Luxury Pajamas Worth the Price: Silk Sets, Cashmere Loungewear, Robes and Slippers

The best luxury pajamas come down to three decisions: the fabric, the cut and the care label. Silk satin and crêpe de chine are for a heated room and for Christmas morning; brushed flannel is for a cool bedroom and cotton voile for a warm sleeper; cashmere joggers and hoodies belong to the hours between breakfast and bed, not to the bed itself. A set earns its price through the weight of its fabric, a collar that lies flat, a waistband that neither pinches nor slides, and a top and bottom you can buy in different sizes.

Below: what to look for before you pay for a label, nine edits with 72 pieces from 32 houses, how to wash silk without ruining it, and how to choose a size when the pajamas are a gift.

What makes luxury pajamas worth the price

Four things separate a set you keep for a decade from one that looks tired by spring.

The weight of the silk. Silk is graded by weight per area, in a unit called the momme: the QUDT units catalog puts one momme at 4.34 grams per square meter, so a higher number means a denser cloth. Denser silk is more opaque, hangs straighter and survives cleaning better; very light silk suits a camisole, not a shirt worn most nights. Few listings quote momme, so read the photographs: if skin shows through the shirt, the silk is light.

The weave. Satin, the weave behind charmeuse, has the glossy face and the slide; it feels cool when you first lie down and shows every crease the next morning. Crêpe de chine is matte with a fine grain and forgives a restless night. Twill holds a print crisply; five of the eight printed pieces below are twills. Shantung has an irregular, slubbed surface and a crisper hand, closer to a trouser fabric than to a nightshirt.

The make. On a good set the collar is a real notch or peak lapel, the waistband pairs elastic with a drawstring, there are pockets, and the small parts are considered: TOTEME's cotton voile pajama shirt has mother-of-pearl buttons, and Dolce & Gabbana pipes its silk twill pajama shirt, according to their listings. The most useful detail is the least glamorous: a top and bottom sold separately, so a woman who is a 4 on top and a 6 below gets both right.

The care label. Read it before you buy. Ten of the fourteen silk pajama pieces in the first two edits below are labeled dry clean or professional cleaning on their listings; Pucci's printed shirt says do not wash, and three listings give no instruction. Cotton is no guarantee either: TOTEME's cotton-lyocell poplin pants are labeled dry clean, while Casablanca's cotton-cashmere sweatpants go in the machine. For pajamas you wash at home every week, buy pieces with a wash label and keep silk for the nights you want to feel dressed.

Buy the solid silk set once, in ivory, black or navy, from a house that sells the pieces separately so you can replace the pants when the seat wears thin. Treat a loud print as this December's pleasure. A cashmere jogger in dark heather outlasts a white one, and with a robe, spend on the fabric you will use, terry or silk, rather than on the logo.

Silk pajama sets to sleep in

TOTEME's satin pajama shirt has a peak lapel and a partly buttoned front; the pants have an elastic waist and side slit pockets, and the shorts are among the least expensive ways into silk here. Tom Ford's black boxer shorts are 94 percent silk and 6 percent elastane with a logo-woven waistband, according to the listing, so they move with you instead of twisting overnight.

The Row's Beta pants cross over into the day: silk shantung lined in silk, with front and back creases, according to the listing, so they pass for trousers if a neighbor drops by. Saint Laurent offers a short-sleeved satin pajama shirt edged in lace and a short-sleeved top in navy square-print silk satin.

• Ivory on ivory. TOTEME's cream shirt with its ivory pants, the set a good hotel would leave on the bed.
• The short version. The same shirt, sleeves pushed up, over Tom Ford's black silk boxers.
• Black and lace. Saint Laurent's lace-edged satin shirt with Balenciaga's black silk pajama pants.

Christmas pajamas, the luxury version: prints for the morning

Matching family flannel has a grown-up equivalent: one excellent printed set, worn from stockings to a late lunch. For the photographs, a printed twill or matte crêpe is kinder than plain satin, which flares under a phone flash and records every crease from the night.

Alexander McQueen's shirt and pants are silk crêpe de chine printed with tangerine roses on a pale stone ground, and they work as well apart as together. Versace's silk twill pants carry the house's 'The Sun' print in pink, gold and green. Dolce & Gabbana's short-sleeved pajama shirt comes in its carretto print, taken from the painted horse-drawn carts of Sicily that the house calls a reference from its beginnings; its listing describes tonal piping and a self-tie sash, so it wears like a short robe. Balmain lists its Foulard shirt and shorts as pink viscose twill, with three engraved buttons and a smocked waist, and Pucci's listing notes that each printed shirt is unique, so the print may differ slightly from the photograph.

