Vital, earth-shattering question...

March 1, 2005 7:48 AM

When men wear pajamas, should they go commando or wear underwear?

Yes... this is to settle an argument between me, and my wife and daughter. I say commando (pajamas are a clothing unto themselves, and require no undergarments), while my wife and daughter are grossed out. Who's right?

posted by jpburns to clothing, beauty, & fashion (40 comments total)

One wears pajamas to bed or underwear. Not both. Unless, of course, you prefer to sleep naked in which case you require neither.
posted by aladfar at 7:52 AM on March 1, 2005

pajamas and underwear? snorts in derision. and: sweaty!
also, toilet paper should hang over the roll. just to save you asking.
posted by andrew cooke at 7:52 AM on March 1, 2005

I generally wear underwear with mine, but mostly just because the brand I like tend to close very loosely in the front, and popping out would be a regular occurance without a second line of defense.

I also wear socks in bed. So there.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:53 AM on March 1, 2005

i never understood why even wear pajamas? they seem to me to be a relic of a time when a)we were much pruder about our bodies and b)heating was almost nonexistent, thereby enjoining people to wear warm clothes to bed.

either way, i don't see their point nowadays, unless you're having a jimmy stewart-themed party.
posted by yonation at 8:04 AM on March 1, 2005

I am for commando in all aspects of life. Underwear is a tool of The Man and a first step on the road to fascism and mind control.
posted by spicynuts at 8:05 AM on March 1, 2005 [1 favorite]

Personally, both. Whatever anyone says here though, I doubt wife and daughter will stop being grossed out after reading the verdict of a MetaFilter thread.
posted by 4easypayments at 8:07 AM on March 1, 2005

You know whose advice I'm not taking on the subject of whether or not to wear underwear? spicynuts'
posted by MarkAnd at 8:09 AM on March 1, 2005 [1 favorite]

I am for commando in all aspects of life.

That explains the username.
posted by jewishbuddha at 8:09 AM on March 1, 2005

If you do go commando, you should wash your pajamas more frequently!

Also, do the pajamas have that little flap in the front commonly found on boxer shorts? I guess that would suggest to me that they were meant to be worn commando, because there would be no point to the little helpful flap if you were otherwise caged up below, no? (IANAG = I am not a guy)
posted by onlyconnect at 8:15 AM on March 1, 2005

Given our bedroom is always hot, I'd burst into flame if I wore pj's, but if I did, they would take the place of boxers. Wear both? Why not just stay clothed?

I also wear socks in bed. So there.

On the super rare occasions when our bedroom is very cold, I consider wearing socks until I remember the hooting derision I'll encounter from my wife, and think better of it. You should too.
posted by jalexei at 8:16 AM on March 1, 2005

also, toilet paper should hang over the roll. just to save you asking.

(not if you have bathroom-curious cats. . . )
posted by nobody at 8:35 AM on March 1, 2005

Commando. Otherwise you'll be sweating up a storm.
posted by jonmc at 8:36 AM on March 1, 2005

Can I clarify where the ick factor is coming from? You only wear underwear once before you throw it in the laundry. Usually. Because it's close to your body, and it gets dirty. But you don't have to wash your khakis with the same frequency, because they are protected from immediate contact with you and your butt and other things by the warm protective sealant of your underwear.

If you are going commando in your pajamas, your pajamas are straddling the abyss because (1) they are coming into contact with your junk alot, AND (2) chances are you aren't putting on a clean pair every day like your underwear. So there's a tension there.
posted by onlyconnect at 8:37 AM on March 1, 2005

There are actually anatomical differences between men and women, and this might lead to the conclusion that you and your wife are BOTH RIGHT. You must not ever admit this possibility to your wife, however.
posted by MarkAnd at 8:45 AM on March 1, 2005

I consider wearing socks until I remember the hooting derision I'll encounter from my wife, and think better of it. You should too.

Th' wife's been known to wear two pair and put a heating pad on top of those. We'd both probably wear footie pajamas if they made ones in our size that weren't designed for the toddler-fettish set.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:50 AM on March 1, 2005

There are actually anatomical differences between men and women

Well, yes, but those differences don't make it any better for women to wear underwear to bed. Round-the-clock panty wear contributes to yeast infections and other irritations, because the affected area doesn't have a chance to air out. Women should go commando or wear loose fitting pajamas/nightgowns with no panties.

