Henley dress, sleep shorts or PJs? Choose your new loungewear style

Loungewear is the best fashion trend ever because it means you get to look sharp while also being a couch potato. In fact, that’s the whole point: being comfortable enough to sleep while also being stylish enough to resemble a celebrity at the airport. 

Loungewear is a nod to the increasing informality permitted in public style, along with hoodies at the office and yoga pants at the grocery store. Except in this case, rather than dressing down in environments that once demanded formal attire, loungewear for many people is a way to dress up for much of private life at home (and run out the door for an errand if needed without looking too shabby or scantily-clad).

Instead of repurposing clothing meant for other uses, like, say, faded sweatpants from a sports team you played for years ago, loungewear recognizes the way we spend much of our everyday lives: at home, in the comfiest clothes we can find. Loungewear just makes those cozy moments classier. 

So: What is your new loungewear style? Here are three top options to consider- and everything you need to know about how and when to wear them. 

1. The Henley dress

Henley dress styles offer pullover ease and the cozy comfort of a favorite sweater, with long sleeves. At the same time, the button detailing adds a hint of structure and formality (and potentially a touch of sexiness, too, with some buttons left undone). 

Henley dresses are usually fitted but not overly restrictive, creating a flattering fit during waking hours while still allowing for free movement during sleep. Overall the look is perfectly reflective of the loungewear trend as a whole: maximally comfortable without sacrificing style, casual but not at all sloppy. 

Tommy John’s Women’s Lounge Henley Dress is made with a special tri-blend fabric for luxurious softness. That innovative stretch material also ensures the piece always keeps its shape (even if you’ve just rolled out of bed or off the couch). Talk about effortless style! And we’ve eliminated tags because itchiness has no place when comfort is the goal. 

Wear the Henley dress by itself, or add leggings for lounging in cooler temperatures. 

2. Sleep shorts

Sleep shorts are the stylish antidote to improvised lounge and sleep bottoms, like your partner’s aged boxer shorts. Banish unflattering and bunchy sleepwear by opting instead for shorts meant for lounging and snoozing in peak style and comfort.

Great sleep and lounging shorts are designed with sleep in mind, with supersoft fabric that allows free movement but doesn’t bunch up in the night, and a stay-put waistband. Tommy John’s Second Skin Lounge Short for men includes those features plus a drop-crotch gusset for maximum range of movement. Men’s and women’s styles both feature tagless labels, too — because the last thing you want keeping you up at night is your shorts.

Look for refined style elements like piping and lace for women. For men and women alike, great sleep shorts may feature functional pockets, soft and lightweight drawstrings, and sophisticated, timeless color options. (Blues and greys are always in style for both genders, and for women, wine to pink colors. This palette can range from dark to lighter shades infused with a muting grey tone, hinting at the natural hues of twilight.)

For a cozier and more casual sleepwear look for women, heathered hues like oatmeal, light grey, and pastels are a soothing choice. Tommy John’s take is the Second Skin Luxe Rib Sleep Short, with non-pilling silky soft fabric and ribbing for extra breathability.

Fun prints are a bolder choice and can keep your sleepwear seasonally relevant, or just add some playfulness to your bedtime routine. Look for matching prints for men and women, too — like Tommy John’s Balsam Fire Print and Lobster Print. 

3. Pajamas

A PJ set is the height of loungewear chic - a way to dress up and celebrate that you’re staying in, and hitting snooze in the morning a few times, too. 

For men, luxurious softness and masculine style aren’t mutually exclusive. Tommy John’s sleep pants and sleep shorts offer both in classic colors as well as bold seasonal prints. Our sleep joggers feature the tapered look you love from athletic wear, with fit and fabric meant for sleep.

Some color options feature a contrasting hue at the waistband for a more assertive take on sleep style (opt for black fabric with haute red at the waist for maximum impact if you like that look). Coordinating waistband color options are also available for traditionalists.

Men’s PJ pants and shorts as well as our sleep shirts are made with micro-modal fabric for a soft, stretchy, lint-free experience. Our shirts ditch the sloppy, shapeless look of improvised or average sleepwear. Instead, Tommy John PJ pieces are cut closer to the body for a more refined look. 

For women, a matching pajama set with refined details is the cocktail dress of loungewear. With high-style tailoring and luxuriously soft fabrics, this chic choice never goes out of style. Look for options with shorts and short sleeves or long pants and long sleeves depending on your preference and climate. 

So, what will it be? A loungewear chic Henley dress, soft sleep shorts in matching his and her prints, or a matched PJ set to help you relax in style? 

Fortunately you don’t have to choose! Check out all of Tommy John’s great sleep and loungewear styles and build the coziest part of your wardrobe as stylishly as you build the rest of it.