• The full set. McQueen's floral shirt and pants together, with saffron velvet slippers.
• Print with plain. Versace's 'The Sun' pants with a plain ivory silk shirt, so the print does the talking.
• The robe that is a shirt. Dolce & Gabbana's belted carretto shirt tied over a black silk slip for Christmas Eve at home.

Cotton and flannel pajamas for a cool bedroom or a warm sleeper

The Sleep Foundation puts the best bedroom temperature for sleep at about 65°F. In a room that cool, thin silk feels cold for the first minutes under the covers, while a brushed fabric feels warm at once. That is the case for flannel in December, and for cotton voile if you sleep hot under a heavy duvet.

According to their listings, TOTEME's flannel pajama top is lightweight modal flannel with a fine embroidered monogram, labeled hand wash or dry clean, and the house's voile shirt is semi-sheer cotton and lyocell, made in Sweden; sky-blue poplin pants match it. Saint Laurent's striped cotton shirt has a Cuban collar, and its broderie anglaise set, with pants lined in silk chiffon, is for a warm apartment rather than a drafty one. Miu Miu's pointelle T-shirt and micro shorts are the openwork cotton knit of vintage underwear, and Versace's viscose-jersey pants, printed with tiny Greek-key motifs, have the give of a track pant.

• For a hot sleeper. TOTEME's voile shirt with the matching poplin pants, both light and both cut loose.
• For a cold house. TOTEME's flannel top with cashmere joggers and thick socks.

More sets are in our pajamas edit.

Nightgowns and silk camisoles

A nightgown is the most flattering thing in this guide and the hardest to buy for someone else, because it is cut close to the bust. Check the fiber (a little elastane makes a slip forgiving), the straps (fixed, adjustable or tied) and the length. Dolce & Gabbana's nightgown is 80 percent silk with cotton, elastane and nylon, lace-trimmed, with a scoop neck and fixed straps. Chloé's long lingerie dress is organic silk crêpe de chine with lace inserts and thin straps, and its shorter washed-satin version has gathered short sleeves and a knotted ribbon tipped in gold-tone metal, according to chloe.com.

Among the camisoles, Saint Laurent's is semi-sheer silk crêpe de chine with a deep V and lace at the bust; Valentino Garavani's hangs from bow-detailed straps; Isabel Marant's is silk with 6 percent elastane; and Magda Butrym's ties at the shoulder and ends in a scalloped hem. Each works under a cardigan the next day, and our guide to wearing a slip dress in winter covers how to take one out of the bedroom.

• Brown and ivory. Saint Laurent's chocolate camisole with TOTEME's ivory silk pants and a cream robe.
• Pink on pink. Chloé's rose-pink long lingerie dress under Missoni's pink zigzag robe.

Cashmere loungewear: the set you will live in

We keep cashmere for the sofa, not the sheets. A night of turning over is hours of friction, and friction is what raises pills on a knit. For judging the knit and washing it, our guide to the best cashmere sweaters covers the checks that apply here too.

The shape decides where the pants can go. A cuffed ankle, as on Loro Piana's Napier and Mersey sweatpants, stays out of the way on stairs and under a blanket. A wide leg, like Max Mara's knitted cashmere pants or Brunello Cucinelli's pleated cashmere jersey track trousers, reads as trousers at dinner. Fendi lists its pants as slim and straight, in double-sided cashmere; Tod's are cashmere with 30 percent silk and a ribbed cuff.

Buy top and bottom from the same house when you can: two grays from different makers rarely match in daylight. Casablanca's brown sweatpants and crop hoodie are a pair, both 95 percent cotton and 5 percent cashmere, and their listings allow a machine wash. Loewe's Flamenco hoodie has the same composition and a dry-clean label: the maker's label, not the fiber content, decides.

• Charcoal and oatmeal. Max Mara's charcoal knitted wide-leg pants with Khaite's oatmeal Ellen hoodie and The Row's navy velvet slippers.
• Ivory, top to toe. TOTEME's ivory track pants with Moncler's ivory zip cardigan and Gabriela Hearst's ivory silk-and-cashmere socks.
• Brown on brown. Casablanca's sweatpants and crop hoodie, beaded drawstrings and all.

