Day Two of Men's Week brings us to...The Pajama Problem.
Look through vintage pajama and robe patterns for men and one thing becomes clear: pattern illustrators of the past got very nervous when they had to illustrate more than one view of a male nightwear pattern. Because that meant...that meant...
...that meant they'd be showing two or more men in nightclothes TOGETHER. And that raised the question...WHY were these men in pajamas together? Hmmm? Hmmm?!
The most common solution to The Pajama Problem? Give the men objects to show they were DOING something. Because if they were doing something, they couldn't, you know, be doing something else...
In Simplicity 5039, it's quite simple. Shorts is golfing (golfing?!) while Nightshirt and Blue discuss Important Business:
The "sheaf of papers in hand" in Blue's hand is a favorite solution. Men, you see, just can't stop Meeting About Memos, even if it's time for beddy bye.
Even in the 70s, that sheaf of papers came in handy. In Simplicity 7080, Yellow may be getting a little friendly with Plaid, who just stepped out of the shower, but Red has a TPS Report that needs discussing, stat!
Another favorite remedy (as shown in McCall's 4816 above), was to show the robe worn over a tie, pants and dress shoes. Here's another example, Simplicity 4349:
And yet another, Vogue 8753. Little Mr. No Pants in the back there may be going to bed, but Red and
Gray are wheeling, dealing and trading stocks even though the market is
closed:
Truth be told, I found so many examples of robes over ties that I have to ask my readers who've studied fashion and costume history: was there a time when men came home and doffed their suit jackets for robes?
Tomorrow: When the Pajama Problem is just too much...