The dressing gown has always been an item of clothing where man felt freer to experiment with cloth and pattern. It is no coincidence that full-length paisley, spots and primary colours find a home nowhere else in the wardrobe other than in a dressing gown.
Partly this was the result of the privacy of dressing, but then pyjamas were seen by fewer people and they did not reach such exuberant heights. Honour that tradition next time you’re choosing between a plain navy gown and something silky and spotted.
The gentleman pictured here, on the cover of the May 1936 edition of Man and his Clothes, wears satin in broad blue, grey and cream stripes.
Yes/and and yes/but
Go for quality or it really is worse than nothing.
The dressing gown can range from a form of smoking jacket to the Big Lebowski.
Be clear in your mind where you want to be on that continuum and stick to that discipline.
But where to go for such an item?
For the satin stripe in the picture, I couldn’t say, but more general recommendations on dressing gowns would be:
– Turnbull & Asser, particularly the velvet (and they can be made to order, though not advertised)
– Emma Willis, who does some lovely silks
– Stephen Lachter, shirtmaker but makes lovely dressing gowns from swatches. I’m having one made at the moment.
Simon