All the joggers and track pants are in our sweatpants edit.

Luxury loungewear tops: hoodies and cardigans

The top is where loungewear looks either considered or like a gym bag: look for a hood with weight, a two-way zip and a rib cuff that keeps its shape. Khaite's Ellen hoodie is cashmere-infused Japanese terry, made in Italy and cut short and close, according to the listing; Loro Piana describes its Rio Bodro hoodie as a lightweight, insulating cashmere blend; Fendi's black cashmere hoodie is lined in a gray-and-black FF Zucca jacquard; and Bottega Veneta's ribbed cardigan, 71 percent wool and 29 percent cashmere, has gold hardware and turned-up cuffs.

Robes: terry after the bath, silk for the morning

Decide what the robe is for. Terry is for wet skin and wet hair: it absorbs, it is heavy, and a hood helps after a shower. Silk goes over pajamas, to answer the door or carry coffee back to bed. A knee-length robe is easier on stairs; a long one looks finished over a nightgown.

Brunello Cucinelli's terry robes are cotton with a detachable belt and are labeled hand wash only; the beige one is trimmed in linen. Versace's I Heart Baroque robe is short and hooded with Barocco-printed sleeves and belt, labeled machine wash cold. Dolce & Gabbana's black robe is woven with a floral damask and may be dry cleaned or machine washed on a delicate cycle. Missoni's robe is a zigzag lamé knit, and at the top of the range, Tom Ford's silk robe is ivory with black polka dots and a shawl collar.

As a gift, most robes here need only a letter size, and the wrap adjusts the rest. Read two things on the listing: where the hem falls, since a short robe on a tall woman reads as a jacket, and the sleeve length, because a cuff that covers the knuckles ends up in the coffee. In a long robe, which has to stay crossed at the hip when she sits, take the larger of two sizes.

Slippers: choose the lining first, then the size

Start with the floor. Shearling is for tile, stone and a drafty hall: Prada's suede slippers are lined in shearling with a removable shearling-covered insole, Moncler's Snug flats are shearling inside and out, described in the listing as ideal for lounging at home, and Brunello Cucinelli's open-toe slides are oversized shearling with the house's monili beading at the heel. Velvet is for a carpeted, heated room and for looking dressed: The Row's Ponti is cotton velvet on a thin leather sole, and TOTEME's Venetian slipper is saffron velvet piped in black and white, lined in sheep leather. An open-back mule, like Balenciaga's Alaska, steps in and out at the bedside but leaves the heel cold. If she hosts in them, our holiday outfits guide covers which soles are safe on polished stairs.

Sizing is where slipper gifts go wrong. Shearling packs down with wear, so a lined pair should feel snug in the first week, not roomy. Then read each house's own note: Burberry's listing for its Urchin clogs says the brand fits slightly small and suggests half a size up, Maison Margiela's mules are listed with a European 37 as a US 7, and The Row and TOTEME size in European numbers only, so convert from her US size with the listing's chart.

More pairs are in our slippers edit.

Socks, a sleep mask and a throw

These are the pieces that turn a set into a gift. Gabriela Hearst's Anima socks are 60 percent cashmere and 40 percent silk in ivory; Brunello Cucinelli's calf-length socks run a lamé thread through a cashmere blend for a little shine on Christmas morning; and Valentino Garavani's pointelle ankle socks are trimmed with ruffles and pompoms. Versace's silk sleep mask is printed in the house's baroque style. For the sofa, Loro Piana's striped blanket is pure cashmere, Brunello Cucinelli's rib throw measures 150 by 200 centimeters, and Prada's black cashmere throw carries the triangle logo in one corner. Diptyque's Evening Mood candle is the inexpensive last word.

For more blankets and cushions, see cushions and throws.

How to wash silk pajamas

Start with the label. If it says dry clean, the maker has not approved home washing, and on a shirt that costs as much as these, that is advice worth taking. If it allows hand washing, or you choose to take the risk on an older set, this is the method we recommend:

1. Use a detergent made for silk or wool, without enzymes. Many everyday detergents contain protease, an enzyme that breaks down protein stains, and silk is a protein. A 2005 paper in the Journal of Biotechnology notes that detergent proteases can do irreversible damage to protein fibers such as wool and silk, including a loss of strength.
2. Cool water, short soak, no rubbing. Swish, rinse until the water runs clear, and test a hidden seam first if the silk is printed or dark.
3. Never wring. Roll the piece in a dry towel and press out the water.
4. Dry flat or on a padded hanger, away from a radiator and out of direct sun, which yellows ivory silk and fades color.
5. Press on the reverse at a low setting, or steam. A silk shirt that is still faintly damp irons best.

