Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Pajama Boys’ slept-walked through a snooze of an opening for Milan Fashion Week

Dolce & Gabbana had their “Pajama Boys” out of bed for their latest runway show, but they were kept in their sleepwear. Well, sort of. The “relaxed” pieces completely smudged the line between nightshirt and daywear. And to drive home the slept-in look, most of the pieces were crushed, overmuch rumple that seemed to declare that men have no time to set up an ironing board, let alone use an iron. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana will alao have you believe that guys, whether undergrads, athletes, sailor types, rappers, pimps, executives, or even bikers wear pajamas to bed. And rather than get out of their jammies, continue the day in them or, when the need arises, throw on whatever outerwear within reach.

The show’s press notes described the collection as embodying “a personal and authentic approach to style, offering a versatile wardrobe seamlessly integrated into daily life.” There is a reason why pajamas were first called nightclothes, specifically ‘nightshirt’ for men. These garments can be traced back centuries, with the earliest known use of the noun ‘nightshirt’ from the mid-1600s, specifically 1657, in a letter by one R. Verney, an English politician, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. ‘Pajama’ comes from the Hindi pae jama or pai jama, meaning “garment for legs”. British colonists in India adopted them for lounging and, later, sleeping in, their popularity rose in the Western world as sleepwear around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Which “authentic approach” was Dolce & Gabbana referring to?

The idea of pajama dressing is nothing new. Admittedly, a 93-look collection based on one theme is a small feat. Yet, it was more about “elevating” the pajamas, as Netizens are saying, than revolutionising it—never mind that it is annoying everyday things are described with such grandiose terms. Colloquially, “Pajama Boys”, as well as the kindred phrase “still in their PJs”, strongly implies a lack of effort, prone to laziness, an adherence to the chin-chai attitude, and a general disinterest in the social norms of dressing. But Dolce and Gabbana insisted that “it’s perfectly attuned to contemporary needs, transitioning effortlessly between urban settings and vacation destinations”. Presumably, these places are for leisure pursuits, celebrating effortless style and, even more importantly, effortless effort. It must be said, however, that the styling exhibited an earnest attempt, with so much going on in one look. Ultimately, aesthetic design triumph over garment design.

What was especially glaring was the lack of heft in a Milan Fashion Week that, increasingly, has to content with a calendar considered “thin”. Dolce & Gabbana was one of the first brands to open the event, yet they failed to set the aesthetic tone for the week, or pump up significant buzz. Sure, the narrative was there: the CEO, who overslept and dashed to a board meeting in his jammies, but threw on a blazer to be appropriately corporate; or a teen mimicking his grandfather taking a stroll outside a log cabin after waking; or a groom the morning after of his honeymoon, dressed to impress his new husband. Which is the “authentic approach to style”? Or is it all of them? Style, unfortunately, cannot be all surface-level engagement. Or, worse, suffering from a serious lack of sleep.

Screen shot (top): dolcegabbana/YouTube. Photos: Dolce & Gabbana