What Is a Nightgown?

Where does the nightgown come from?

The nightgown has no single inventor or birthplace on record. By the 16th century, T-shaped nightclothes were commonly worn by men and women. Before that, most people probably slept unclothed or in part of their day clothes, according to the ASU FIDM Museum.

The word has shifted meaning. Merriam-Webster dates its first known use to the 15th century, and gives its earliest sense, now archaic, as a dressing gown. The FIDM Museum notes that "nightgown" has also named a loose gown worn by men, an evening dress and a day dress. So it was once unremarkable for a woman to appear in public in one.

The men's night gown

In the 17th and 18th centuries a man's night gown was a loose, full-length robe for wear at home. The Victoria and Albert Museum describes wealthy men wearing them with family or when receiving friends and business associates. The robes became popular in Europe from the mid-17th century, brought back by members of the East India Company. By the 1670s European tailors were making them. In France the same garment was a robe de chambre. The V&A holds a Dutch or British example sewn in 1720–50. Its blue silk damask was woven in China in 1650–1700.

White cotton and the 19th century

An 1860s white cotton nightgown at the FIDM Museum is very loose, with full sleeves gathered into cuffs, a shape Godey's Lady's Book often illustrated. White was clearly the favoured colour. Bodice and cuffs carried white lace, ruffles, tucks or embroidery. White cotton or linen also had the advantage of being washable, a necessity for a garment worn next to the skin. Ready-made nightgowns were not widely available until the late 19th century. The museum suggests the wearer of its 1860s example probably added the trim herself. These gowns belong to the period of Victorian fashion.

Silk in the 1930s

By the 1930s some nightgowns looked like evening dresses. The FIDM Museum holds a floor-length peach silk gown of about 1935 that clings to the body. It has inserted lace forming a bow at the bodice, pintucks shaping the hips and a low, open back. The museum suggests it is better called a boudoir or bed gown. Such gowns suited lounging at home or long stays in bed.

The short form "nightie" is recorded from 1871 and began as a children's word, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

What makes a nightgown a nightgown?

A nightgown is a single loose piece that hangs from the shoulders like a dress and is made to be slept in. In current usage it is a women's or girls' garment. Length, sleeves and neckline vary. The one-piece shape, with no legs, and the purpose stay constant.

Four garments sit close to it:

What are the main types of nightgown?

Nightgowns are usually told apart by length, sleeve and fabric weight rather than by fixed names.

How do you tell a well-made nightgown?

You tell a well-made nightgown by reading its labels, holding the cloth to the light and checking the seams. Start with the armholes, where the sleeve joins the body.

Read the labels first

Under US law, a garment's label must list generic fibre names and percentages by weight, largest first. It must also show the country of origin, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That line tells you more than the product name. "Satin" or "jersey" describes how the cloth is made, so a gown sold as satin can be silk, polyester or a blend; only the fibre line says which. On the content label, a fibre trademark may appear only next to its generic name, in lettering equally conspicuous and the same size. Care instructions are required too, under a separate FTC rule.

Hold it up to the light

For a gown meant to be opaque, hold a single layer up to a window. A University of Tennessee at Martin quality checklist asks whether the cloth is woven closely enough that you cannot see through it. Gowns in sheer cloth are sheer by design, so the test applies to opaque ones.

Check the seams and hems

• Stitch size: the same checklist looks for small stitches, about 12 per inch, which keep seams secure.
• Sleeve seams: where the sleeve joins the body, the seam should be smooth, with no gathers or puckers you did not expect.
• Pattern matching: on checks and stripes, the design should match at the seams.
• Hem and topstitching: the hem should look neat, and any stitching on the outside should run straight.

Children's nightgowns in the US

Under US Consumer Product Safety Commission rules (16 CFR 1615 and 1616), a child's nightgown sized above 9 months up to size 14 must be flame resistant. It must self-extinguish if a candle, match or lighter sets it alight. The alternative is the tight-fitting route, which depends on specified garment dimensions. Look for a permanent care label, whose instructions protect the gown from chemicals or treatments that can reduce its flame resistance. Look too for a permanent unit identification label, which traces the fabric and production lots in a recall.

Red flags

• No fibre content on a gown sold in the US, or a name such as "satin" with no fibres listed.
• Large, loose stitches or puckered armhole seams.
• Stripes or checks that jump at the side seams.
• A loose-fitting child's gown sold as sleepwear with no permanent care or unit identification label.

How do you wear a nightgown?

You wear a nightgown to bed on its own, with the length, sleeve and cloth chosen for the season. Add a robe over it when you are up and about at home.

• Warm nights: a sleeveless or short-sleeved gown in lightweight cotton or linen.
• Cold nights: a long-sleeved, ankle-length gown in brushed cotton or flannel.
• Lounging: a longer silk or satin gown follows the 1930s bed gown, made for time at home as well as sleep. Loungewear covers the wider category.
• Fit: the gown should pass over the shoulders and hips easily and leave room to turn over without twisting.

How do you care for a nightgown?

You care for a nightgown by following its care label, which US garments must carry. In the 1860s white was the favoured colour, and white cotton and linen had the added advantage of being washable. That matters for anything worn against the skin. For children's sleepwear, the CPSC requires a permanent care label whose instructions protect the garment's flame resistance, so follow it exactly.