I vote commando-under-pajamas for the men, too.
posted by vorfeed at 9:15 AM on March 1, 2005

My boyfriend insists on wearing boxers under his PJ pants, and I find it particularly ridiculous. I do seem to be wearing him down on this with my own "hooting derision" but it helps that he's finally gotten some pants that have a very secure snap across the flap. Is the potential for exposure what grosses your girls out? That's easily remedied without needing another layer.

If it's more along the lines of what onlyconnect is saying, obviously if you only wear pj pants to bed you need to treat them more like underwear in terms of their washing schedule. But in all honesty, pj pants don't fit nearly so closely as underwear, and I would think your crotch would only become more gross the longer amount of time it spends encased in cloth. Ew. As far an anatomical differences, only certain times of the month should that make a serious difference. I'm female and wearing more than one layer to bed is wildly uncomfortable to me.

BUT, everyone has their own grossness neuroses, and you very likely will never convince your wife and daughter to see the light. My best advice would be, sleep in whatever makes you comfortable, and take on greater laundry responsbilities for your night wear to try and placate them.
posted by nelleish at 9:19 AM on March 1, 2005

I consider wearing socks until I remember the hooting derision I'll encounter from my wife, and think better of it. You should too.

Why should I care if your wife hoots in derision at my sock-clad feet?
posted by kindall at 9:23 AM on March 1, 2005

who the hell wears clothes at all while they sleep?
posted by angry modem at 9:46 AM on March 1, 2005

...AND (2) chances are you aren't putting on a clean pair every day like your underwear...

Were I a PJ wearer, I'd rotate a set or three and put on clean ones each night.

Why should I care if your wife hoots in derision at my sock-clad feet?

While she might beg to differ, you shouldn't - the line just seemed funnier with the little addendum.
posted by jalexei at 9:51 AM on March 1, 2005

Thanks for the sage advice.

I thought I was right, but, y'know... I might have just as easily been a gross pig.

Actually, I usually wear boxers to bed, but occasionally, during the really cold Atlanta winter nights I'll wear... I'd guess you call them "sleep bottoms."

I can't wait to show this page to the wimmen-folk, here...
posted by jpburns at 9:58 AM on March 1, 2005

Round-the-clock panty wear contributes to yeast infections and other irritations, because the affected area doesn't have a chance to air out.

Until I see a link for this, I'm going to call bullshit. If you are wearing non-cotton panties, perhaps, but that it what cotton is made for--it breathes. And as a data point of one, I wear undies all the time, and I am the only girl I know who has never gotten a yeast infection.

On topic: I think whatever your heart desires is fine. As long as you don't wear socks to bed.
posted by dame at 10:04 AM on March 1, 2005

As long as you don't wear socks to bed.

That only applies to feet, right?
posted by jonmc at 10:18 AM on March 1, 2005

i never understood why even wear pajamas? they seem to me to be a relic of a time when a)we were much pruder about our bodies and b)heating was almost nonexistent, thereby enjoining people to wear warm clothes to bed.

Pajamas for me are like my night time hang-around-the-house clothes - they're comfy and cozy and cute. Once I'm in for the night I change out of the jeans or khakis or whatever I wore during the day & into either t-shirt & boxers if it's warm, or t-shirt & 'house pants'/pj bottoms if it's cooler, or a proper pair of pjs if it's a little chillier.

I'm still living in the 40s when it comes to heat - NYC steam radiators.

But I don't think it's "prudish" to wear comfy clothes to bed. It's just more comfortable. As a girl I wear undies to reduce laundering needs for PJs but I never really thought about it and would not consider it necessary so much as easier for me. But for the record, I used to wear socks to bed, too, until a girlfriend of mine rid me of the habit by the same method as jalexei's wife.
posted by mdn at 10:28 AM on March 1, 2005

Once I'm in for the night I change out of the jeans or khakis or whatever I wore during the day & into either t-shirt & boxers if it's warm,

I figured this was more or less universal. My "around the house" outfit is more or less what I wore to work minus pants and footwear. If it's exceptionally cold, I'll wear a bathrobe. On weekends, I'll stay that way 24/7 if I don't have to go out.
posted by jonmc at 10:44 AM on March 1, 2005

Commando...you win.
posted by SparkyPine at 10:50 AM on March 1, 2005

b)heating was is almost nonexistent, thereby enjoining people to wear warm clothes to bed.