Two habits matter as much as the wash. Clean silk soon after it has been worn rather than storing it worn: the University of Georgia Extension advises treating perspiration stains promptly because they can weaken most fibers. And put on perfume, deodorant and hair products before the silk goes on, not after. Store silk folded, away from the light, and rotate two sets.

Buying pajamas as a gift: getting the size right

Pajamas are cut to be relaxed, which makes them easy to get nearly right and easy to get slightly wrong: a relaxed cut in the wrong size looks borrowed.

• Start with her shirts, not her dresses. A pajama top fits like a relaxed shirt, so her usual shirt size is the guide. Where top and bottom are sold separately, buy the pants in her trouser size.
• Between sizes, take the smaller in a loose cut. TOTEME's pajama tops are listed as relaxed or loose fits; one size up on a loose shirt drops the shoulder seam toward the elbow. Take the larger in anything cut close to the body without stretch.
• Read the conversion on each listing. European sizes are not one system: Saint Laurent's own pajama listings give a French 36 as a US 4, while the Stella McCartney and Valentino camisoles here are in Italian sizes, which run on a different scale.
• Choose stretch or ties when you are unsure. The Dolce & Gabbana nightgown and the Isabel Marant and Tom Ford pieces have elastane; Magda Butrym's camisole ties at the shoulder.
• Read the returns line on lingerie. Intimate pieces can be final sale: Saint Laurent's own listing for a silk satin romper says it may not be returned for hygiene reasons.

For the rest of her list, our holiday gift guide for her is organized by who she is to you, and luxury gifts for her by personality and budget. Not sure which set suits her? Ask our AI stylist to put together a set, a robe and slippers in the colors she already wears.

How we chose

Every piece is from a house on Vêtir's luxury list, full price and new. The fiber contents, care instructions and construction details in this guide are quoted from each piece's retailer listing as we read it in October 2026. We looked at every photograph, because feed colors mislead: Tom Ford's robe is listed as black and is ivory with black dots, and Magda Butrym's camisole, listed as orange, is a pale peach. We left out pajama-style pieces cut as day blouses, such as sheer georgette shirts that would not survive a night's sleep, anything for children, and pre-owned stock.

Frequently asked questions

Are silk pajamas worth it?

Yes, if you buy a solid color in a dense silk and follow the care label. A good silk set feels cool, drapes instead of bunching and lasts for years. Most of the silk pajamas in this guide are labeled dry clean, so if you want to wash yours at home every week, buy a set whose label allows it, whatever the fiber.

What is the best fabric for pajamas?

For warm sleepers and heated rooms, silk crêpe de chine, cotton poplin or cotton voile. For a cool bedroom, brushed flannel, including the modal flannel TOTEME uses, feels warm the moment you get into bed. Keep cashmere for lounging rather than sleeping, because nightly friction makes it pill.

What does momme mean for silk pajamas?

Momme is a unit of weight per area for silk, about 4.34 grams per square meter per momme. A higher momme means a denser, more opaque and more durable cloth. Most luxury pajama listings do not state it, so judge by how opaque the fabric looks in the photographs and whether it is lined.

Which designers make the best pajamas for women?

For quiet, solid sets, TOTEME, The Row and Saint Laurent; for prints, Alexander McQueen, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Balmain; for nightgowns, Dolce & Gabbana and Chloé; and for cashmere loungewear, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli and Max Mara.

What size pajamas should I buy as a gift?

Her usual shirt size for the top and trouser size for the pants, taking the smaller size in a loose cut if she is between two. Check each listing's size conversion, and if you cannot find out her size at all, give a robe, socks or a throw instead.

What are the best luxury Christmas pajamas?

A printed set you would also wear to brunch: Alexander McQueen's floral crêpe de chine shirt and pants, Versace's 'The Sun' silk twill pants with a plain silk shirt, or Balmain's pink Foulard shirt and shorts. Prints photograph better than plain satin and hide the night's creases.

Keep reading

• The holiday gift guide for her, by relationship
• The best cashmere sweaters, and how to judge cashmere
• Holiday outfits for every December plan
• Hanukkah gift ideas, night by night
• Gifts for the woman who has everything