by Summer Lee

Vintage Loungewear Retrospective

Whether you’re sheltering-in-place, self-quarantining, or working from home, odds are you’ve been living in loungewear. In fact, in our post-modern society the boundaries between indoor and outdoor clothing are often blurred. Comfort is the driving force behind countless daily fashion decisions. However, clothing for leisure hours used to be very distinct. They were often made in cuts, prints, and colors that a woman would only wear within the comfort of her home.

In these strange, stay-at-home times, it couldn’t be more fitting to enjoy a retrospective of vintage loungewear. Continue reading to discover the leading trends in loungewear from the thirties through the sixties, illustrated with rarely-seen images from vintage magazines and catalogs.

For fashionable women of the 1930s, loungewear needed to be as luxurious and glamorous as it was comfortable.

Inherited from the previous decade, the relatively new lounging pajamas were the most universal leisure garment. They were considered to be very versatile, appropriate for any time of day, and for many at-home activities: from relaxing, to informal dinners, to studying for college exams. Pajamas were also seen as an excellent opportunity to express individuality, as they were made in a wide variety of prints and styles. While cuts were mostly conservative and feminine, colors and prints ranged from delicate to exotic. Common fabrics were rayon or silk satin, crepe, or taffeta.

In 1932, Vogue encouraged readers to replace their lounging pajamas with robes, asserting that “lounging robes are really glamorous clothes.” They were seen as being just as sophisticated and practical, but even newer. However, women were not quick to abandon pajamas. Pajamas continued to be worn throughout the 1930s, though robes were also popular for lounging in – especially for after a bath. Popular robe fabrics included cotton seer-sucker, terry cloth, or corduroy, and rayon satin.

Similar to the robe, women also lounged in long, luxurious house-coats. The Sears house-coat pictured below was made in striped rayon celanese taffeta, and compared to a “Schiaparelli evening gown.”

Pajama suits or ensembles typically included a jacket, coat, or robe, a blouse, and very full trousers. While the wearer may have also slept in the pajama set, the layered garment was specifically for lounging in.

In the 1930s, etiquette for occasion-dressing also extended to at-home activities. Fashionable women wore different categories of loungewear based on time of day, activity, and what room they inhabited. For example, a negligée could be worn while lounging in the boudoir. The most formal, “dignified” loungewear garments included hostess gowns and tea gowns worn in the parlor, for tea or dining. Women at the very height of fashion would attempt to match their loungewear with their home decor.

The 1940s continued the momentum of loungewear, fully embracing it as the perfect fashion category for experimentation. Women were encouraged to express their individual taste, rather than worry about what others were wearing. As such, it was common for loungewear to incorporate fantastical elements of exoticism and historicism.

“When you dress to stay by your own fireside you have license to be as personal, as lively, as uninhibited as you like to be. It’s a game with no rules except please yourself.”

– Vogue, 1945

Robes were still popular choices, marketed for their comfort and warmth. While most hit the ankle, some models were available at a mid-calf length. Popular fabrics for robes included cotton candlewicks, chenilles, corduroys, and quilted rayon taffetas. In 1940, Sears announced that charming hooded lounge robes were “style news!”

Glamorous housecoats soared in popularity in the 1940s, with an explosion of styles new to the decade. Hovering at ankle-length and femininely cinched at the waist with a belt, they closely resembled gowns. There were endless variations of housecoat styles, though many featured a collar and had either a zip or wrap front-closure. Fabrics were commonly printed, and included cotton seersucker, poplin, percale, crepe, and rayon taffetas. The brunch coat was a similar, shorter leisure garment, which ended around the knee.

Some articles encouraged money-saving ways to alter and repurpose those leisure garments. In 1949, Woman’s Day published instructions on how to remake ill-fitting robes into lounging jackets. One reader wrote in that she converted a worn-out chenille housecoat into a bath mat.

While the bed jacket did exist in the late 1930s, Womens Wear Daily reported they were “coming into greater prominence” in 1942. They were typically waist-length, and paired with nightgowns to create ensembles. Typical fabrics may be fluffy or crepe rayon, quilted rayon taffeta, and cotton chenille. In the early 1940s, the breakfast coat was considered a “new” garment for leisure hours. It was similar to the bed jacket, but ended around the knee.

In 1939, Vogue reported on what it called a “startling” new trend in loungewear: lounging slacks. While full, loose “trousers” featured prominently in 1930s loungewear, slacks refer to a more tailored pant. Lounging slacks became very popular throughout the 1940s, commonly paired with blouses, shawls, jackets, robes, and tunics. Slacks were commonly found in wool jersey and rayon crepe.

As in the 1930s, dress etiquette of the 1940s necessitated several types of loungewear for time of day and level of formality. For example, a house-coat was ideal for the early morning, a negligée for afternoon leisure, and a “gracious, but easygoing costume” for dinner-at-home. The hostess gown continued to be a more formal loungewear garment, appropriate for having dinner guests.

The romance and ultra-femininity of the post-war “New Look” were reflected in loungewear of the 1950s. Indeed, many leisure ensembles closely resembled outdoor dresses, as fashion dictated that women appear girlish at all times.

Leisure clothing was also impacted by new technologies of the decade. Women now had to consider dressing for a “television evening,” which commonly necessitated the hostess sitting on the floor.

Robes and housecoats were still very prevalent in women’s homes, though many were shorter, and featured fuller skirts and nipped-in waists. A loose-fitting “trapeze” silhouette was also fashionable. However, in the 1950s a new category of loungewear joined their ranks: the duster.

