Though I didn’t buy a lot of clothes in 2020, I did purchase a couple of pairs of pyjamas at Walmart to replace ones that were totally worn out. Due to Covid-19, the fitting rooms were closed so I couldn’t try them on. I loved the feel of the soft fabric though and I was pretty sure that medium would fit, so I took a chance. What I didn’t realize until I put them on at home was that both pairs of pyjama pants had pockets. Pockets in pjs! That was something I’d never seen before.

I’ve written about pockets in women’s clothing before and I’m definitely very much in favour of them, but in pyjamas? Why would we need pockets in pyjamas, I wondered. After all, anything more than a tissue in the pocket while in bed would be rather uncomfortable, don’t you think? Besides, bedside tables, not pockets, are for the things you might want to have within reach while you’re in bed. 

After much consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that pockets in pyjamas must be a Covid-19 accommodation. As we shelter in place, work from home, and conduct business online, we no longer need to dress as we might have in pre-pandemic days. Comfort is definitely the name of the game these days and for some, that might mean wearing pyjamas, or at least pyjama bottoms, all day. In that case, pockets to hold cell phones and other paraphernalia make perfect sense. 

Pyjamas as daywear isn’t a brand new idea. When we lived in China, it wasn’t uncommon to see adults in the street wearing flannel pyjamas and house slippers. I wrote about that here. We even saw a woman wearing lovely pink pjs in the Louvre when we visited Paris in 2019 and Australian novelist, Justine Larbalestier, claims that all her books were written while she was wearing pyjamas. 

While I confess that it’s getting harder as this pandemic drags on, I still do my best to maintain some sense of normalcy by getting dressed every morning. I wear earrings every day and most days I still put on mascara and a bit of blush. Pockets or no pockets, I won’t be wearing my pyjamas all day!