womens pajamas took their name from the Hindustani word “pyjama.”
If you wear womens sleep wear, it may be any of the following types:
- Babydoll womens pajamas
- Nightgowns or Nightshirts
- Negligee womens sleep wear
- Boxers and boyshorts as womens pajamas
Another variation in this type of womens sleep wear is the babydoll. A babydoll is a short nightgown or negligee and it is intended to be worn as women's pajamas. It is likely that the name “babydoll” for this type of womens sleepwear was coined after the movie Baby Doll came out in 1956, in which Carroll Baker wore a babydoll. The babydoll is a highly erotic piece of womens sleepwear and is often sold with a matching set of panties. Sometimes, this type of womens sleepwear is completely sheer, made to enhance sex appeal.
Another type of womens sleepwear mostly intended for wear in the bedroom, but not necessarily for sleeping, is the negligee. This type of womens sleepwear was introduced in France in the 1700’s and looked much like the style of womens dresses at the time. The term “negligee” was first used to describe a series of ceramic female figurines wearing knee-length, one-piece slips. These figurines had nothing to do with womens pajamas at all. But the French verb “negliger” means to overlook, or disregard, which is amusing because a negligee is exactly the type of womens sleepwear that would never be overlooked.
At Freshpair, we’re a customer service industry and we know from talking to our customers on the phone that womens sleepwear is a broad term that encompasses several categories. One woman may sleep in what another woman wears for underwear. The true measure for womens pajamas comes from asking these questions:
- What type of womens sleepwear are you most comfortable in?
- What types of womens pajamas are best suited to the climate where you live?
- Is there someone you want to impress when you come into the bedroom in your womens sleepwear?