Dusters were similar to short, mid-calf length robes. In accordance with the highly feminine cuts, these loungewear garments were frequently made in feminine, floral prints and delicate, pastel colors. However, there was also an affinity for novelty prints and exotic influences. Typical fabrics used were cotton basket weave and chenille, acetate crepe, and synthetics including nylon and the recently-invented dacron.

Despite the popularity of the full-skirted “New Look,” slacks and trousers were still worn as loungewear in the 1950s. They were typically paired with some form of blouse, bodice, sweater, or jacket. However, trouser suits were generally considered appropriate only for lounging at home or during a countryside vacation. Although trousers were considered comfortable, they were nowhere near as elegant as skirted ensembles. There was also an element of anxiety over fitting them properly. For a perfect fit, it was recommended that women sew their own slacks or at least alter them – the single greatest concern being the crotch area.

According to a 1956 article in Good Housekeeping, “The most elegant lady at leisure wears a rich-textured, floor-length skirt with a coordinated blouse.” Through her loungewear, she might also choose to echo the colors of her home decor. For example, they recommended that readers choose a robe that blended in with her bedroom, and separates that exactly matched the curtains or carpet.

The 1960s were a revolutionary time by all standards, including in fashion history. Loungewear fashions of the very early 1960s closely resembled those of the previous decade. However, it was not long before leisure clothes reflected the youthful and colorful mood of the Swinging Sixties.

Women had more sartorial freedom than ever before, not only in terms of showing more skin, but also in less stringent occasion-dressing. That freedom resulted in women having many more loungewear options than previous decades.

Despite the more relaxed dress etiquette of the 1960s, there was still a classification of more formal loungewear. The “at-home” fashions like those depicted above would be worn by the hostess of a party, to portray an atmosphere of leisure while still appearing formal. For example, the Vanity Fair advertisement above depicts a one-piece culotte from a 1969 loungewear collection. It was marketed as looking like an evening dress, and included a built-in bra. Such garments would not have been a woman’s go-to for typical leisure hours.

Robes persisted as popular loungewear, although they bore little resemblance to those of the thirties, forties, and even the fifties. While ankle-length robes were still worn, short robes became more prominent than ever. Robes were common in cotton chenille and rayon/cotton blends. Robes with a fluffy pile were typically made in Orlon acrylic. Knee-length dusters were also in fashion.

Such knee-length lounge garments were not unlike the ubiquitous shift dress of the 1960s. Indeed, the loose shift silhouette was also very fashionable in loungewear. Sears manufactured “Lounge Shifts,” and in 1965 marketed them as “to wear from morning ’til night.” They were available in cotton seersucker, sateen, pique, and Avril rayon.

Also ubiquitous in loungewear fashions were trousers, slacks, and culottes. Indeed, as their popularity in womenswear grew, as it did within the home. In the early 1960s, pants were seen as ideal loungewear in part due to their comfort and versatility. For example, a solid colored pair of lounge pants could be paired with any number of brightly printed blouses. Following the trends, much shorter pants became available in the late 1960s. “Peek-a-boo” pants mirrored the lengths of mini skirts popular among teens. Throughout the decade, long, wide-legged culottes remained a comfortable yet glamorous lounging choice.

By 1961, muumuus were considered the newest trend in lingerie and loungewear. Muumuus originated as a form of ethnic dress from the Pacific islands, including Samoa and Hawaii. A 1962 article in Town & Country described them as both feminine and comfortable, “the happy medium between the languorous, luxurious negligée and the humble, homey wrapper.” They were sold in a variety of colors, including vivid, Hawaiian-inspired prints. Muumuus with a high babydoll waistline were referred to as Baby-muumuus.

Another loungewear trend of the mid-to-late-sixties was the caftan. It’s said that the caftan was first brought into Western fashion in the late 1950s by Christian Dior. However, in the 1960s, editor of Vogue magazine Diana Vreeland championed the caftan as leisure wear. In a 1966 Vogue article titled “The Beautiful People in Caftans,” the “classic robes of the Near East” were hailed as exotic and “completely feminine.”

The amorphous drapery of the exotic caftan and the short muumuu were a far cry from the tailored, Hollywood glamour of 1930s loungewear.

Which of these vintage looks would you choose to spend quarantine in?

Tag The Vintage Woman Magazine in your vintage loungewear posts on social media!

References:

Eicher, Joanne B. “Ethnic Dress.” Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele, vol. 1, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005, pp. 414-416. Gale eBooks.

J, A. A. “Facts and Figures.” Town & Country, 03, 1962, 28.

Wolff, Norma H. “Caftan.” Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele, vol. 1, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005, pp. 212-213. Gale eBooks.

“Advertisement: Palizzio (Palizzio).” Vogue, Sep 01, 1940, 117.

“Fashion: At Home in America: French Designs.” Vogue, Apr 01, 1951, 146-147.

“Fashion: Lingerie for a New Season.” Vogue, Oct 01, 1932, 98-99.

“Fashion: New Pajamas are of Vivid Coloured Prints.” Vogue, May 24, 1930, 50-51.

“Fashion: One is Not enough.” Vogue, Jun 01, 1960, 80-85.

“Fashion: Stay-at-Home Clothes.” Vogue, Oct 15, 1945, 94-95.

“Fashion: The Beautiful People in Caftans.” Vogue, Jul 01, 1966, 66-73.

“House Coat to Bath Mat.” Woman’s Day, 02, 1949, 13, 96.

“How to Look Your Loveliest through the Long Winter Evenings: None but the Slim Deserve their Slacks.” Good Housekeeping, 11, 1956, 89-99, 266-267.

“Too Tight, Too Short, Too Worn: Old Robes Remade.” Woman’s Day, 08, 1949, 8.

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