Underwear, pajamas, socks. I'm thinking about trying a hat. Maybe shoes.
posted by pracowity at 12:34 PM on March 1, 2005

Environmentally speaking (and economically) it's so much more efficient to wear clothing of some sort than to keep your heat turned up enough that you don't have to. Plus, what about when you want to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Isn't it cold to be naked?

That said, every man I have ever shared a bed with has worn boxers only. Pajamas, for them, are strictly for wandering around the house in a state of half-dress when the other roommates are home. And in that case they're worn over the boxers.
posted by mai at 12:39 PM on March 1, 2005

pracowity: sometimes I wear a hoody, and then when it gets extra frigid I pull up the hood. Like a hat but more comfortable.
posted by mai at 12:40 PM on March 1, 2005

Or, mai, you can just have lots of blankets, which is what I do. And yeah, it's cold when you have to get out, but so comfy to wear just undies & huddle under the blankets.
posted by dame at 2:13 PM on March 1, 2005

Until I see a link for this, I'm going to call bullshit.

Here are some links.
posted by vorfeed at 3:05 PM on March 1, 2005

Huh. Thanks vorfeed. Guess I just do have a cunt of steel. Awesome.
posted by dame at 4:00 PM on March 1, 2005

Guess I just do have a cunt of steel.

That was one of Marvel Comics early, unpublished superheros, right?
posted by jonmc at 4:34 PM on March 1, 2005

Man here, flannel jammies, no underwear, socks.

I also don't wear underwear under cycling shorts. Some people do and this is a very, very bad idea. I shave my legs. Toilet paper goes under. Glasses go right side up in the cupboard.
posted by fixedgear at 4:49 PM on March 1, 2005

I personally go commando in my 'pyjamas', the thought of wearing underwear beneath is ridiculous.

also, I never wear socks in bed, because as a child i did, each and every night, and it eventually made my toes crooked, and they don't seem to want to entirely straighten out.
posted by iamcrispy at 5:57 PM on March 1, 2005

This thread is fun :)

Male; sometimes boxers, sometimes nothing. Depends on mood and companions.

AskMeFi: a tool of The Man and a first step on the road to fascism and mind control.
posted by gen at 5:59 PM on March 1, 2005

Pajama bottoms over boxers (I don't get the unsanitary issue--don't you people take showers in the morning?). T-shirt (not the one you wore all day--that would be just wrong). Socks in winter (say Sept. through May)
If I could get away with wearing a hat, I would (I've often joked with my wife that there is a vast untapped market for authentic nightcaps in this country). I like to be cozy when I sleep and sleeping naked makes me feel well, naked.
posted by Chrischris at 8:13 PM on March 1, 2005

I'm guessing it is the whole living with daughters thing that is causing the wife to see a need for double layers. We both sleep nude but...

I sleep with a short nightgown with sleeves in the winter because my shoulders get cold but no socks, that is what the heating pad and my husband's belly is for.

He sleeps in his silk PJ bottoms when my daughter is visiting in case of sudden emergencies. I've never known anyone who sleeps in double layers-- that's just overkill.

Air is your friend.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:27 PM on March 1, 2005

If its cool enough for socks in the morning, I prefer to wear them to bed. My back has been thrown out too often from putting socks on in the morning.

Underwear w/pj's? ridiculous. If its a modesty issue, take the family to a nice nude beach and teach them that skin is NOT obscene. To think skin obscene is seriously perverted.
posted by Goofyy at 11:32 PM on March 1, 2005

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time it came around..

Anyway, here= PJs, no undies, sock to keep feet warm (can't sleep with cold feet!). I have to cover all skin from my neck to my toes- because since the dog started sleeping in the bed, she will stick her cold nose anywhere that's uncovered while I'm trying to go to sleep (and just try to sleep with a cold dog nose in your belly button!)
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:44 PM on March 2, 2005 [1 favorite]