How can I find the perfect pajamas?

October 11, 2011 7:54 AM

Help me find short-sleeved and -legged pajamas for a short adult lady!

I hate wearing pajamas and usually sleep in just undies. However, I'm becoming a foster parent, and have decided I need to be more covered during the night, for the sake of kids in my care. Here are the complications:
A. I am a restless sleeper. This means that any shirt/nightdress/camisole/undershirt/tank top/whatever will twist itself around me and become very uncomfortable. (So please don't recommend two-piece solutions.)
B. I am a warm sleeper, so footed pajamas and anything with long sleeves or legs are out.
C. I'm short (5'1), but just curvy enough that I no longer fit in kids' sizes without awful gapping and pulling, mostly across the chest.
D. I prefer 100% cotton, preferably in a jersey-knit, without elastic.
E. I have no sewing skills whatsoever, so making one myself isn't an option.

Basically, what I want is a union suit with short sleeves and legs. I've searched for every keyword combination I can think of and can't find anything that works. I've tried Etsy, Ebay, and google. I even ended up on an adult-baby fetish website, but none of the items I found were what I was looking for - wrong material, wrong cut, too flouncy and frilly, just plain creepy, etc.

I feel pretty certain that this product exists, and I'm just not looking in the right places. So!
1. Do you know of a product that meets my description?
2. Do you know of search terms to help narrow my search more effectively?
3. Do you know of a different style of pajama that would be just right for me?

Thanks, from me and from the kids who won't have to see me in my undies in the middle of the night.

posted by SeedStitch to clothing, beauty, & fashion (9 answers total)

How about cutting the sleeves and legs off of a union suit or footed pajamas? You can use some fusible web tape and an iron to hem up the edges with no sewing.
posted by Dojie at 8:13 AM on October 11, 2011

I think the word you want to search for is "romper pajamas." I did a search and found these -- some are for kids, but it looks like some are for adults. (And it looks deceptive, but I think some of those ones that look like two-piece are actually one-piece, with just a blousy top part.)

Failing that, you could just look for a comfortable and inexpensive romper that may not be necessarily meant for sleepwear and wear that. Here's one from Macys that's only about 15 bucks now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:13 AM on October 11, 2011

Vermont Country Store (Women's Sleepwear) Shortie PJs or Sleeveless Nightgowns.
posted by plokent at 8:16 AM on October 11, 2011

Plokent, I thought nightgowns were a no-go?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:22 AM on October 11, 2011

These are a helpful start - I swear to you that I searched on romper pajamas and only found stuff for kids.

Nightgowns and two-piece sets are out, and if it's possible, I'd prefer not to have a blousy top, even if it's connected, as that extra material is what gets wound around me and tries to choke me in my sleep. And Dojie, I'm absolutely keeping that as a last-resort option. I just assume this already exists somewhere, but if I'm wrong, I'll be butchering some long-sleeved ones.
posted by SeedStitch at 8:27 AM on October 11, 2011

I think the trick is to go to a site and then search within it for the rompers. Here are the ones I found on 6pm.com that are all short sleeves, shorts, and cotton jersey
black and white
green and white stripes
Dark blue or gray
v neck
posted by rmless at 8:50 AM on October 11, 2011

This one from Zappos appears to be cotton.

Jersey knit romper from Zappos

It looks like Zappos has a pretty good variety.

How about this romper from Victoria's Secret - although it's not cotton.

Another one from Victoria's Secret.
posted by Sassyfras at 9:39 AM on October 11, 2011

Have you tried sleeping in Yoga clothes? The shirts are tight but not restrictive, and the pants/shorts are the same way. I know you said no 2 piece sets, but that might be an option for you.
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:24 AM on October 11, 2011

rmless, that's exactly what I'll be doing from now on. Thanks!

I'll be ordering several of these, and now I know what to look for when I need to find more.

Toofewshoes, I have tried pretty much every shirt/shorts combo there is. No luck, even with yoga stuff.
posted by SeedStitch at 12:59 PM on October 11, 2011